The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-01-12
YACHT DAMAGED
COMING THROUGH
INSIDE ROUTE
MISSING LIGHTS CAUSE YES
Sell TO RECEIVE DAMAGED
PROPELLER WHILE ON WAY
TO KEY WEST

Albert W. JohnSton'S 94-toot
Mathis Household, Nicoya", of
New York, which is in Key West
this morning, damaged its pro-
peller and stern roller bearings
coming down the inside waterway
from Biscayne Bay to Bahia
Honda in running aground three
times because of missing lights
and buoys. MIR. Johnston has
been coming here for the last sew
En- years.
Superintendent w. w. Demer-
lit Of the Seventh Lighthouse Dis
trict stated this morning that:
There IS no need for yaehtsmen
coming down the inside route.
The fact that the lights are down
Is posted in all the yacht clubs on
the East Coast in our district and
also given to all harbormasters.
Yachtsmen have due warning. If
they wish still to come down that
route, they have only themselves
to blame for any damage in
CURED. There is a perfectly good
safe route they can use on the
outside, Hawk Channel, which is
inside the reef. They must 60 in
to Hawk Channel even now when
they come down from Bahia
Honda to Key West, and that par
ticular stretch is much more I'm
comfortable and perhaps danger
Gus than the Hawk Chanel route
from Miami to Bahia Honda. The
need for an inside route from
Jacksonville to Miami is much
more pressing than from Miami
to Key West. where yachtsmen
have the opportunity to take the
protected Hawk Channel route"
The destruction has been done
by tugs towing strings of barges,
which become unmanageable in
even q light wind. Since May,
1887. before which time there was
a complete and comprehensive
system of lights and aids to nav
igation, 10 lights and % beacons
have been destroyed or damaged
in the stretch from Lower Bis
cayne Bay to Bahia Honda. There
IS no way of preventing the tugs
and lows from taking the route
and the only procedure open to us
Is to send them a bill whenever
We have an eye witness to the
fact. The DesRocher and Watkins
Towing Company of q Sc 5th St,
Miami. Fla. destroyed the Barnes
Point Light Number 26, Novem-
Der Is. and the act was witnessed.
We have sent them bill demand
ing payment.
Our equipment is at present
engaged in other work. How
ever. as soon as possible, we win
replace the lights. We are also
planning lights of sheet steel pill
ing, filled with concrete which we
believe viii Be able ID withstand
the impact Of bafgespA : -
Mr. Johnston nfurthers stated
that he was afraid when yachts
men heard of the condition of the
lights and aids to navigation on
the inside waterway. many would
not come down. audit is his belief
that many have not come because
Of that reason. Insurance COM
panies wiz soon raise their rates
10 such an extent that yachtSmen
vii find il too expensive to make
the run here, he added.
Mrs Johnston is accompanying
Mr.. Johnston. and their guests are
Mr.. and Mrs. II. ". Park.
Captaining the 'sNicoya" is r.
J. Hagberg-
Mr. Johnston is part owner OF
the Greenwich Times" of Green
witch, Connecticut.
Accompanying the larger boat Is
the cuStom-built z2-foot ~Doub-
lon. Captain Eric Hansen. II is
an express cruiser.
Stil IN port are the Helen J."
Indianapolis. Indiana. Owner J.
d. Reese. who is here with Mrs.
Reese and Eugene PyieS. and the
-Binmar" of Macon. Georgia.
Owner Pink Happ.