The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-01-20

came, the gusts yelled (f0r can select
no more fitting word) louder and loud.
or. 1t seemed as il even the wind
would tear us off the rock We lay
there mufiled up. No one talked much.
The new men looked wild.
"Mr. Ballantyne tried TO resssure
them, saying that we were all right.
mo words of mine can begin to con-
vey any idea of the horrible shrek and
roar and gurgling! But it was the jar
Of the lodges which startled us most,
when with an explosive shock. like the
report Of heavy gun, the encrmous
waves struck. And the worst of it was
we could feel that the hurricane was
gaining strength steadily.
Eat last, about half-past eleven,
there came down our side. a perfect
deluge Of water-iogsheads Of it-so';d
water! That raised panic which had
been gathering for an hour. The men
jumped to their feet and fairly yelled!
they were so scared. A wave OF
solid water had broken clear over the
top of the rock. r5D-lt
Gentlemen, about that time would
have sold my body to medical college
for four cents! / didn't believe one Of
us would be alive ten minutes later. In
about half 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-horse, lower down.
That was made of wood and iron. The
water made clean smash of it and
washed off barrels OF -four, meat, coal,
powder-everything in it-making a
total wreck! How our tent hung on
there is marvellous. But, as soldiers
know, stout canvas tent will Outlive
any house, in gale, if strongly bound
down.
"Well, gentlemen, when that second
wave went over, and we heard the
store-house go, we We're thoroughly
dcmoralized. We jumped to get out Of
the tent and, like half-drowned rats,
were all for climbing up on the highest
part of the rock. And if Mr.. Ballan-
tyne had not had cool head and
steady nerves, not man of us would
have lived to tell the tale; and it is safe
to say that no light would be shining
ON old Tillamook to+aight.
Hold on, men, he shouted. Stop,
tight where you are!' And he jumped
In the way of us when we tried to get
out past him. STEADY! steady!' he
,borxoJ sno nc dO noun oud
hang on at the lines in the ring-bolts.
"For he knew that ouside of the tent,
on the top of the rock, no man could
stand or live, but would be blown of,
or washed off in a moment. al
That saved us, doing as he babe us.
We hung to the ring-bolts and kept in
the tent. Four or five more of these
food-wayes broke over; but the tempest
decreased in violence after midnight,
and from that abatcd gradually for the
next twenty-four hours. ~ -
But it was o fortnight before the
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 10 strong
boxes from the store-house that morn.
ing and secured under a tarpaulin in
the tent; we were even obliged to melt
ice and snow for water.
LAT Astoria, the people had given u,
up, for lost, and a rumor had sprfad
that not living man was left on the
rock. ......fot llfN
1.-The work Of blasting was resumed
and went on till the thirtieth of May
1880, when the site for the masonry
was cleared. During that time wo had
blasted off four thousand six hundred
and thirty cubic yards Of rock.
during June. dcrricks and land
ing-stage for receiving the cut-stont
from Astoria were set up; and soon thu
masons were busy. The cornerstone
was laid June 70; and the light-hous,
was completed January 8, 1881, and OF
the night of January q, thirteen day
later, the light flashed forth over tn,
black expanse of the Pacific for the frs
time. In all, the work had occupied
five hundred and soventy-three day
from the date of its commencement.
altogether, 1t is noble piece o
work, and it is one of the few things il
my life that / am proud of havin!
helped do--to put that light on the tol
of that, sea-washed rock. But were
to live fifty years more, should neve
forget that night Of january z, 1880
on old Tillamook. " fonth's C0N,pan
ton.