Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-04
The CONSTRUCTORS.

In the DAYS of old, before lighthouses
were built, the coast Of maritime nations
was lighted at nj ght by beacon fires, which
blaZed out on the steepest cliffs to show
the homeward-bound mariner his way into
port When their red flames were seen
through the mist and storm the anxious
seamen were sure Of their position. and
steered fearlessly on their course to the
safe haven that was thought to be near
Not always wisely, for there were false
beacOns as well as true-beacOns that
were as fatal to the vessel trusting them
as the candle is to the moth; beacOns that
were kindIed BY villains to lead her astrav
and on to the reefs and hidden rocks that
she might be pIundered Of her cargo.
Wreckers these wicked men were called
and at one time thev existed in such num
beers and were so bold that the mariners
of England dreaded them as much as they
dreaded the noted buccaneers of the Span
ish main. The more desperate of them
inhabited remote caves on the toughest
part of the coast, and were without laws
and without hearts. After alluring some
vessel into their stronghold they never
attempted to save the lives of the poor
wretches on board, for had they done so
their guilt might have been revealed: and
the worst of them, with their own merci
less hands, did not scruple even TO hasten
the death of those struggling sufferers
who were washed ashore.
Many Of these wreckers lived in dis
guise as honest fishermen, like wolves in
lambs clothing, and at night went forth
from their slumbering villages to decov
ships to destruction. Even in our day
the people of English fishing villages con.
cidora1 oil hot
shores as their ri ghtful prizes, and assisted
in despoiling the cargo. They COM
planned bitterly when new lighthouses
were built; and an anecdOte is told, that
one of the constructing engineers was
travelling near the Orkney Islapds in a
small boat, and observed to the captain
that his sails were in a bad condition.
Had it not been Gods will that you
should come here with your light hOuses,"
the old fellow answered, eve should
have had better sails to our boats and
more Of other things" Happily, all the
wreckers of this kind have passed away;
only their name remains, and that is
changed in meaning. Instead Of causing
wrecks and rObbing them, as Of old, the
new WreckerS prevent them, and, failing
in that, protect wrecked property from
the ravages OF the waves at sea and from
thieves on shore. The cargo is not all
they aim at. There are many vessels
at1Oat now, staunch as the staunchest, that
have been engulfed in fathoms of water
and raised, with their treasure, by the
wonderful appliances Ofmodern wreckers.
The large Wrecking companies have de-
pots at New York, Boston, New Orleans,
Norfolk and at various ports on the great
lakes, where they have vessels and appa-
ratus for raising sunken ships and remOv-
ing the cargo. Some of them also employ
agents along the coast, whose duty it is to
telegraph information of all wrecks that
occur within their districts to the chief
offices from which assistance is sent. You
wonder, no doubt, as you reach this point
what motives the wreckers have, and NAV
be accrediting them with unusual kind
ness; but though many of them have
very kind hearts theirs is really a bust
ness enterprise, and, while it requires
courage and skill, it is only pursued for
the sake of gain. The wreckers are en-
titled to salvage, which, as most of you
know, means part of the value of what
ever property they may save. The amount
is fixed by a tribunal called the
Admiralty Court, and is large or small
according to the risks borne by the
wreckers in their work, the value of the
property saved, the condition of the vessel
or cargo when saved, the skill displayed,
and the time and labor expended.
But no claim is entertained unless the
wreckers prove that the passengers and
crew were removed out of danger before
any attempt was made to rescue the vessel
or her cargo. Thus the wreckers are en-
couraged to assist the life-saving men,
and many instances might be given of the
good work they have done in that way.
Sometimes the salvage amounts to one
half the value of the property saved, and
occasionally it is more. But often the
claim for salvage is abandoned, and an
agreement made between the wreckers
and the owners of the wrecked vessel that
stated sum of money shall be paid for
lifting her and bringing her into harbor.
From "The Coast Wrecbers, +" IN st. N5ch-
0l0s for June.