The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-09-24


Now. the hardship to which be
wished 10 invite attention was that they
hal been forced BY the inimical In
quiries Of the lighthouse inspector,
when visiting that part Of his district.
. naval officer born elsewhere. and
having no sympathy with those people
or knowledge Of their particular views.
TO feel that they were 70 b subjected
70 obnoxious criticism because Of the
course they had taken. They were
high-spirited men Who naturally re-
scnted such imputations. and rather
than rest under them they had in mo-
ment Of irritation sent In their resigna-
tons. Now. the doctor hoped that the
department would see the matter in It's
proper light, and II need be would adj
monish the keepers, but that Il would
decline TO accept their designations.
This. he thought, WAS necessary 70
calm the irritation. Of the people Of the
vicinity ut what they considered the
somewhat unnecessary course Of the i'm
spector. and il would tend 10 restore
the entente cordiale toward the general
government He would not have in
terfcred personally in the matter were
II not that he found himself to acertain
extent in accord with his neighbors,
that the keepers were Of good family,
and that, though he did not entirely
coincide with the administration. he
certainly wished 1t no such harm as .
| persistence In this matter would nat
urally occasion.
The Commodore had quietly listened
to the doctor, with an impossible face
and without comment. Yes. he had
heard OF the affair But, by the way,
had the doctor heard Of the Snaps
Island disasterp The doctor had. but
| he was unaware OF the details Then
will tell you. said the Commodore.
''Sharp's Island lighthouse. like
that Of Choptauk, was built on
nine iron piles driven into the
sand. in some twelve feet Of water.
Like Cboptauk, il had been poorly
| provided with icc-breakers. and its
rods, ties and braces had only been de-
| signed TO resist the thrust Of ordinary
| ice drives They were not strong
enough mt either lighthouse 10 stand
| against the ice Of such an unprece-
| dentedly severe winter a. that Just
passed. When the ice assaulted this
lighthouse those who were watching
it on shore thought more than once that
/ the tower was gone. Itcareened until il
nearly touched the ice on the opposite
side. and when the great cakes would
break away from around II the house
would spring back with such force
that every bolt in it would rattle. But
in spite Of all this the keepers stuck q
their posts.
On the afternoon Of February 10.
1881. the ice piled up on the ruins Of
the old ice-breaker gave way under the
pressure Of the flood tide. and was
hurled against the lighthouse with all
the force that had heen accumulated
BY its being so long held back. The
piles Of the foundation could not stand
the shock, and they were broken of in
their sleeves. letting the house fall over
on its side. when it tloatcd OF with the
drifting ice. II was like ship on hel
beam ends, with her sails fiat on the
waves. The water came in through
the broken windows aud doors. and
the keepers were in danger Of bcins
drowned in their own sitting-room
The ice was now piling up on the up
J per side If the floating wreck. threat
ening to sink il by mere weight Thu
keepers must get outside to throw Of
the ice cakes. But the doors and win
dows above water were so jammcs
that they could not be opened. So thu
keepers were forced to break through
what was the ceiling when the hous'
stood upright into the lantern-room
from whence they could readily &c
out on the gallery, and they were nov
where they could free the house from
: n its dangerous load. This done, the,
, were enabled to determine their exac
: condition. and take stock OF their few
, chances for safety. They had BEEF
; badly frightened. but now they had re
covered their self-possession.
a Finding that the beautiful and cost
" French lens through whic
the light was projected was i
: danger Of being thrown from il
I pedestal. they secured II by hurrie
/ lashings. II Is by the condition Of hi
) lens that the efficiency Of alight-kcepe
il determines; 50 this lens was natural
} " their first care. And as there is nc
! thing like the necessity for exertion
! calm the mind and secure its balance
they were now enabled 70 think th
more coolly. Though one boat ha
been smashed by the ice the other sti
} hung uninjured at the davits The
could use It to 20 ashore. But thei
9 first fight was now over. and they cor
} cluded TO stick by the stuff and do thci
Q duty to the bitter end.
I Now. to make long story shor
y these noble fellows chung to the sink
Q ing wreck Of house in the bitin
D wind and the freezing cold, wet 70 tn
7 skin, without fire or food, CONSTANT
r Drawing imminent death through I'll
waning light. and then in the blac
4 darkness, floating with the It'd
y toward the open bay. for little NOR
1 than sixteen hours Then, about on
I. o'clock on the morning Of February 4
1891. the wreck grounded some seve
v miles away from the foundation frol
n which IL hai been wrenchcd. And I
\ the wreck. which was lying on its side
= was pressed against the fast-anchore
h ice. the house slid up on II . little. an
. breaking il. settled back in : near
J. upright position. Standing on the bo
b tom. the building was held up on OF
a side by the shore ice aud on the oth'
/ ~ the pressure OF the floating Ice whie
q came down with the tide.
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