The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-23
WASHINGTON.
Lighthouse Building on Lonely
Destruction Island.
WsIla wafIa's Pleasant winter
Real ES1kte sales I'm Payailup
Notes.

A correspondent at Destruction ID
and writes as follows 70 the PosT-is'
RELATIONSHIPS, under date Of November
IS. II Is proper 10 add that since that
time the Iighthouse-tender Msnzanita
has called at the island with election
returns and other necessaFies.
send YOU the following lines from
This ouf~of-the- way place, where
-.a,tv "a y,e,, are al work erecting
buiIdings for a light and foz-signal
station 10 lie established by the gov.
eminent
The island /. about As miles south Of
Cape Flattery. being nearly haii way
between that place and tray hArisof
and three miles from we nam iail1.
The top Is about one-haif mile by one
eighth mile, leg Of mutton N shape
nearly level, and e0yered ~ an s3-
tremeIy dense growth Of brush; me
soil Is very rich and about ~ inches
deep. The sides are steep the aver
age elevation Is about IZieet, the upper
so feet. being Of earth, rests on a series
OF rock ridges which extend 70 the
west and north in long, low reels, and
give the island its appropriate name
Tor these reefs are certainly destruc-
ton 10 any vessel that touches them.
Several wrecks have occurred on the
island the latest being that Of the Gas
sandra Adams last summer, the
broken parts of her huh scattered
around are grirnly suggestive and
show well the destructive power OF the
surf and rocks.
THE only native inhabitants we find
here are the field mice, and these are
in great quantities; the cook aiiirms
that he has killed thousands since he
arrived two months ago. At FIRST they
were not nj all timid but very famil-
lar. running all over the quarters dur
ing the day, into the beds and across
the mems faces at night. SO many
have been killed and frightened, and
having obtained good cat from the
Indians. We nov see but few. The
Indians. some OF whom fish around
here and live on the island short
time during the sealing season, hold
the mice as sacred, thinking them
spirits or something OF that kind.
They warned US not 10 XII any, say
ing that il We did q great tidal wave
would come up and sweep rs away.
The largest and most powerful ap-
paratus will be placed here. The light
will be "6rst-order, flashing light.
shown from a brick and iron tower 80
feet high the fog signal will be steam
siren OF the frst-class, with duplicate
machinery throughout The accessory
structures are two small buildings for
storing mineral oil, two dwellings for
keepers. barn containing also a shop,
tool and store rooms, ciSterns for stor-
ing rain-water, large steam derrick,
platform, tramway and car for land
ing supplies, hosting them up the
bluff and distributing them to the
buildings.
Work was commenced three months
ago. and much has been done in spite
OF great difficulty in landing material
and the delays OF large amount OF
extremely bad weather.
Our mail facilities are naturally
somewhat irregular, as We have to de-
pend upon the schooner which brings
material for the work. Sometimes a
canoe comes from the Indian agen cy
ut Quiiliute, where there is a post
Office that receives mail once week.
The following incident well shows the
uncertainty of our communications (;
The schooner left here on the 9Th inst.
for Seattle. and appeared in sight, on
her return last Sunday morning, a
week ago to-day. but the wind gave
out and she lay there, only about 10
miles away. till late in the afternoon,
when a gale from the wrong direction
came up, she headed out 10 sea and We
have seen nothing Of her since. You
can imagine our disappointment Not
only are we anxious for news from
our sweethearts. but we would like TO
know who is TO be our next president,
III. &. q.