Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-12-21
SAVING MANY LIVES.


Lived Over Thlrty-Ome Years @m nm
Island I'm Long Island Sound.
Captain Oliver N. Brooks, who for
thirty-one years has kept burning the
light on Fanlkner's Island, in Long
Island Sound, has resigned and left
the scene of his faithful laboFs. The
New Haven Palladium, which gives
an interesting sketch Of the captains
hfe on the little island, says that he has
assisted oTef 100 vessels which have
been wrecked or grounded on the
treacherous reef. About seven years
sincethe freight propeller E. W. Wood
ward was stranded on the reef during
terrible winters storm. The crew
were taken off by Captain Brooks and
remained several days on the island.
Suddenly the vessel floated and drifted
to another position; the crew went off
and were unable to save her. A
gale setting in, tie men were
unable to fefurny and were in
immediate danger Of pefishing. Cap
tain Brooks then collected all the
cordage on the island, and at one time
had determined to take down the beds
and use the bed cords. Splicing long
Line from the different sized cordage,
he and his nephew, who very fortun.
ately was on the island, dragged their
boat on the ice as far from the shore
as possible. Brooks played out the
line and allowed the boat to drift down
upon the fated vessel. while the ne
phew directed the frail craft. Fortu-
hately the boat hoated within three
feet Of the steamers bow, and by
means Of this life line the seven sea-
men on board were rescued, some of
them more dead than alive, owing to
the sevefe cold. The rescued men re-
mained fourteen days On the island,
and when Captain Brooks landed them
at Guilford he was obliged to remain
on the main land six days, owing to
the severe weather. On several occa-
sions Of storm the islanders have been
cut off from the shore for four weeks,
In 1889 Captain Brooks rescued five
persons from stranded schooner. The
crew took to the rigging, and the wife
Of the schooner's captain was lashed
to the masthead. Just before the res
cue the mate, in climbing into the rig
ging, with the captains babe, dropped
it into the sea.
In some years thirty vessels have
touched bottom at the island. Very
many vessels would float with the re-
turning tide. Eighty total wrecks
have occurred Of the island during
Captain Brooks long term of service.
Not many years since Captain Brooks
went out in the night at great personal
peril and rescued the crew of the old
eastern schooner Ferguson. For his
bravery and humanity he has received
many tokens of reward.
Four steamers of the lighthouse de-
partment stop at the island at stated
intervals, viz, the Mistletoe, which
carries engineers supplies /; the Fern,
with oil, coal, etc.; the Putnam, Of the
inspectors department, and the Cactus,
which carries general supplies and
provisions, and is used as a
buoy setter. The Fern calls once
a year, but the other steam
ers more frequently. Captain Brown,
Of the lighthouse board, offered Captain
Brooks furlough Of one year and the
promise of good position on shore if
he would remain in the service, but
the veteran light-master declined The
captains family consists of his wife
and two daughters daughters true
and brave, who have shared their
fathers peril in the rescue of many q
poor castaway seaman. Mary once
accompanied her father out in the
boat and assisted in the rescue of sew
eral shipwrecked sailors. The rescuers
rowed out in the face of a binding
snowstorm and carried blankets to the
almost frozen men. This daughter is
an expert at the oar, and has several
times assisted her father in seasons Of
peril, sometimes putting on male at
tire for convenience.