The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-01-08
TILLAM00K ROCK.
How the Light House Was Built,
Despite the Wild Sea.

"Well, yes, I've seen my share of
rough life, and have been in a number
of tight places at one time and another,
since first came to Oregon, in 1850;
but the time when I felt most certain
that my last hours had come was the
9TH of January, 1880, on old Tillamook
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-those beautiful, clear trunks
of Oregon fir for which the ship-build-
ers of New England now send to the
Columbia River, away roLnd 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.
ION Tillamook Rock?" questioned
several voices ''What, Tillamook
Light Rock, twenty miles down the
coast from the barp'
"The same, only there wasn't any
light on~it then. We were blasting
that winter for the foundation of the
present lighthouse"
We had noticed the new lighthouse
as we bore in, to make the mouth of
the Columbia. 1t stands on lofty,
solitary rock, rising out of the sea, off
Tillmook Head, abold promontory Of
this rugged coast. l remarked that it
looked ugly and dangerous.
"Well, it is an ugly place." said
Harris ''Ihe fact is, putting that
lighthouse there has been one of the
boldest engineering feats of the CEN
tury, though it has never attracted any
particular attention, for it was all done
as quietly as clock-work, and no bragg
ging. l worked there over year, land
l know what I'm saying. For years
they had talked of a light there. or
else on the head back of it, for you
know what q blind, dangerous OPEN
ing the mouth of the river makes. But
everybody who had ever been near the
rock said that it could never be done;
that no mortal man could land on the
rock, much less face gale there.
"The sea is never still about Tilla-
nook. 1t has q manner of rising up
suddenly, and ebbing offround the rock
in an awfully tumultuous fashion.
There is tremendously strong water
allround, with an undertow setting so
powerful at times as to draw small
boat down, due to suck holes among
the cliffs, under water may be, The
rock itself is an irregular, Jagged butte
of rough black basalt, rising abruptly
out of the ocean, with two hundred and
forty feet of water all around it, AT
that time it rooe one hundred and six
teen feet above the sea level in calm
weather, but during severe storms the
waves dashed over it. On the west, OF
seaward side, it leaned out-save for q
little shelf or ledge just above the
water-oyerhanging the sea, the over
set amounting to about twenty feet at
the summit On the east, or landward
face, the surface inclined upward at an
angle of thirty degrees, or rising, till
within twenty feet Of the crest, where
the rock rose perpendicularly. From
the south side there was a great crack,
Twenty-Five feet in width, which nearly
divided it in two unequal sections. Into
this crack, ortissure, the sea constantly
threw itself with terrific force, and an
awful gurgling roar, to which was
added the loud, dismal 'youk' of the
sea-lions, the only living creatures
which dared to approach these rugged,
Soa-beleagured lodges. s'. 'a5>t
Finally, the number of wrecks and
the necessity of having either the head
or the rock lighted, drove the Light
house Board to take il up Major G.
l.. Gillespie, then Chief Engineer OF
the board, was directed to examine the
location, and with his usual courage
he Mt once said that the light must be
put on the rock. suppose there
weren't Two men here at Astoria who
did not say: at can't be done, II
was AONNENA upon IT'S u lOOltldIul p1N-
ject, sure to result in the loss of life.
This was in the Spring of 1870, bni
it was notuntil june that any vesse'
dared to 80 near the rock. AT length
on the twenty-second day of the month
the revenue cutter "Corwin,' with Mr.
ii. S. Wheeler, G, E., aud a party O.
sailors, steamed down to Tillamook
1t was very calm day, and by using ;
'Surfboat' two sailors were landed OF
the northeast side, which seemed tina
day to be the Ice side. But they hat
hardly climbed up the slope, when tn,
sea suddenly rose up threateningY
without any apparent cause, and near
ly swamped the Surf-boat. 1t was i'm
possible to approach again, to get tn
new men off the rock, but after an hou
or two lines were thrown to them, an,
by jumping into the sea they were les
cued.
"a few rough measurements as t,
the height and Dimensions of the rocl
were made, but a more careful surve,
was necessary, and for this purpos
Mr.. John X. Trewavas, master-masol
of high repute in Oregon, was asked t,
undertake the measurements. The gen
tleman had had large experience il
lighthouse building in England.
ION the 18th day of September, th
'Corwin, with Mr.. Trewavas ant
party, came down from Astoria. TIL
day was beautifully calm. A boat wa
rowed up near the east slope of tn
rock, and watching his chance, a sailo
named Cherry leaped ashore on tn
lodges. Mr. Trcwyas, who was al
active man, next jumped to the rock
Before he could gain time to climb up
however, great wave suddenly up
lifted itself and swept him off. VI.
Lines and huoys were at one,
thrown to him, but the unfortunat,
gentleman was almost instantly sucked
down by the undertow, and disap
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