New-York tribune., 1912-03-05
LIGHTHOUSE IN WOODS
New Staten Island Beacon 10 be
Visible Il Miles.
WILL BE READY APRIL ID
Two Miles and a Half Inshore
at Elevation of 231 Feet
Above Sea Level

On and after April Is. Chen the cap
tains and pilots high up on the bridges OF
the giant ocean liners and others ap-
preaching New York are watching Wlth
their night glasses for the beacon lights
that are to guide them into this haroor
they will pick up a new one. sheddlns lts
powerful and kindly rays across the Lower
Bay and for twenty one miles out at sea
In a southeasterly direction. The light is
on a hill at Richmond Staten Island.
This new beacon. notice Of which has
been sent to shipmasters here and abroad
through the regular government notice
10 mariners" will he officially known as
the Ambrose Channel outer Range staten
Island (reaD Light Station. The light
which Is to he fixed white" will have
what is known as "A range lens and
100000 candlepower incandescent oil
vapor hull's-eye light 1t Will be shown
from a light color octagonal brick tower
on a gray limestone base The light is
231 feet above sea level and II stands on
n plateau about two and one-half miles
inshore and five and one-eghth miles from
the West Bank Lighthouse.
When these two lights are in range or
a pilot entering the harbor he knows that
his vessel is heading directly for the en-
trance 10 Ambrose Channel and II holds
good for the four miles from the entrance
10 the first turn in the channel. There is
a light Colored brick two story keeper s
dwelling with a red tile roof about seven
teen Yards southeast of the tower. This
house. which will he completed before tho
light is ready. will be occupied by Captain
hn haC ed
keeper. and his assistant. not vet named.
The keepers will have FIVE rooms each and
a bath. a garrett and a basement. also a
library. where they can improve their
minds when off duty
The Navesink electric light, which
flashes every five seconds. is the only one
that can he seen further at sea than this
new beacon Its range is twenty-five
miles The Chapel Hin beacon rear light
is visible twenty one miles-the same dis
tance as the new light. The West Bank
light is visible only fourteen miles.
Commander Clark Stearns. u. S. y, in
spector of the Third Lighthouse District.
at Tompkinsville. Staten Island, an
nounced yesterday that Colonel Black. OF
the United States Engineer Corps. who
has had charge of the work on Ambrose
Channel had reported that that important
marine highway was now completed eX-
cept for what is designated as trimming. =
1t is about seven miles long, 1000 feet
wide and 30 feet deep.
!. T. Yates. superintendent Of the dis
trict. explained the system Of buoyage.
Approaching from sea. the first buoy en-
countered he said is the whistler.
This is two miles from the entrance. and
is one Of the largest Of it's kind in the
world II is what is known Il self
generating Wilson gas buoy. weighing
twenty tons. II has run itself for sixteen
months without attention. II Is moored
i'm eight fathoms Of water. with the chan
mel entrance bearing WNW 4 W. two
miles away.
At each turn in the channel there is a
ten-ton acetylene gas buoy. which flashes
four and tenth seconds light and Is
eight and one-tenth seconds dark The
lantern is designated as 375 millimetres
and the lamp burns night and day for six
months. In addition to these there are
ten Pintsch gas buoys with mantle lam
terms. which show Il fixed light for four
months. These buoys mark the sides OF
the channel.