Evening star., 1933-04-05
BARNEGAT IS HELD
JERSEY HATTERAS'
Destruction of Akron Adds
Another Black Chapter to
Seas Graveyard"

The destruction of the Akron has
added another black chapter to the his
tory Of Barnegat. New Jerseys grave
yard of the sea-" according to bulletin
issued by the National Geographic So
ciety. The Akron Is the latest of long
list OF victims of the "Hatteras" Of the
Jersey coast, the bulletin states.
Statistics show that the Barnegst
Coast Guard station is one OF the most
active stations on the entire Atlantic
Coast" 1t is said in the bulletin. Here
the New Jersey shore bends like an ell
bow from a north-south direction to the
southwest. and tidal currents. winds
and shifting shoals have taken toll Of
thousands of boats, large and small.
since this part of the country was first
sighted by Giovanni da VerraZano, the
F1orentine navigator, in 1924.
Victims Amateur Sailors.
"In these days of large steamers
which run we'll out at sea most Of the
vessels in distress are amateur sailors;
rich yachtsmen who do not allow for
drift and tidal variations. and whose
craft pile up on the shoals. Or from
fishermen's boats when their engines
break down. However, coastwise barge
traffic is heavy, and occasionally one
breaks loose from its tugboat to add its
wreckage to many that have preceded 1t.
In a description of the Jersey coast,
published in 1879, 1t was stated that
prior to the War of 1912 Old Cranberry
inlet nearby was one of the best
| anchorages on the coast, and it afforded
safe harbor for American privateers
on the lookout for British ships dur
| ing the Revolution. 1t was opened one
night by the angry sea breaking across
the beach, and during the last year OF
| it's existence as a deep-water harbor
| the whole channel drifted nearly
mile to the northward.
Its closure, about 1912, caused 90
much inconvenience that, in 1921, an
attempt was made to cut a new inlet
near the head of Barnegat Bay (the
present bay head. With the assist
ance of others it was finally finished,
but the following morning, to the amaze
ment of the voluntary workers, 1t had
closed up again.
Region Of Mystery.
"To Jersey marshmen, baymen and
old sailors the coast in the neighbor-
hood of Barnegat Light is a region of
| legend and mystery. Here freebooters
once hung a lantern around hobbled
mares neck and turned the animal
loose on the beach. Ship captains
seeing the bobbing light mistook 1t for
another ship in safe water. and were
lured to destruction in the heavy surf.
The freebooters then sold cargo that
washed up on the beach.
"Old Barnegat Light, a towering
shaft built in 1858, no longer flashes
warning to mariners modern
lightship a few miles of shore now in
dicates the shoal line, and the vener-
able shaft, its base buttressed with
heavy piling against the shifting sands
at its feet, Is now State Museum.
For the sake of sentiment small light
is kept burning at night in the tip of
the tower, where once q great white
beam shot its message Of caution far
out over the ocean.
"Barnegat is difficult Of access by
both land and sea. In recent years q
narrow paved road has been run
through the sand dunes of Long Beach
from Manahawkin, on the, mainland,
but the point of land on the, opposite
side of Barnegat Inlet has no connec-
ton with the outside world save by
small boats. Barnegat City Is but q
tiny cluster of weather-beaten houses
around the old light house and Coast
Guard station. The big rambling hotel,
| which for half century was o rem
devious Of deep-sea fishermen, was de-
stroyed by fire last year"