The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-09
Utility OF lighthouses.

If you have ever crossed the ocean and
have approached land in the night
you know something about the utility or
light houses. 1t was in this way that l
learned my first practical lesson on the
subject. came home from England in q
Guion steamer during :he stormy December
of 1872. With ordinary good fortune we
should have been in New York on Christ
mas Day, but instead of that we were H.
500 miles away, tossing about in the wild
est sea. Five dispritcd passengers ate a
lonely Christmas dinner together in the
saloon, with our good old captain at the
head of the table. The steward had kind
ly sought to cheer us with tiny plaster of
Paris Santa Claus, and as if to cast our
dropping hearts lower, lurohing wave
struck the vessel abeam, and threw the
smiling little figure to the other end of the
saloon, breaking him into thousand
chally atoms. Then we all prayed to be
able to make our New Year calls rs usual;
but New Years day came, and still VIC
were afloat in a driving storm, with the
wind dead against us the air filled with
snow, slect and ram, and the decks flooded.
We did not meet Il passing ship in all the
long voyage. One day we were crossing
the banks of Newfoundland, dreamy Ill
tie owl was waited into the rigging, and
was caught and given to the stcwardcss,
who cried over It; but that was all we had
to remind us that we were not III a world
without form. and without land for its
boundaries. In ou.. ..tw IL i,,h day ont, the
reckoning showed TINT we were near Long
island: and tho wind fell, only to be fol-
lowed by drcary mist. The captain was
a mirth-loving old salt, but now his tace
wore an anxious look, and lie was not for
minute absent from the bridge. 1t was
time for a pilot to board us, and guide us
past the shoals hcreabout INTO the port.
The night came on, and the qrivcring en-
gines that had been pl 'dding &C sclcssly
these twenty days were ordered ",Icad
Slow Men were on the lookout at the
bow and at the masthead At intervals
was heard coming from the watch over
head, as out Of heaven, long cry:
"All-l-l-l-'s wcll-l-l-l-." And oftcncr ye,
was heard the cry of the quartcr-mastcr as
he measured with line attached to lead
en- pl,lmmct the number OF fathoms of
water in which we moved: "By the deep,
ninel" "By the deep, tcnl" and 80 on
through many changes. phc captain was
grave and silent, almost rude to those who
interrupted him. The fog whistle shrlckcd
discordantly every minute, and all ears
were awake for response. The steamer
laborcd cautiously onw rd in the mystcri.
ous night rs IT uncertain of her position.
We passengers stood shivcring in our
thickcst wrappers near the whccl-housc.
The mist came down suddenly, and sud
denly 1t rose. 'Firc Island light alead!"
That was the glad sound that we now
heard. We could see the light glimmcrinp
in the haze on the starboard bow. Soon,
too, there appeared ahead of us the yet
brighter beams of the Highland light. The
captain then came down from his chilly
post on the bridge, with his ruddy storm
beaten face wreathci in smiles, and how
great was the care that had been removed
from his mind by these sentinel "pillars Of
fire. He had crossed the ocean ten times
a year for nearly quarter af a century,
and since the Fire Island and Highland
lights were built, they have ever been the
best OF friends to him, throwing warmth
and Joy into his heart when Its care were