May 29.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1803

RAPA ISLAND.—AHUREI BAY.—BEACONS GONE.—The commander of the French gunboat “Zélée” reports under date of December, 1912, that the two black beacons located respectively 1,740 yards 65° and 1,040 yards 36 from Mount Tepiahu, Ahurei Bay, Rapa Island, no longer exist.

Approximate position of Mount Tepiahu: Latitude 27° 36′ 30″ S., longitude 144° 18′ 15″ W. H.O. Charts Nos. 825A and 2011. Pacific Islands, Vol. III, 1909, page 28.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO.—NEU POMMERN.—POSITIONS OF REEFS.—HYDROGRAPHIC INFORMATION.—The German Government has given the following information concerning the positions of reefs off the north coast of Neu Pommern, Bismarck, Archipelago, South Pacific Ocean:—

Lolobau Reef, westward of Lolobau Island, is located in (approximately) latitude 4° 57′ 30″ S., longitude 150° 52′ E.

Fairway Reef, shown on the charts in latitude 5° 17′ S., longitude 150° 54′ E., is located in (approximately) latitude 5° 3′ S., longitude 150° 57′ E.

May Reef, shown on the charts in latitude 5° 15′ S., longitude 150° 40′ E., is located in (approximately) latitude 5° 14′ S., longitude 150° 30′ E.

FITZ (KIMBE) ISLAND is located in (approximately) latitude 5° 12′ 12″ S., longitude 150° 23′ E.

Jenkins Island is located in (approximately) latitude 5° 21′ 12″ S., longitude 150° 29′ 42″ E., and is named Wulai. On the eastern side of Wulai Island is a small harbour protected by reefs the entrance to which is indicated by two range-beacons carrying white triangular topmarks.

MARIA THERESA REEF.—BANK REPORTED TO SOUTHWARD.—Capt. M. McCarron, of the American schooner “Sophie Christenson” reports the existence of a bank about ¼ mile long in a northeast-southwest direction, with about 5 fathoms of water over it, about 300 miles 154° from Maria Theresa Reef, South Pacific Ocean, in (approximately) latitude 41° 26′ S., longitude 148° 26′ W. The water appeared of a light pea-green colour, but no soundings were taken.

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN.

SANDWICH ISLANDS.—KAUAI.—KILAUEA POINT.—INTENDED LIGHT.—Position: On point situated about 1½ miles eastward from the eastern side of Kalihiwai Bay, north coast of island. Lat. 22° 13½′ N., long. 159° 24¼′ W., on Chart No. 1510. Date of establishment: On or about the 1st May, 1913. Abridged description: Lt. gp. fl. (2), ev. 10 sec., 216 ft., vis. 21 m. Details: Character, a group flashing white light, showing a group of two flashes every ten seconds—thus, flash 0·2 sec., eclipse 1·2 secs.; flash 0·2 sec., eclipse 8·4 secs.; elevation, 216 ft.; visibility, 21 miles.

PACIFIC COAST.

JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT.—DALLAS BANK.—NON-EXISTENCE OF SHOAL.—Position on charts: On north-western end of bank. Lat. 48° 10′ N., long. 122° 56′ 40″ W., on Chart No. 1947. Details: The 3-fathom shoal shown on the charts in the position given above does not appear in the latest U.S.A. Government charts; it has therefore been erased from the Admiralty charts and other publications.

NORTH-WEST PACIFIC OCEAN.

WARREN HASTINGS (MERIR) ISLAND.—AMENDED POSITION.—Position on charts: Lat. 4° 18′ N., long. 132° 30′ E. Details: According to a report made by Capt. Eggert, master of the Swedish s.s. “Nippon,” to the United States Hydrographer, the island is situated by his observations, in lat. 4° 18′ N., long. 132° 21′ E., or 9 miles westward of the position shown on the charts. As this longitude agrees with that obtained by H.M.S. “Pallas” in 1894, the position given by Capt. Eggert has been accepted and the charts amended accordingly.

PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA.

BEIRA APPROACH.—PORTELLA CHANNEL.—ALTERATIONS IN BUOYAGE.—(1.) Fairway buoy:—Position: Lat. 20° S., long. 34° 59′ E. Alteration: This buoy (black and white horizontal stripes) is now a light-buoy, and exhibits a fixed white light.

