Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-07-05
A Light House In the Middle of
Lake Superior

George Marks, the government master ma
son on the locks at Kaukauna, has been mott
fed that his services will be required next
season in building light house on STANDARD
Rock, Lake Superior, which is 40 miles north
of Marquette, out in the middle of the lake
The island is about dozen feet square, and
only three or four feet ab0vs the water, aud
the building of light house there must be
nice job $4,000 will be expended this year
in building cribs and workshops"
The above seems to be going the
rounds of the papers as an item of
news: but must be hoar, cor the
fools are not oil dead, yet" to think
of building cribs, workshops and a
lighthouse, on dozen feet square,
in the middle of that great lake.
This rock, according to the maps,
lies in the direct route from White
Fish to KeweeWanon Points and
about midway between them. Ii
got into the early maps of the lake
and has been continued by all map
makers since; but if what l heard of
in l843 be true the rock is no longer
there. In that year | was an In
dian agent at La Point, this Office
necessarily brought me into contact
with traders and voyagers, from
whom l first heard of this rock. In
early times the chief voyaging on
this great lake was in Macinaw
boats and large bark canoes; and to
avoid detour of about 100 miles by
following the shore round by Mar
quette, if the lake was calm or fair
wind favored them, they took a
straight course from White Fish
Point toKeweewanon Point, which
brought them near this rock. The
mans name who found it became
attached TO il; and after it was
known it was carefully avoided by
vessels as well as smaller crafts. But
some of the smaller crafts finding
themselves in its immediate vicinity,
the crews had the curiosity to exam
inc it. They found it to be mere
spindle. They attempted to fathom
the depth of the water close to the
rock. but could find no bottom in q
hundred or more feet. The top of
the rock was said to be not over
three feet above calm water, and. of
course. in windy weather it could
not be seen few rods distant. The
top of it was represented as less
twelve feet square. At length the
rock disappeared, about the same
time a vessel, schooner | think,
started up the lake, heavy laden,
partly with iron, steel and grind
stones, for the Indians bIacksmiths.
This vessel was never seen after
wards. 1t was supposed that she
ran upon this rock in the night,
when under the pressure of heavy
wind, and that the conclusion broke
off the spindle, but sunk the vessel
with all hands, and neither vessel or
crew was ever heard of again. But
if all this is a mistake and the rock
is still there; the idea of building a
light house upon it, would about
equal an attempt to reach the moon
in an air balloon. A light house in
such a position must have q resi-
dence for the keeper, with store
rooms for his oil, provisions and fuel:
but adding cribs, workshops and a
boarding house tor the workmen to
live in, and all this on dozen feet
square," would beat the man who
started for England in balloon, and
landed in Connecticut. They UNDER
took to build harbor at Duluth, in
shoal water, whore they could get
bottom for spiling, with a mountain
at hand to supply them with rocks,
gravel and clay, and where the surf
of the lake was nothing compared
with the middle of it, but the heavy
surf was too much for their defences,
and certainly mason work ON base
of IL feet square and only three feet
above calm water could not resist
the heavy mid-lake swells single
moment. No vessel could DO moor
ed to the rock, for the workmen to
live in. for there is nothing to tie
her to. Nor could she be anchored
close by, for the longest cable would
not reach bottom, and in either case
a very moderate wind would render
the position untenable for vessel and
workmsn. If, indeed the rock is
there and men can work upon it, il
can be removed by Drilling hole in
it, say 20 feet deep, and charging il
with such material as blew up Hell
Gate, at New York, with an electric
wire reaching to vessel far enough
off TO be out of danger. But young
city can never be built on IL feet
square, in the middle of a lake, and
only three feet above calm water.
ALFRED BRUNsoN.
Prairie du Chen May Both, 1877.