Cat Island, entrance to Salem Harbor, Massachusetts.-Wooden spindle with cask at top. Half tide Rock, entrance to Swampscot Harbor, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, cask at top. Pig Rocks, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Granite pyramid, with wooden spindle and cage at top. Sunken Island Boston, Bay, Massachusetts.-Granite base, with wooden spindle, and cage at top. Bird Island, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, cage at top. Deer Island Point, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Square granite pyra mid. Great Fawn Bar, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Square granite base and granite cone, with iron spindle, and cage at top. Nix's Mate, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.—Square granite base, with octagonal wooden pyramid on top. Spit Beacon, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.—Square granite pyramid. False Spit, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Granite base, with iron spindle, and cage at top. Point Alderton, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Square granite pyramid, with cone at top. Harding's Ledge, Boston Bay, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, with wheel at top. South Beacon, entrance to Scituate Harbor, Massachusetts.—Iron spindle, with two lozenges. North Beacon, entrance to Scituate Harbor, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, with two rounds. Hogshead Beacon, Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, with arm, cask, and cage at top. Breakwater Beacon, Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts.-Square granite base, with wooden spindle, and cage at top. Duxbury Pier, Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts.—Square granite base, with granite post on top. Egg Island Rock, entrance to Wellfleet Harbor, Massachusetts.-Wooden spindle, with cask at top. Billingsgate Shoal, entrance to Wellfleet Bay, Massachusetts.—Owing to the washing away of the island, the rebuilding of the beacon has been abandoned, and a buoy substituted. Breakwater, entrance to Bass River, Massachusetts.-Unfinished. Sunken Pier, entrance to Bass River, Massachusetts.—Wooden spindle, with cask at top. Breakwater, entrance to Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts.-Wooden spindle, four arms, and cask at top. stands on east end of breakwater. Great Rock, west of Point Gammon, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts.Iron spindle, cage at top. Collier's Ledge, Centreville Harbor, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts.— Granite base, black spindle, ball and vane. Lone Rock, entrance to Wood's Hole, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, cage at top. Spindle Rock, entrance to Edgartown Harbor, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, with a cask at top, surmounted by spindle and vane. Cormorant Bocks, entrance to Mattapoisett Harbor, Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts.-Iron spindle, with cage at top. Range Beacon, entrance Fair Haven Harbor, Massachusetts.-A triangular pyramid of iron. Egg Island, entrance New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts.—A granite cone, with an iron spindle and vane at the top. Old Cock, north side of entrance to Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts.—Iron spindle, cage at top. Under the appropriation for "day-beacons in Maine and Massachusetts, 1873-74," operations have been carried on during the past year at the following named places: Monument Bar Beacon, on south side of entrance to Beverly Harbor, Massachusetts.-The granite-crib day-beacon at this place has been rebuilt, and filled in with stone nearly to the top. It is pyramidal in form, 17 feet high, 12 feet square at the base, and 3 feet at the top, and is surmounted by a mast and cage, painted black. Little Haste Beacon, on south side of entrance to Salem Harbor, Massachusetts.-A wooden mast, 35 feet high by 8 inches diameter, has been erected in place of one recently carried away, and painted black. Great Aqua Vita Beacon, Salem Harbor entrance, Massachusetts.—A wooden mast, 22 feet high and 7 inches diameter, with a cage at the top 3 feet high and 26 inches square, has been erected in place of one recently carried away. All painted black. Little Aqua Vita Beacon, Salem Harbor entrance, Massachusetts.—A wooden mast, 25 feet high and 74 inches diameter, with two prongs at top, and all painted red, has been erected in place of one recently carried away. Bird Island Beacon, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.-A 7-inch hole, 19 inches deep, has been made in the center stone, and the latter banded with iron; the iron spindie raised and reset; a wooden cage, 4 feet diameter by 8 feet high, made and placed at the top of the spindle, the iron braces repaired, and the cage, spindle, and braces repainted red. False Spit Beacon, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.-A 7-inch hole, 20 inches deep, has been made in the center stone, and the latter banded with iron, the iron spindle raised and reset, a wooden cage made, 4 feet diameter by 8 feet high, and placed at the top of the spindle, a new brace made, and the iron-work, spindle, and cage repainted 1ed. Collier's Ledge, Centreville Harbor, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts.