Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-07-14

And now We may rest for we We tod them all.
Mother TRUTHS Melodies.
The Builders of the Ed,Iyston-.
Among the worlds greatest benefac.
tors have been the patient and heroic
men who, often at the peril of life,
have reared lighthouses on dangerous
reefs. The lighthouse, standing lone
ly, quiet, and ever steadfast amid the
FESTIVE turbulence of the sea, serves
two useful purposes; it warns away the
tempest-tossed sailor from the crags on
which it stands, and it guides him to-
ward the safe Ravens on the shore.
Thus 1T converts what was once per-
petual danger of the ocean into an
actu0l means of security and life.
.or many a century a certain jagged
reef of rocks which lies about twelve
miles off the English coast, in the rag
ing English Channel, was terror to
all the seamen who approached it.
Many goodly craft had struck upon
its iutting orags, and had in an instant
broken up and plunged to the bottom.
Often hidden amid dense fogs, the
SHIPS of the olden time could never
make out just where it lay, and each
year it claimed and devoured its vic
tins, sometimes by the hundred, so
that those near and dear to them never
knew what had been their fate. The
ocean, dashing in CO Useless breaks upon
this hideous mass of rocks, breaks in
circling eddies and whirlpools around
them; and from this circumstance the
reef, ages ago, received the now
famous name of thc Eddystone
1t was upon this terrible reef of the
Eddystone that this first Eighth house
which was ever built upon rock at
distance from the mainland was erect
putting light. house there was con-
ceived. not by sailor or on engineer,
nor by man of science, nor by the
Government, but by quiet, eccentric
English country gentleman. About
two centuries ago this gentleman,
whose name was Henry Winstanley,
was living in his ancient manor house
in eastern England. Winstanley was
n very queer, whimsical man. He was
quite rich, and used his wealth in
very singular way. His neighbors,
though they liked him for his good
nature and easy-going ways, tho light
he was perhaps a little "cra"ked."
Winstanley, among other odd traits,
was very fond of playing practical
Jokes. Indeed, he spent good deal
of his time and money in giving PEG
pie sudden shocks and surprises. He
filled his house and grounds, for in
stance, with all sorts of strange devices
for this purpose.
Yet it was this very man of strange
whims and terrifying jokes, Henry
Winstanley, who undertook the un-
heard-of feat of erecting lighthouse
Oh the tempest-riven reef of the Eddy
stone. Inspired by the noble idea of
swing so many lives and so much prop
erty from the jaws of the great deep.
Winstanley abandoned his idle life and
went to work with will. He himself
aided and superintended his workmen,
giving up al his time and energies to
his great work. For six years lie toilea
cease!essly to finish it. He constantly
braved the storms that ever swept
around the dreaded reef; more than
once, bound to the rock, he came near
starving; and at last, when the light
house had been reared, and was all but
completed, he fell victim to his noble
design.
One evening at dusk Winstanley
with party of his workmen put of in
boat from Plymouth to put some fin
ishing touches to the lighthouse. Just
rs he was starting. friend, pointing
to the gathering clouds, warned him
that storm was coming up, and begged
him not to go. But WInstanley, in his
reckless way, replied, IL only wish /
could be at the lighthouse in the great
est storm that ever blew under the face
of the heavens" His wish was to be
fulfilled sooner than he thought. As
night closed in, the tower of the light
house could be dimly seen from the
shore, rising proudly above the angry
surge. But before the next morning
dlwned 1t mad disappeared from human
sight. The crags of the Eddystone roso
grim, bleak and bare from the SWELL
ing bosom of the sea. The brave VIM
stanley and all his men, and every stone
and buttress and cable and nail of his
lighthouse-everything excepting only
single chain which remained riveted
in the crevice of the roca-had been
swept away. For all had gone down
under the most terrific gale which had
ragged in the English Channel for many
years.
But the sad fate of Winstanley did
not prevent other intrepid spirits from
making fresh attempts to convert the
Eddystone from an awful peril into a
beacon of safety. l our years after
Winstanley was destroyed, plain,
sensible man, John Rudyerd, whose
trade was to deal in silk goods, went
to work and erected wooden light
house, which was shaped like Pine
cane, on the bleak and barren reef.
But as the waters and winds had proved
the destruction OF Winstanley's tower,
the fire afterward consumed that OF
Rudyerd.
Rudyerd's tower stood the brunt OF
wave and storm for forty-six years.
Then, early one cold December morn
ing, some fishermen, who were getting
ready their nets on the beach, saw
clouds OF smoke issuing from the light