The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-25
KATE AND ELLEN CROWLEY.
rHE M<IDENs VINO rAKE CARE OF THE
sAUOERTIES LI0HT.
Ana Medestiy sey that they ARE Merely sup
porting their Aged Parents. hat who
Hercines Noble as any In the World.

lamp ia always trimmed md burning and on u
foggy night when the light Is not visible you
can hear ono OF them mile of blowing fog
horn herself for tho Government has boon too
mercenary to give thcm one Of the automatic
kind. Moreover they have snved many lives.
Miss Kate G. Crowley is the mistress and keeper
OF sauRertios Lighthouse. She Ia capable OF
any daring deed involving danger or sef-sacri-
nee: and ms TO tho manner in which the light
house Is kept, It is unexcelled. Accounts arc
always kept right. the light is always burning.
and Miss Crowley 10 the very best kind OF
keeper"
TWAS bright. starlight light. and the writer
sat in the pilot house. talking to the steersman.
who guided tho steamer safely through tho
shadows OF tho frowninR peak OF the Highlands.
and answered questions or volunteered in
formation between the rotations OF th9 wheel
looked like star Of the first magnitude
,nwynkled lar away Ia The distance; That's
That's Saugerties light. Well lose 1t again
dozen times in the turns OF the river. Do |
but I've seen em on tho river many time hy
daylight. pulling away great heavy row boat
one OF them gales that sweep down through tho
mountains, II ain't II Ike tumultuous sen. hey2
these North River storms. Why when get
some Of these hurricane blasts, they sweep
another current comes np from the south. and
God help any vessel that gets caught in tho
one OF those occasions. / was comm, up the
river on the old Columbus after she'd got ont
Susnesss Sed Rot S north Of RonGoat
and was all alone atthe. wheel; heard q rum;
when % saw s great big cioad With thund I'
heads rushing up from the south | knew we
however. to tho heavy clouds that camo sweep
ing down from the north: IN an Opposite dircc,
meet. holered down the trumpet to the engi-
'neer to slower the engine. and made up my
Il would be unsafe TO try and make a landing.
In n few minutes the two storms struck us. The
water nh2 nnS n
in every timber. Wo were then pretty nearly
wns SSly about two NH miles %SsSd sosp oSSsd
with bluestonc. which had Just put out from the
mouth OF Esopus creek. and was standing down
and soon saw two men struggling in tho water.
Hardly minute ELAPSED before two fem female
the lighthouse, In another minuo u was
eSns sn1 S SS " spd d4T sore e
headed. with pair OF oars apiece. began pull
ing toward the men in tho whier. The waves
ran so high. the gale blew so mady. the thun-
der ronred so necessarily. and the lightning
flashed 10 such binding sheets, that IL seemed
men. to keep headwny. or to koep from heng
swamped. But they never missed the oppor-
and they managed BY steady pulling to Get
ahead until they reached the men in the water
would strike the sailors and end their career.
but ono OF the gals leaned forward over the
the seat on which She had been sitting.
stiffened herself out for q great effort and as
her sister kept tho bow Of the craft crosswise to
the waves. caught ono Of the mon beneath tho
arms as he struck out on top OF n billow, lifted
and threw him by main force into the middle Of
the boat. and then prepared for the other man.
He had got hold Of the, sloop's ruddcr. which
had got unshippcd and wns floating on the
water. He let go and swan toward the row
boat, and was hauled in also ,hv the woman and
his half -drowncd comrade. You couldn't have
bOntmen those
A trip to the village OF Saugertcs led the re-
porter 70 a person who had been familiar with
the lighthouse and its surroundings for many
years He is an old boatman and fisherman.
1t is now twSn,y years since Mr.. Crowley
light stood on a piece OF masonry. which was
built midway in the river upon morass soy
teen years ago he brought over his family from
Saugerties to live IN the building. His daughter
hat9 liItie grl tnrn from a. ths INST would go
seeming 70 take such risks that every one
prophesied that she would surely be drowned.
Many timo her little craft upset. hut she swan
like duck, and always reached the lighthouse
In safety. Her sister Ellen. during these early
did not Join her sister until the new lighthouse
was built. Tint was about nine yrnrs ,ago.
about II. In that year, Ellen was leaving
saugerties in n boat with her mother. and
ehe sawa boy ~ swimming. hut who had got
beyond his depth, struggling for aid. She en-,
deavored to reach him. and her mother tried
weighing over two hundred pounds. upset the
boat. and the girl wns thrown into the water IN
such way that she came under tho hont which
had capsized. Her mother was speedily res
cued but the daughter could not release her
self from the peculiar position in which she
was placed for several minutes. and when res
cued was found 70 have taken Considerable
amount Of water into her lungs. This seriously
affected her health for some time afterward.
She has suffered moro or less from thai INNER
sion and from malaria lever from that time I"
the present moment. and though she and her
sister are said TO take care OF the lighthouse.
and are always together in an emergency the
latter OF late years has taken The responsibility
Of the place upon herself and runs the whole
do know Of any cnse where these glrs
have saved life? Indeed do Three years ago
~ cr"ss ,ne & W nh "b b a o, nbo
100 yards from the lighthouse and the ice broke
and they were procipliated into the water, Kate
her regular trips To the main land she was abb"
IN wintry weather 10 make her way over ice. or
II the lhtter gave way. through the water. Sh"
saw what had occurred. and IN an incredibly
short space Of time jumped upon the lee, pull,
ing her boat aftor her. while her sister pushed
II from the stern. They arrived AZ the scene oi
danger speedily and rescued the Young man.
but his companion had disappeared. Kate snN
fragment Of her dress floating md knew that
she was under cake OF lee Kate rushed for
ward sprang into the opening. aud drew the
woman out Tho latter WIS limp aud scnseless
and y took several minutes 10 restore her 10
consciousness Meanwhile the lee WIS break
ing up all around the boat. the Young man wac
precptated into tho water, and i required tho
united efforts OF the two sisters to recover him
also and place him in the boat. During this
ilme gorgcs Of icr had broken ny above, AMI
had carried all Of thcm far below. and II was by
the utmost Efforts of the sisters III ttthey reached
point two miles below the lighthouse"
Tho writer WIS taken Ia the lighthouse in
row boat. The place consists Of u frame hOusr
and an adjoining lighthous" erected on stone
fOundntion buit on the flats. There are no
grounds around the house. Ston" steps extend
IN the south side Of the masonry To- the water.
and up these the writer assembled. lie asked
Tor Miss Kate Crowley The young lady replied
that she was the person asked for. invited the
visitor into the front room. which was used N
parlor, and wna plainly but neatly furnished
II hardly seemed possible that the modest.
iair-halred. buc-eyrd maiden could bo tn.
heroine spoken OF, but there seemed Ia
b" no question OF doubt and the
porter suggested that Rs he had ascer-
tAincd she had been Instrumental In
saving lite. he should be pioased 10 yet the
particulars from her lips. She seemed unWill-
INK 10 speak OF herself. especially in the way of
exploits. and when the Reporter citcd the IN
stances spoken OF ahoyr, she turned them Of as
OF no account, She said that when she WIS a
little girl her father took the od lighthouse