The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-01-15
TILLAMOOK ROCK.
How the Light Rouse Was Built.
Despite the Wild Sea.

How the Lighthouse Was Built,
Despite the wild Sea.
"Wcll, yes. I've seen my share Of
rough life, and have been in number
Of tight places at one time and another.
since 1 first came to Oregon. in 1850;
but the time when / felt most certain
that my last hours had come was the
9TH Of January. 1880. on old Tillam ook
Rock"
The speaker was typical Oregonian
pioneer lean, bony, muscular; man
without bit Of nonsense or brag about
him; one whom all the world could not
scare, and whom no emergency would
confuse.
We were at this time loading with
round timber for spars and masts at
Astoria-thosc beautiful, clear trunks
Of Oregon fir for which the ship-build-
ers Of New England now send to the
Columbia River, away round Cape
Horn.
Sitting on deck, that evening, with
the full moon Just looking up over the
distant peaks OF Mt. ST. Helen's, our
sailor lads, for two or three OF whom
this was their first voyage up the coast,
were on hand for one of Bill Harris
Oregon experiences. Bill was the man
loading Us with lumber. and it was he
whose remark have recorded above.
''On Tillamook RockP" questioned
several voices. "What, 1illamook
Light Rock. twenty miles down the
coast from the barr"
light on Il then. We were blasting
that winter for the foundation Of the
present lighthouse.
We had noticed the new lighthouse
- we bore in, 20 make the mouth Of
the Columbia. II stands on q lofty.
solitary rock, rising out Of the sea, on
iiilamook Head, bold promontory Of
this rugged coast ! remarked that il
looked ugly and dangerous.
well. L h m ugly place" said
Harris. The fact Is, putting that
lighthouse there has been one Of the
boldest engineering fcats OF the CEN
fury. though 1t has never attracted any
particular attention, for Il was ali done
Is quietly as clock-work. and no bragg
ging. worked there over q year. and
know what I'm saying. For years
they had talked Of 4 light there. or
else on the head back Of il, for Won
know what . blind, dangerous OPEN
ing the mouth Of the river makes. But
everybody who had ever been near the
rock said that Il could never be done:
that no mortal man could land on the
rock. much less face gale there.
ihe sea Is never still about Tilla-
nook. Il has manner Of rising up |
II i. an awfully tu@uituous fashion.
There Is tremendously strong water
norcrsnl - WIN ,;a,s 81 unner Tow setting 90
Coat down, due to suck holes among |
me Gins under water may be. The
sock itsen = an irregular. Jagged butte
y rough OLack basalt, rising abruptly
~. q me ocean. with two hundred and
Lofty - ieet o. water al! around Il. At
snas ume y rose one hundred and six
secn 1eet ABOVE the sea level in calm
weatnef' put during severe storms the
waves dashed over t. On the west, or
~. swaro noe, q leaned out-savc for >
.N'.o snou Or ledge just above the
w.'er -overhanging the sea, the over
49, snountlng 20 about twenty feet st
snc summit On the east, or lsndward
49,; ne surface inclined upward 1t an
.ISe q thirty degrees, or rising, till
= n'n twenty feet Of the crest, where
~ she roc. rose perpendlcularly. From
- soutn s'oe there was great crack,
Si; ";sy feet in width, which nearly
~ I's'oeo = - Two unequal secti0ns. Into
~, n. crack; or ASSURE, the sea constantly
s sv itsels with terrific force, and an
aWIul gurGIinR roar. "a whfch vaa