—The day-beacon at this place has been rebuilt. It is conical in form, 12 feet diameter at the base, 5 feet at the top, and 18 feet in height, with a wooden staff at the top, surmounted by an open-work ball and vane. BUOYS. The buoyage of this district is now in excellent condition. During the past winter most of the buoys were swept from their positions by the ice, and 62, with their appendages, were lost. The others were promptly returned to their stations, and the places of the missing ones supplied by spare buoys on hand for that purpose. TENDERS. The steam-tenders Daisy and Verbena have had constant employ ment, much of it of the roughest kind, and now both of them require extensive repairs. The Daisy is too small to do the work efficiently; and if caught at sea in bad weather, as she is liable at any time to be, is not safe. She should be sold, and her place supplied by a larger and more efficient vessel. DEPOTS. The buoys and material at Gulf Island have mostly been removed to Lovell's Island, where we now have excellent facilities for the hand ling and storage of buoys, chains, anchors, fuel, and stores of all kinds. The depot at Wood's Hole for the southern part of the district is in good condition. During the present season the Light-House Board, desiring to do all in its power for the advancement of science, has tendered to the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries the use of the portion of the depots grounds and buildings not at present required for light-house work for the purpose of carrying on his investigations, which offer has been accepted, and the investigations at that place are now going on, but without expense to the Light House Establishment. THIRD DISTRICT. The third district extends from Gooseberry Point, Massachusetts, to include Squam Inlet, New Jersey, and embraces all the aids to navigation on the sea and sound coasts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York, Narragansett and New York Bays, Providence and Hudson Rivers, Whitehall Narrows, and Lake Champlain. Inspector.-Commodore Stephen D. Trenchard, United States Navy. Engineer.-Col. I. C. Woodruff, Corps of Engineers, brevet-brigadier general, United States Army. In this district there are Light-houses... Light-ships Day or unlighted beacons.. Fog-signals operated by steam or hot-air engines Buoys actually in position..... Buoys for relief and to supply losses.. Steam-tenders for supply and for inspection, Patnam and Cactus.. Supply-steamer for supplying the light-houses of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 119 9 39 427 615 1 The numbers preceding the names of stations correspond with the "Light-house List of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts and the Northern and Northwestern Lakes of the United States," issued January 1, 1875. LIGHT-HOUSES. 126. Beaver Tail, entrance to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.—During the year all the plate-glass of the lantern was reset, and the two calorie engines of the fog-signal thoroughly overhauled. The mouth-piece of the fog-signal trumpet was broken during the latter part of the year, and a new one was fitted. The station is now in good order. The fogsignal was in operation during the year 623 hours. 130. Dutch Island, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.-Repairs of a gen. eral nature are required at this station, which it is estimated will cost $1,500. These will be made as soon as practicable. -Castle Hill fog-signal, entrance to Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.An appropriation of $10,000 was made by act approved March 3, 1875, for the erection of a fog-signal at this place. An examination of the site was made by direction of the board, but the purchase has not been consummated, as the owners of the property where it is proposed to erect the signal have, within the past year, erected spacious mansions for summer residences, and are opposed to the erection of a signal on their land, which must, of necessity, be at their very doors, and in their opinion would depreciate the value of their property. It seems quite probable that no proper site can be procured in this locality, except by condemnation, under the laws of the State of Rhode Island, and even in this case the valuation of the land would undoubtedly be far beyond the sum appropriated for the fog signal, and thus the object of the ap propriation would be defeated. No other site in the vicinity can be occupied to the same advantage, otherwise the board would ask that the act making the appropriation for this work be modified so as to allow the selection of a different site. There are no positions on either side of Castle Hill, seaward or landward, suitable for such a fog signal, and a selection could only be made of positions on the opposite shore, which would not answer the purpose. A fog-signal is very much needed at this point, but it is not probable that a site can be secured for any reasonable sum. 132. Muscle-Bed Shoals, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.-This station was seriously damaged by the ice during the past winter, and the rebuilding of the beacon becomes a necessity. The stone pier was moved some four feet by the force of the ice. The light and fog signal have been continued since the damage, but require frequent adjustment to keep the apparatus in running order. The cost of rebuilding the beacon and protecting its base with rip-rap is $6,000, for which an appropriation is recommended. 136. Conimicut entrance to Providence River, Rhode Island.