Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-21
TmE EpDYsTONE Lnamr.
BON me london rslegraph.l

Fiom the London Telegraph
| A report was current on the evening
of Wednesday, that the Eddystone light
house he'd been swept away by the
storm. The hght-keepers, it was added,
had been drowned-a piece of unneees-
sary dotail (; since, if the news had been
true that the waves had dashed down
the beautiful and proud structure Of
Smeaton, they would have made short
work Of the poor creatures living in the
desolate sea-towerI q Eddystone light
house down 2'' people said, one to anoth-
er; could such an event happen? Is
it not the house built upon the rock,
against which the winds may roar, and
the waves beat till the stones wear out,
but, till they wear out, no storm can lay
it lowr' Yet, who knows the power Of
an Atlantic roller, driven by the fierce
" sou western" 11
| A New York steamship, the Pereire,
put out from Havana a fortnight ago to
cross the ocean for America. She was
as powerful and handsome ship as
could float, and one of the quickest
among oeean-going steamers. Yet, four
days out, she ran her nose under huge
roller, piled up by the gale, and 200
tons Of water, it is estimated, in ugly
gray. avalanche Of furious spume and
swirl, broke upon her deek-crushing
everything fat to the planking, breaking
the backs of passengers, and with the
blow of that one billow completely dis
abling the ship. 1t was asked whether,
perchanee, some such vast mass of the
sea, driving up with the storm, and fall
ing in the full power of its impulse upon
the lighthouse, had crushed and ami
hilated it. In that case, how sad the
fate of the poor light-trimmers, swept
into death beyond all chance of escape,
or even knowledge Of their doom.
No need to tell us that the three men
were gone, if the lighthouse was no
more /; their lives would be mere bub~
bles in the crash-one moment prolong-
ed, and the next extinguished in the
rush of the fierce waters over the leveled
tower. And then thoughts arose Of the
peril which would ensue to homeward-
bound vessels. Every captain coming
up the channel is used to make out the
fixed white light of the Eddystone. 1t
is as sure to be there, with its friendly
CLEAN, he thinks, as the white cliffs and |
green meadows of 'shome' beyond. Once |
inside the Lizard point, the masters or
der is to " keep lookout for the Ed |
dystone p and when it is seen home
is as good as reached. The pilot |
presently comes out, and the ships |
voyage is all but over. If the light
house were really gone, we might hear
next that great ship with her crew and
cargo had gone bodily upon the dread
full stone, at the very moment when the |
mariners were wondering why they did |
not make out the well-known beacon.
1t would have to be built up again,
too, at a heavy cost, and with an inter
val Of long delay and danger, for even
with modern appliances, it could be no
small task to rival SmeatOn, and place
another Pharos upon the desolate peril
Gus crag. ALI these gloomy thoughts
were happily brought to an end by the
welcome news that the lighthouse was as
safe as ever. The thick weather of the |
tempest had obscured the CLEAN, and |
some Plymouth bound vessel, we sup |
pose, failed to make it out in the sea-
drift, had come into port with the notion
that it was gone. Yesterday morning,
however, the light was made cut well
enough from the break water, and we
may trust that no gale, for many long
year to come, will shake down one Of the
noblest works created by man.
There seems no reason, indeed, why |
the Eddystone lighthouse should not
stand as long as the Pharos at Alexan
dria, which lasted from B. G. 40 to A. |
D. 1893 almost, that is to say, for |
1000 years. The famous Pharos, it is
true, had no such sea to withstand as |
that which RACES, many times in the |
year, around the base and over the sides |
of Smeaton's tower. But the channel |
beacon was built to fight the billows,
and it has been the model of all the |
finest light towers in the modern world |
The lighthouses of the Bell Rock, the
Skerry Wore, Bishops Rock, the Brehat,
Barfeur, and many others, we're fashion
ed after the example of this solid and
perfect piece of construction. The |
waves themselves taught Smeaton how
to build, for they let nothing but the |
6rmest work remain on that lashed and
lonely rock. sli a1ssfl ..rr7 -
Everybody knows the story of the |
place, how treacherous and deadly it !
was lying under water right in the fair
way of the channel, till Wiestanly, the
mercer, first lighted the reef. Miss In
gelow has told, in a charming verse,
how the good barberdasher, sad at the
loss of more than one of his ventures
upon the Eddystone, vowed that no more
lives and vessels should be east away
upon that rock if he could help it. Peo-
ole laughed at him for his courage and
humanity /; but he stuck to his purpose.
After many failures he got his piles and
cross-beams fixed upon the reef, and
hoisted the first light over it. Thus
many a life was preserved but at length
the channel billows rose and swept the
timberstuf all away, in November, 1908.
Next, Redyard tried his hand, and
resred a strong tower, solid and we'll
uIaured enough but, in this case, FIRE
I'D what water failed to effect, and the
bn ilding was burned down. Smeaton
was then called upon to set up some
THING which neither water nor fire should
be able to destroy; and he went, as wise
enoineers should do, TO nature. He saw
how the hole of an oak tree holds up its
gigantic m. .sss against, the fiercest winds,
although they lay hold Of its green and
spreading head; and bend its vast limbs
The knitted roots and thick base keep
the forest monarch firm; and SmeatOn
resolved to make a sea oak tree Of his
lighthouse. Broad at the base, and solid
as the rock on which they stood, with
their stones bound together and inter
knitted like the fibre of the tree, ne iaid
his lower courses. Upon these he raised
his hollow superstructuTe, OF great thick
ness and strength, bnt tapering upward
inside the lines of his foundation. ~
If anybody wishes to read a 8 romancs
Of real life, = let him pursue Smeatons 5
ewn & Narrative of. the Building Of Ed
Il Al. oxx1 he Erlil soc