The Republican journal., 1871-12-14
The Experience Of Lighthouse Keeper.

CApOTtCuCo VI NCcpCTs
The Portsmouth Chronicle says that the
old Whalesback lighthouse off that city
was nearly destroyed by the recent storm.
The account will give our readers an idea
of the terrific character of the storm at
sea.
The lighthouse was occupied at the Time
by Mr.. VIM. II. Caswell Of this city (the
keeper), and his son Frank. We learn
from Mr. Caswell that they did not escape
into the new building until O'Clock on
the morning of Thursday and remained
there but six hours. All through the gale
of Wednesday and Wednesday night they
kept ccaseless vigil in the old tower, the
peril they were in being hardly imagin-
able by those on terra firma, who were
snugly ensconced in their comfortable
homes. The gathering elements portcnd-
cd no extreme danger at first, but the in
creasing fury of wind and waves as the
incoming tide rose to its height soon warn
ed them. Too late otiy for safety, they spent
terrible night suspense. Huge volumes
of water with fierce momentum dashed
against the building, each shock appeared
to them like the discharge of a heavy can
non. The weary hours slowly passed.
Aid from without was imp ssible, and
the awestruck men felt that their hold on
life was frail that merciful Providence
alone interviewed between them and death
The building trembled at each succeeding
shock from foundation to summit, but the
men in their hazardous situation did not
forget that the lives of thousand other
bray of t,E hp hal
kept up a constant changing like Il SOL
emn knell until the immense weight which
kept it in motion ran down To rewind
it was impossible, as it must be done out
side the tower One of the two safe
guards set as warning to mariners had
become useless. There remained only
the light to guide the watching sailors to
a haven of safety. Frequent trips were
made to the top OF the tower and the light
was kept trimmed and burning.
As morning dawned the anxious men
looked out OF their prison for the first op-
portunity to escape. At low tide each
chose mis- time to DO so. Waiting for the
breaking Of 4 wave they immediately
dashed across and We're safe. The new
tower was safe from harm. There, a
dripping of water only was heard as the
waves rolled against its unmovable sur
face. The wind veering to the northeast,
the waves were sent against the towers
in line instead of between them and the
men returned in a Jew hours to the old
tower for food Mr.. Caswell says one
more such tide as that of Wednesday
afternoon would have swept their tower
into the ocean. AS soon as practicable,
they took look outside their prison and
realized more fully their great deliver
ance. Both boats had been smashed,
leaving their stems hanging to the davits /;
three of the iron straps and the iron lad
der We're torn away, and the immense
bell weight of 1900 pounds had been
moved along the foundation in north
west direction for the space of ten feet
Two of the foundation stones We're broken
in two and the whole structure was
loosened Mr. Caswell lifted one of them
and could have pushed it into the sea
with his hands. The other can also be
thrown overheard by means of a crow
bar. With these stones gone the tower
would have toppled over and the keeper
and his son would have persisted in their
bound prison. Mr.. Caswell states
that the old light must be discontinued,
as he knows OF no one so toOl-hardv AS to
Keep it, His remembrances Of that awful
day and night are most vivid and all the
wealth in the world would not tempt him
to pass another night during a storm in
such a shaky structure.