Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-07

nave OFereSUiIDdIeO tue udnSCT I'd WHICH
they were exposed, they were sustained
in their course by their fellow-towns-
men.
Now, the hardship to which he
wished to invite attention was that they
had been forced by the inimical in
quiries of the lighthouse inspector,
when visiting that part of his district,
a naval officer born elsewhere, and
having no sympathy with those people
or knowledge of their particular views.
to feel that they were to be subjected
to obnoxious criticism because of the
course they had taken. They were
high-spirited men who naturally re-
scented 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 its
proper light, and if need be would ad-
moniSh the keepers. but that it would
decline to accept their designations.
This, he thought, was necessary to
calm the irritation of the people of the
vicinity at what they considered the
somewhat unnecessary course of the in
spector, and it would tend to restore
the entente cordiale toward the general
government. He would not have in
terfered personally in the matter were
It not that he found himself to certain
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 it no such harm as a
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 Sharp S
Island disaster? The doctor had, but
he was unaware of the details. Then
1 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 Choptauk, it had been poorly
provided with ice-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 at either lighthouse to stand
against the ice of such an unprece-
deatedly severe winter as that just
passed. When the ice assaulted this
lighthouse those who were watching
it Oh shore thought more than once that
the tower was gone. Itcareened until it
nearly touched the ice on the opposite
side, and when the great cakes would
break away from around it the house
would spring back with such force
that every bolt in it would rattle. But
in spite of all this the keepers stuck to
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 been accumulated
by its being 80 long held back. The
piles of the foundation could not stand
the shock, and they were broken off in
their sleeves, letting the house fall over
OH its side. when it floated off with the
drifting ice. 1t was like a ship on her
beam ends, with her sails fiat on the
waves. The water came in through
the broken windows and doors, and
the keepers were in danger of bein g
drowned in their own sitting-room.
The ice was now piling up on the up
per side of the floating wreck, threat
ening to sink il by mere weight. The
keepers must get outside to throw off
the ice cakes. But the doors and win
dows above water were so damned
that they could not be opened. So the
keepers were forced to break through
what was the ceiling when the house
stood upright into the lantern-room,
from whence they could readily get
out on the gallery, and they were now
where they could free the house from
its dangerous load. This done, they
were enabled to determine their exact
condition. and take stock of their few
chances for safety. They had been
badly fri ghtened, but now they had re-
covered their self-possession.
Finding that the beautiful and cost
ly French lens through which
the light was projected was in
danger of being thrown from it's
pedestal, they secured it by hurried
lashings. 1t is by the condition OF his
lens that the efficiency of alight-keeper
is determined; so this lens was natural
lv treir first care. And as there is no.
thing like the necessity for exertion to
calm the mind and secure its balance,
they were now enabled to think the
more cOolly. Though one boat had
been smashed by the ice the other still
hung uninjured at the dayits. They
could use it to 90 ashore. But their
first fight was now over, and they con-
cluded to stick by the stuff and do their
duty to the bitter end.
Now, to make long story short,
these noble fellows clung to the sink
ing wreck of house in the biting
wind and the freezing cold, wet to the
skin, without fire or food, constantly
Drawing imminent death through the
waning light, and then in the black
darkness, floating with the tide
toward the open bay. for little more
than sixteen hours Then, about one
o'clock on the morning of February IL,
1881, the wreck grounded some seven
miles away from the foundation from
which it hal been wrenched. And as
the wreck, which was lying on its side.
was pressed against the fast-anchored
,x., L. IL L