The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-24
TIE LIGHTHOUSE WOMAN.
KEEIING 4 macon ON TfTRWEi tn
ER'S ISLAND EIFIY YEARS.



wives Storm. and Wrecks-Agcd Parents
Relies or the rnst-Lighting the Lamps.
Fairwcathcr's island il long, narrow
strip Of sand. dividing Black Rock Haven from
bridgeport harlor. ON lis extreme southern
ond. and looking ont over the Sound. is Black
Rock lighthouse. from the lantern of which has
shown every night since lSOG, II clear white
light flashing far over the dark waters For
the last nity years this light has been tended.
trimmed and kept banning Ivy woman now 60
Years old and still kccpcr OF the light. Her
namc is Kathleen Andre Moore. rs she proudly
tells her visitors. and she il one OF the Oldest
as we'll IA one Of the best known lighthouse
keepers on the Atlantic const. reporter for
THE SUN recently visited Miss Moore and her
lighthouse The island is but n sand heap,
covered with coarse. wiry grass. with here and
there cluster of stunied bushes Near the
centre it is 40 narrow that n huge wall OF mas
sivc bouldcrs is all that preserves it from an
initiation by the sea. This wall. which Miss
Moore calls the fertilization. is nearly quarter
" mile in length with breadth on top of
about ten feet. 50 that It forms level causcway.
At its end stands the low. weather beaten
house Of the light keeper, aud Just beyond rises
the white tower Of the lighthouse. A knock nj
the door elected u chorus 81 barks and hleat-
ings from within In few moments the door
was opened by the keeper herself Miss Moore
il of spare but active llgurc. and face weather.
beaten ~ the house in which she lives. scanned
with many wrinkles and deep cut lines hut her
eyes are keen and bright. Her dress was in
keeping with her surroundings, rough hut
srrViccabr. Her most remarkable feature Is
her hair. that. lust Hinged with gray. hangs in
dishevelled locks about hcr face. after the most
approved fashion OF Meg Merrlies.
She wHs cordial in her wrlcum" and ushored
the reporter into "A plainly furnished roOm
where. after -tilling the noise OF her solo COM
panions. two small dogs and pet lamb she
answered Inquiries ~ 80 her history Ms follows;
1917 to take charge 81 Black Rock ii .ht. Be-
fore that W. lived at Huntington. on me llousa-
toni IT, and father was part owner and master OF
an lndiaman. one day. when he WAS at homo. he
went To- helr C9nmodorg lsaa" HUI get IN his
hay before u shower. While doing this he fell
from the top of load. broke an arm and his
Jaw, and Otherwise Injured himself As h.
could no longer ~ 90 seat. the Commodore used
hls influence 10 have him appointed keeper Of
this light. When We first came here the islam
covered with trees but every year II has been
gradually washed away. until it has become the
feeble. the care Of the ligh, dcvolvcd upon mo
Us soon as was able TO assume 1t. ana Tor fifty
years have tended IT, | was commissioned n
regular keeper SIX years ago. upon my father :
DEATH Yes, my lather ana mother both died
here, gS and 90 years old.
How did you obtain your commission. Miss
=" on had influence in Washington. You
know Bclknap was secretary oi Narihen. Well.
he married. Tor both his first and second wives.
cousins Of mine. Not that I'm proud Of that.
for they 10y their extravaganza, proved his ruin.
y.
lut the memory Of their revolutionary ances-
tor who was mine nS well. AMI who stood guard
before MAJOR Andre door ne might before his
execution. That's where / got my middle
=" DO YOU ever have gales here Of sufficient
force to bring wrecks 10 IN" coastY'
OF course W. do. You should have been here
last night in the northeast blow that has Just
gone down. thought the old house would ~
down There were two canal bonis sunN lust
of that point oi rocks and this end of the island
was all under water. on can soc the line
lttr4a -. tl.4r 10 fI.a
You can -" how tho rain beat the house. too.
Its badly out of repair Ii you'd been here one
December night IN 1874 YOU u have thought the
world was coming 10 an end. We couldn look
outside without having our faces cut 10y the hail
ANA The seci was driven In binding. sitting
/ clouds 10y the most furious gale thHi ever saw.
That night ID" \ew Bedford packet Liza Mich
/ OILS for Ncw York, went ON the rocks oui there.
Just beyond the light AMI next morning siN
mon lay dead az the foot of the tower. We saved
/ TWO others who MVf" la-hct Ia "a spar ana hai
/ chung to the wreck hut they w,r, So badly
frozen That they might hav' aim. II ~ well die 1
/ tncn ana there. Oh. yes. W. used tu have a good
I many WRECKS before So many -toaMOodis TOOK
/ thr plac" ui ia" Old sailing packets.
one very dark night thirteen years ago a.
/ lay awAk" watching ~" light, heard faint
/ cries of distress from out IN tho haThyr Nv 10
/ my brother ami cousin, who wcr" here ihen'
and We wont cut in tho boat Tue tide WIS run
ming out last, and IT was an hour before We
the bottom 81 a calsizrd sail boat. We brought
/ them both 70 Tie house. hut one oi them died
that might from gApD sure
lc-. indeed. | used to handle an oar. and
aDulI sail my IIu tf Ia tho Widest uitlf N, Do
rho h. III If ff.,ri. liii am d. "A ltlf ssh. ?
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