(2.) Buoy No. 2.—Position: On eastern side of channel, at a distance of about 3¼ miles northward from the fairway buoy. Alteration: The light shown from this buoy has been altered from fixed white to fixed red.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

LUZON.—MANILA HARBOUR.—ALTERATION IN CHARACTER OF A LIGHT.—Position: On southern end of West Breakwater. Lat. 14° 34½′ N., long. 120° 57′ E. Abridged description of new light: Lt. gp. fl. (2), ev. 6 sec., 28 ft., vis. 9 m. Details: The occulting red light has been replaced by a group flashing white light, showing a group of two flashes every six seconds—thus, flash 0·3 sec., eclipse 0·9 sec.; flash 0·3 sec., eclipse 4·5 secs. Remarks: The visibility of the new light is 9 miles; the elevation is unaltered.

RED SEA.

DAEDALUS REEF LIGHT.—CHANGE IN CHARACTERISTIC.—On 18th January, 1913, the characteristic of Daedalus Reef light, Red Sea, was changed to intermittent white every 20 seconds—thus, light 8 seconds, eclipsed 4 seconds; light 4 seconds, eclipsed 4 seconds.

Approx. position: Lat. 24° 55′ 30″ N., long. 35° 51′ 30″ E.

SAN FRANCISCO HARBOUR.

ALCATRAZ ISLET.—INTENDED ALTERATION IN FOG-SIGNALS.—Date of alteration: On or about 1st May, 1913. (1.) Position: Near lighthouse. Lat. 37° 42½′ N., long. 122° 25¼′ W. Alteration: The bell will be replaced by a siren, worked by electricity, giving two blasts every thirty seconds—thus, blast 4 secs., silent 4 secs.; blast 4 secs., silent 18 secs. (2.) Position: On north-west end of islet. Alteration: The bell will be replaced by a siren, worked by electricity, giving one blast every twenty seconds—thus, blast 5 secs., silent 15 secs. Note: On the date given above, the power of Alcatraz light will be increased to 84,000 candles. Remarks: No further notice will be given.

ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONS.

List of Lights and Time-signals, 1913.

The 1913 edition of the Admiralty List of Lights and Time-signals has now been published, cancelling that for 1912. The principal alterations are as follows:—

(a.) The bearings in Parts IIA, IIB, and III are true from seaward, measured clockwise from 0° (north) to 360°, in accordance with Notice to Mariners No. 3 of 1913; the bearings in all the other Parts remaining magnetic from seaward as formerly.

(b.) The Uniform Time system, given in the 1912 edition for countries, &c., included in the area embraced by each Part, has now been embodied in one table containing all countries, &c., of the world in which standard time has been adopted, and will be found in each Part at the commencement of the List of Time Signals.

Commencing with the week 2nd to 8th March, 1913, the Weekly List of Corrections will apply to the 1913 edition of the List of Lights.

A supplement containing corrections to the 1913 edition of the List of Lights from 1st January to 1st March, 1913, will shortly be issued.

The following Hydrographic Office Notice to Mariners affects the List of Time Signals:—

No. 76 of 1913, relating to Tsingtau, affects Part VI.

U.S. NAVAL RADIO SERVICE.

PACIFIC COAST STATIONS OPENED TO COMMERCIAL USE.—The following Naval radio stations were opened to commercial use at midnight, 14th March, 1913:—

Tatoosh Island, Wash.
North Head, Wash.
Cape Blanco, Oreg.
Eureka, Cal.
Point Arguello, Cal.
San Diego, Cal.

The first-named station is under the direct control of the Commandant, Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Wash. The others are under the control of the Commandant, Navy Yard, Mare Island, Cal.

The Tatoosh Island Station is connected with both Western Union and Postal Telegraph Lines at Port Crescent, Wash., by the Tatoosh-Port Crescent Line of the U.S. Weather Bureau.

The Cape Blanco Station is connected with the Western Union Telegraph Co.’s Office at Marshfield, Oreg., by a Government telephone line, and the lines of the Coos Bay Telephone Co.

The North Head, Eureka, and Point Arguello Stations are connected with Western Union lines only.

The San Diego Station is connected with both Western Union and Postal Telegraph Co.’s lines.

The station rate of each of the above stations is 8 cents per word, with a minimum charge for a radiogram of 10 words, cable count. The connecting land lines also use cable count with a 10-word minimum. A word rate from all radio stations to points in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is given in the table below.

Information concerning the commercial work of these stations may be obtained by addressing the Commandants of the Navy yards mentioned above, or the Superintendent, Naval Radio Service, Radio, Va., U.S.A.