SOMES ISLAND LIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 5

SOMES ISLAND LIGHT.

UTILITY QUESTIONED. " THE MOVE TO ABOLISH IT. ' Somes Island light is to be put on its trial at the meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board on Wednesday. The points of the controversy now current regarding tho navigation lights of the port of Wellington are fairly familiar. Emphasis to these controversial points is now added by a motion which. Captain Watson is to move. The motion sufficiently explains itself, and is as follows"That tho board take into consideration tho advisability of discontinuing tho light now exhibited from Somes Island as a leading light for the port, and that a pilo beacon be erected at the position of tho black buoy now moored near Steeple Eock, off Seatoun; that the light to be shown therefrom be a bright, occulting light, showing a' red sector on a bearing four degrees eastward of Barrett's Reef, thence round westward to a bearing a safe distanco oil tho furthest outlying point of land in the vicinity of Gordon Point. I also desiro to move that all fixed navigational lights at present shown in tho harbour fee replaced by occulting lights." The Case Against Somes Light. Captain Watson maintains that, as a leading light into the port, Somes Island light is useless.' It is nef't required in fine weather, and it is too far back from the entrance when it is most required—in hazy weather. Many seafaring men whin approached yesterday were of tho same opinion. They supported the idea of a pilo light on tho Steeple Eock.