The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-12-16

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By means of life car passing TO IN,
fro lives may be saved. It woul,
seem possible for an expert swimmer
even in the fiercest gale, with tho ali
of buoy or floating timber to ride th
opmost wave and be carried toa sal
anding, but it invariably happen
that &C el currcnt swifter than wine
or wave sweeps coastwise and carrie
down with it the most heroic strug
gler.
Government apparently has don,
everything possible to avert dangel
and give aid in actual peril. Besides
the Light House to which I shall
hereafter refer, there are Life Sta
tions at regular distances along tn,
beach. These stations arc under
control ofa captain, who receives !.
small yearly pay and is responsible
for everything about the premises -
In case OF wreck tho scattered popu
lation are relied on to give aid, fol
which they are literally paid, be
lieve by the Board of Underwriters o.
Nav York. These wreckers, or pi
rates, as they are good naturedly
called, are rough looking set, and
it used to be the common saying that
o man might as we'll drown as be
saved by them. But in these later
days, it is generally understood tina,
q man is safe among them and bis
property too, unless it floats ashore
in the shape Of brandy or whisky.
The Life Stations are plain one
story wooden houses, sheltered as far
as possible from the chances of a
storm, and are provided with every
improved implement for saving life.
In the one / visited was . stove with
fuel ready for immediate ignition
rockets to signal mortar and am.
munition by which ropes can be shot
across q vessel life cars in which
half dozen people can be laid at once
and shut in secure from the violence
Of the sea, several lite boats, together
with lanterns, axes, hammers, and a
variety of other useful things.
II q grounded ship holds together
long enough and the gale is not too
severe, no life need be lost. Vessels
led astray in fair weather, by fog, are
reaiilylworked of by hawser capstaA a
and kedge. But there are times when
help cannot be given and strong men
on shore stand idly by, while their
fellows vainiy clinging to the labor
ing ship. one by one are washed loose
by the incoming wave and swept
away to certain death by the imper-
ious current.
Parting with Chadwick, and his
hospitality we sailed southwark with
. good wind, and In few hours were
in the midst of . feet Of fishing craft.
On this ground Bass and Weak fish
are plenty, further down Sheep heads
are caught-called SO from their re-
markable similarity to the head of q
sheep. We tried our luck with the
line along with the rest, but found it
very poor lock and in less than two
hours were glad to retire and leave
the fish in peace.
We next landed near Barnegat In
let. This is the only navigablc open
ing through the beach and has an ex-
ceedingly tortuous channel, only at
high tide and with favorable wind
can the ordinary coasting craft got
through. Here is a Light House,
with q revolving light, which we saw
at night fifteen miles away. It is To-
Gated near Martins or perhaps 1
should say, Martins is located near
the Light; for the tower stretches up
ward more than one hundred and
eighty feet, while Martin, wife, shan
ty and appurtenances could not cover
half that amount of ground. Gov
ernment is strengthening the defen
ces ofthis point, against the encroach-
ments of the sea. Cribs filed with
stone are the bulwarks, which it is
expected will keep the sea out and
the sand in. The result thus far is
encouraging, although storm last
year not only deposited a small
mountain ofsand right over work
house, but as if to strike q balance,
carried away an equal portion of this
tickle soil, from another quarter
The old man who tends the light was
delighted to have somebody look at
his charge. All these keepers think
they own, that which for 80 many
years has been the object of unceasing
care and nursing. An hundred or
more steps winding like an immense
screw, take US to the head from which
unobstructed Wow is had Of sea and
land and the heaven over all. The
sense of dissolution is almost painful
after inspecting the apparatus we glad
ly retraced our way.
The machinery of this Light as
we'll as the one at tho Highlands, was
constructed in Paris and is exceed
ingly delicate. The lamp is set on
q solid stone column. Thehouse en-
closing it is Of glass sustained by au
iron frame work. A system ofweights
and pulleys, after the manner Of a
clock give the house its rotary move
ment. The glass plates are in reali,
ty series Of lenses, peculiarly ad-
justed, 30 that they not only give
power and brilliancy TO the flame
within, but cause the periodical flash
ings and dissertations that give char
acter and name to the light. The
same power that gives the rotary
movement, also feeds the lamp, by
forcing the oil from a reservoir up.
ward in little pots, which fall gently
but constantly over the huge wick.
The apparatus is wound up at evening
and ordinarily runs the entire night
without auv attention from the keep
er.
Returning to our boat, we sailed
for kinsey's, . point still further
down the beach. WAPELLO.
Rufus Chapman Of Liberty Maine,
had a stiff leg bent at the knee, lin.
bered and strengthened by the use OF
Johnson's Anodyne Lintaaent
The proprietors of Johnson's An9'
dyne Liniment, Parsons Purgdtipt
PiUs and iSheridan's Carairy Conditien
Povders, have published q readable
and instructive psmphlct, which may
bc had free at tho stores.