Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-12-08

Waahiugtoa Territory end British
Columbia This h ~ important
poins 10 the shippers Of the coast, Of
whom there are . great many. Al
the great commercs Of the Sound b
Obliged 70 pass this point. aud you
win reed 40 expansion 70 e3nviBce
vou Of the importAnee Of that con-
merce e Il u kn0wn 70 the world
/ have seen vessels floating The Gag
Of every maritime nation In the world
pass ny station, and many Of the
more important ones have their lines
making regular trips 10 the ports
along he Sound. AZ the mouth, the
Sound narTOws down 70 about 10
miles in width and l. bordered on
both sides By PERCEPTIONS mountains,
making 9 regular funnel through
which the wind rushes 81 times with
frightfuI velocity. have known the
wind 70 be blowing fally 90 miles 40
hour at the Island when few miles
out Il sea / could see vessels that
were completely becalmed- In ad-
diti0n TO this there were dangerous
rocks along the coast and about the
Island making the passage one Of
great officially al times. 30 much 80
that ships would frequently lie Oh the
coast for days waiting for an oppoE-
tunity 70 make safe entrance This
made Il an important point 70 ship.
pers and the Chamber Of COmmerce
Al San Francisco was especially In
terested IN L.
Iwas seat out from Washington
where / had been working In the gen.
eral office, and you can imagine my
feelings when arriving al such des-
olate place. Going up the steamer
could not land me and ! was Obliged
70 20 on 70 Victoria, then return q
Port Townsend and from there TAXI
q little coasting schooner that made
weekly trips along the Sound, carry
Ing mail % the different logging
camps. Amer sailing about 100 miles
we reached Neah Bay which was yet
six miles from the Island that was 20
be my home. Here Was obliged 4
stop and get some Indians 20 CARY
me In q canoe for the rest Of the way
/ From the distance the Island looked
like q vast block Of rock projecting
from the surface Of the ocean, sur
mounted by spiFe-like tower Of
lighthouse that added to the genera
gloom Of its appearance Nothing
could be seen that would mark IL a
being the habitation OF man, and th'
nearer we approached 1t the more ny
heart sank within me az the gloom,
prospect. Arriving, the Island wa
found to be 9 fragment OF q noun
tain from so to $50 feet in hight an'
with perpendicular walls facing tn
sea on every side. There was u
beach around ii save one little poin
that was bare At low tide and upoI
which landings were made. The on
ly way TO reach the surface of thi
peculiar formation was up long ans
tortuous flight Of steps cut from Oh
solid rock of the surrounding wa
by the men who had erected the lighi
house. This warning light and III
huts occupied by the keepers wer
the only Instructions upon the fac
Of the Island containing about six
teen acres, but which did not appear {
be larger than the ordinary block OF
city, and here l was deemed for
season at least TO live upon this Isl
lated point with no companions saw
the three lighthouse keepers and q
other human beings nearer than 81
miles, the straits running between a
Il was not q pleasant prospect surely
and did not give me much cheer 1
| dFsl thought. ! grew BY degree
somewhat more accustomed 70 its so
itnde. Everything We bad done va
BY the Indians, and they were not u
most reliable people IN the work
Though some of their traits were VOL
derfully interesting.
Il lam confident Of being able
!. prove that more rain falls upon thu
little Island than upon any oths
: spot Of the known world, the fall {
water for the year ! was there bein
between nine and ten feet. Why,
actually caught seventeen inches {
water during one month Of my stat
and was always suspicious that SON
OF il got away. Foreleven long DAY
and nights Il rained without ceasinl
until il had soaked through the ROO
and walls Of our dwelling, and "
were In q constant state OF dampnel
that was not pleasant. TO put Il mil'
lly. Then fOgs would roll up an
blot out the world in an instant az
parently, making one feel like he WI
suspended In mid air, an Illusion th'
was emily dispelled By the beating {
the waves at the foot Of the nearei
Icliff. After We had been shrOuded !
this impenetrable veil until the know
Hedge OF an outside world had almol
faded from our minds, there woul
come q breeze from the soutkwel
that would roll up that fog like
great white sheet against the mOul
lains on the Vancouver coast. HeI
It would hang for days a. time rol
ing and tossing upon every wind, biz
ing from our view all Of the mouI
tAins, but their rugged SUBMITS unit
suddenly Il would vanish as il CAM
leaving no trace. And all this tim
: We would have nothing 70 connect q
with The world without but the sonn
, Of that horrible fog horn, whic
would shake the Island 10 its found
: tons ct every blast. and drown 3
but the sorrows Of those who wei
compelled to hearit. Every day an
every Right that horrible sound Zoo,
ed my being with horror until all a
other miseFies Of that life were Of
liberated by the presence OF this q
preme torture and its absence brougl
happiness even in that place.
Il And now you know OF the Islam
OF Tatooch, on which | was virtua
IL shipwrecked for more than a yea
, and from which ! was mercifully re
cned By q severe spell Of sickness
, which came pear resulting in u
death. but secured my transfer 10 Il
more hospitable and much dryer 81
mate OF Arizona
THAT LRAsG