—Early in March last a heavy field of floating ice moving down the Providence River, struck the pier and completely demolished the keeper's dwelling. There were present at the time the keeper and his son, both of whom narrowly escaped with their lives. The keeper lost all his furniture, valued at about $319. It is recommended that an appropriation be made to re-imburse him to this amount. The destruction of the keeper's dwelling on the pier necessitated the re-occupation of the old house at Nayat Point and the employment of an assistant keeper to insure a proper attendance to the light which is on the opposite side of the channel. The Nayat dwelling was enlarged and considerable repairs made to give accommodation to the keepers. The Conimicnt light-station was originally a day-beacon, but was changed so that a light might be shown and a fog-bell sounded. The tower resisted the shock of the ice, but much of the protection-stone at its base was carried away. The pier not having suflicient superincumbent weight, was entirely destroyed. Temporary repairs to the station were made, and stone for protecting the base of the tower is now being placed, but the rebuilding of the pier of greater dimensions and greater stability is necessary. A proper pier and stone-dwelling thereupon it is estimated will cost $30,000, which amount it is respectfully recommended shall be appropriated for that purpose. 137. Bullock's Point, Providence River, Rhode Island.-This station, originally built as a day-beacon, is about to be rebuilt on a larger scale, under an appropriation approved June 23, 1874. Plans and specifica tions have been approved and contracts entered into for enlarging the pier, and for the materials for the new dwelling house, &c., and the work of getting out stone is already commenced. 140. Fuller's Rock, and— 141. Sassafras Point, Providence River, Rhode Island.-The purchase of a site for the erection of a dwelling for the keeper of these lights has not been made. The land in the vicinity is being much improved for business purposes, and there is a disinclination on the part of the owners to sell land for a keeper's dwelling, as they fear that the remainder will be depreciated in value. The appropriation of $5,000, made by act approved June 23, 1874, is still available. 142. Point Judith, Rhode Island.-During the year the boiler of the fog-signal has been duplicated, making the whole of the fog-signal apparatus now in duplicate. The repairs, besides the work required in housing and setting up the new boiler, have been quite extensive, including the patching, retubing, and putting in good condition the old boiler. The number of hours' duration of fog during which the signal was sounded is 7763. 144. Block Island, (southeasterly,) Rhode Island.-This station was completed and the light first exhibited from the tower on February 1, 1875. There remains to be completed at the station some protection to the reservoir, to secure an adequate supply of water for the use of the fog-signal, and the fencing of the grounds. For this the funds of the special appropriation made by act approved June 23, 1874, are ample. The signal is in duplicate in all parts except the boiler. A duplicate boiler will be added as soon as practicable. The number of hours of fog during which the signal has been sounded is 801. ———. Block Island Breakwater, Rhode Island.-The temporary rangelights on the breakwater at this island, maintained by the Engineer Department of the Army during the construction of the breakwater, have become a necessity to navigation, and their maintenance should be transferred to the Light-House Establishment. New and permanent frames for exhibiting the lights should be built, and an estimate therefor is submitted of $900. 146. Montauk Point, Long Island, New York.-Some essential parts of the flashing apparatus at this station have been renewed. The lantern has been entirely reglazed, and the station painted. The fog-signal has been cleaned and repaired, and the station put in good order. The fog-signal was in operation 748 hours during the year. 147. Stonington Harbor, Connecticut.-General repairs have been made. to this station during the year, under special appropriation therefor, made by act approved June 23, 1874. 151. New London Harbor, Connecticut-This station has undergone general repairs during the latter part of the year, and the buildings have been painted throughout. The fog signal engines have been fitted with some new parts. The number of hours during which the signal was in operation during the year was 553. 153. Race Rock, Long Island Sound, New York.-The operations during the year have consisted in completing the concrete foundation for the pier, and the laying of the cut-stone courses of the pier and landingwharf has been commenced. The contractor has not pushed this work during the year with the energy which its importance demands. 154. Little Gull Island, Long Island Sound.—A portion of the special appropriation made June 23, 1874, has been applied toward completing the landing. The past severe winter damaged the concrete decking of the pier, causing great loss of rain-fall from the cisterns, and apprehensions were felt lest there should be a deficiency of water for the use of the fog-signals at the station. The damage will be repaired at an early day. The number of hours during which the fog-signal was in operation was 651. 159. Saybrook, mouth of Connecticut River, Connecticut.-A striking apparatus for the fog-bell at this station has been put up during the year, and the bell hung in a better position. This station has undergone general repairs, and is now in good condition. 165. Falkner's Island, Long Island Sound, Connecticut.—The recom mendations made in the last annual report for a powerful fog-signal and for the protection of the bank, which is washing away by the abrasion of the sea, is renewed. On February 7th the steamer E. A. Wood |