The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-01-15

came. ~ gs,sla ysllsd (fr I On .Ies,
no more htoing wordD louder and bud
cr. Y seenel ~ Il even. tn vino
would tear ~ on the rock. We IL,
there mnfI|ed up. No one talked much
The new men looked wild.
"Mr BalIantyne tried 20 rcassure
men, saying that We were al right.
mo words Of mine can begin To con.
vey any idea Of the horrible shrek and
roar and gurgling! But II was the iar
o. the Lodges which startled us most.
when with an explosive shock, like the
report o. heavy gun. the enormous
waves struck. And the worst Of & MAS
we could feel that the hurricane wa
gaining strength steadily.
"At last, about half-past eleven.
there came down our side, perfect
deInge Of water-hogsheads Of if-solid
water! That raised q panic which had
been gathering for an hour. The men
jumped % their feet and fairly yelledl
they were 90 scared. A wave Of
solid water had broken clear over the
top Of the rock.
"Gentlemen, about that time l would
have sold my body 70 medical college
for four cents! didn't believe one q
us would be alive ten minutes later In
about half q minute, another wave
struck over and washed down on Us.
We were soaked through and through.
And we heard at the same moment the
crash OF our store-h0use, lower down.
That was made Of wood and iron. The
water made . clean smash OF Il and
washed OF barrels OF flour, meat, coal.
powder-everything in it-making :
total wreck! How our tent hung on
there Is marvellous. But, as soldiers
know, stout canvas tent will outlive
any house. in gale, il strongly bound
down.
"Well. gentlemen. when that second
wave went over. and we heard the
store-house 60. we were thoroughly
demoralized. We jumped to get out 81
the tent and, like half-drowned rats.
were all for climbing up on the highest
part Of the rock. And II Mr.. Ballan-
tyne had not had cool head and
steady nerves, not q man Of US would
have lived to tell the tale; and il is safe
TO say that no light would be shining
on old Tillamook tonight.
Hold on. menr he shouted. Stop.
right where you arer And he jumped
IN the way OF US when we tried to get
out past him. Steady! steadyr he
shouted. DO A. l do. Down and
hang on at the lines in the ring-bolts.'
For he knew that outside Of the tent.
on the top Of the rock. no man could
stand or live. but would be blown OF.
or washed on in moment.
That saved us, doing as be babe us.
We hung to the ring-bolts and kept in
the tent. Four or five more Of these
flood-waves broke over; but the tempest
decreased in violence after midnight.
and from that abatcd gradually for the
next twenty-four hours.
cutter could cross Columbia Bar and
come down to us; and meantime We
had to live on the scanty supply Of food
which. BY Mr.. Ballantyne's prudent
orders. had been brought up In strong
boxes from the store-housc that morn
ing and secured under . tarpaulin in
The tent; we were even Obliged to melt
ice and snow for water.
AT Astoria, the people had given us
np for lost, and > rumor had spread
hat not living man was left on the
rock.
The work Of blasting was resumed
ind went on till the thirtieth Of Nav.
1890, when the site for the masonry |
vas cleared. During that time We had |
blasted OF four thousand six hundred |
md thirty cubic yards Of rock.
During June, derricks and q land |
ng-stage for receiving the cut-stone
rom Astoria were set up; and soon the
nasons we're busy. The cornerstone
vas laid June 70; and the lighthouse
vas completed January 8, 1881, and on
he night Of January q. thirteen DAYS
alter, the light flashed forth over tie !
lack expanse ofthe Pacific for the first
lime. In all. the work had occupied
i've hundred and seventy-three DAYS
rom the date Of its commencement
Altogether. it is . noble piece Of
york, and il Is one Of the few things in
ny life that / am proud Of having
lelpec do-to put that light on the top
4 that sea-w ashed rock. But were ]
Q live fifty years more, should never
orget that night Of January z, 1880,
N old Tillamook. - Youfh's Conspan-
03l