The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-02-07

up II at L.
fOn-LightIlousc Board viii Not
Recommend establishment OF Wire
less Telegraph System Between
Lightship and Wilmington.
he regular monthly meeting OF tie
board of navigation and piloIage was
held yesterday there being present
Chairman James Sprunt, Commission
CTS hi. c. Guthrie and Richard Dosher,
and Clerk L.. Brown McKoy.
: The committee Of pilots designated
TO take the soundings on the Da~ and
river reported as follows:
I'VE nave this day Oanuary 20, 1909
taken %SOundings on the bar at low
tide, We find 20 feet on the outer bar
n from 3 IL to 4 fathoms inside
With ranges open to westward. With
ranges ON we find but IL feet in two
places.
(Signed) "E. A. Grissom, w. T.
Haskell, L. S Davis, J w Keal, Jos
N. Daniels"
In this connection the chairman
stated that he board had been request
q IfV captain E.. I. Brown, Of the U. S.
Engineers, now in charge Of the river
II narDOr Improvement, to furnish
him regularly with a copy of sound
ings reported by the committees of
pilets and, upon motion of Mr.. Guthrie
the CLERK was instructed to furnish
Captain Brown with the regular reports
as requested.
The clerk WAS also requested to in
struct the committees hereafter ap-
pointed to be more particular with
reference to this matter and to- give In
their reports the %soundings from the
bar to the first buoy, and after that
to give the ~soundings consecut1vely,
according to he neimbers of the buOys
UP into the river channel,
The chairman stated that the Will
mington chamber Of commerce, in &C
cordance with the resolution of this
board asking their cooperation, had
taken up the matter of the recent &C
ton of the light house board in re-
moving the Frying Pan Shoals light
ship.
The chairman also read the follow
luS iSJLcI duuIcSSttl ny lHe pi f1Jlpdl
exporters of Wilmington, with refer
ence to this matter, the receipt of
which letter had been acknowledged
by President Taylor of the chamber
OF commerce, with the Information
hat our representative Hon. H. l..
Goodwin at Washington hau taken up
the matter with the proper authorities
there, to-Wit:
Jan. %, 1908.
j. Allen Taylor, Esq, President of
Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington,
N. O.:
Dear Sir: With reference to your
recent action in drawing the attention
OF our representative in congress to
the apparent injustice Of the light
house board in removing the Frying
Pan Shoals light ship from her former
mooring off Cape Fear bar to a dist
ance which is nov more than thirty
miles from the Care Fear. rendering
that Important beacon of practically
no use to n~avigators approaching the
port of Wilmington, We have carefully
inquired, (and more particularly OF
Masters Mariners whose ships have
come addressed to us), and we are full,
Nv persuaded that important action
should be taken by our representatives
In order that the prevailing confusion
which is the subject of general re
mark among sea-farlng men lii thu
port of Wilmington, nay be overcome
and the port saved from serious preju
dice on the part of ship owners
"It is probably we'll known to yor
that navigators approaching Whining
ton are liable to be greatly confused
by the similarity of two whistGns
,buoys. we are informed of practically
the same description, anchored in Pc
sitions the soundings Of which Sc
closely correspond as to doubt il
the mind of the navigator whether hi
{ as approaching the wnistling buoy OF
the Knuckle Shoal or the whistlins
buoy which has been recently placed
at the old moorings of the Frying Par
6hoal light ship.
<"These two buoys are 8 1-2 mile:
apart and should be more easily dis
tsnguished.
~We respectfully suggest that in
ease the light house board refuses te
restore the Frying Pan Shoals light
ship to her former position that oul
representatives in congress will insist
upon the establishment Of a farewell
flashing buoy, similar to the n es-
tablished southeast Of Cape Henry
and that this farewell flashing buoy