The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-06-26
A Home in the Ocean.

hSI -uS NiSlG utiluI IbSile IlOuSV uo",
while this storm is at full power. This
ledge is covered by water, except for a
short time ut very low tide. 1t rises in
Boston bay about twenty miles from
Boston, aud one mile aud half from
CSAassct., Into it are fitted and boltcd
down the stones of the tower, which are
doyetailed aud boltcd into each other in
such fashion that no stone can be moved
without lifting tower and ledge with it.
The tower, light and all, is ia feet in
height; all over it, clean to the very
top, the waves are dashing. Does not
their thunder make your very heart
tremble? But these Keepers tell you
there is no danger! For forty feet the
towers are built up solid, except the well,
which is in the centre, hirty-eight feet
deep. 1t holds supply Of water for one
year. The water keeps good and pure.
The well holds 1000 gallons 1t is
rather warm in the SUMMER and in the
winter becomes as one the keepers says,
"a kind Of porridge ice. We will sup
pose we enter the tower from boat To
do SO We should either climb Il ladder
forty feet long, fixed into the side of the
tower, or be swung up in II chair. AT
the top of the ladder are two sets of
Oaken doors, against which arc now beat
ing the hungry waves.
Between the other doors and the
inner is an entry about three feet long.
Entering this room (Which is the ccllar),
from the doors arc seen on the right
hand tho coal aud the wood. There
stands also flour barrel. and over these.
suspended on hooks, hangs buckets of
various sizes, containing, doubtless, many
good things for foud On the left is the
oil pump for jumping oil into the tank
in the oil room. Here are chests, ropes,
brooms, tubs. pork barrels, and IL little of
everything needed for light keeping and
housekeeping 1t is dark and cl,i.i.
here, aud we had better rsccnd Nh
how good it smells here, in the room
ncXt above the cellar. Kitchen and
dining-room and everything cosy, com
Portable aud neat \ table wcl set
hot cakes and hot ccfrcc and boiled fish
"Of course We will" And down we sit,
not waiting Il second invitation Well,
Is not this singular situation 1t
seems like dining in a VIII les belly.
Stormcd about and dashed about and
poured abont by the rcmorsclcss sea, and
eating Il reishiul meal quite at our ease.
1t is certainly one ''ncw thing under the
sun"'to some of us Each of the four
keepers is off one week and on three.
Communication with the land is often
dangerous and impossible. In the win
ter they cannot get home as often as
once in three or four weeks They all
have families on shore; and here they
sit during storms that shake to its foun-
dations their lonely tower and envelope
its crystal summit in foam, and they
think of wives and little ones who may
bc sick or dying without the possibility
of sending word to their beloved watch
men on the sea.
''Do you not take pleasure in the
sights you must behold during al these
isolated days and weeks ?" asked one.
Oh. yes We have very extended
prospect, and one which is never twice
the same. Both sea and sky are forever
changing, and everything that is on the
sea comes and goes. There is nothing
stationary but our tower. We sec all
the vessels that go in and out of Boston
harbor, and in the summer we are visited
by pleasant parties in sailing vessels and
steamers, the latter Of which sometimes
bring out bands of music, which play to
us. They approach close to us, and give
three cheers for Miuot Ledge light
When visitors come into the Light We
sometimes find as much amusement as
they do. We have all sorts of visitors,
as you may suppose. They come from
China, California, and from all parts of
the world. We have many famous and
some Infamous names upon our visitors
book. 1t may seem strange that so far
rs we are from shore we should be visited
by birds, insects, millcrs and butterflies
from the land. The butterflies arc OF
huge dimensions | have in the morn
ing swept off the walk that surrounds