The Dickinson press., 1888-02-25
LIFE IN A LIGHTHOUSE.
HOW DUTY Is PERFORMED ON
SOLITARY BEACON ROCKS.


Enjoyable Existence of II Family in Falk-
ner Island Lishthousc-Capt. Brooks
Boys and Girls-Culture and Refinement
in an Ocean Home.
Speaking OF lighthouse keepers" said the
captain of Il vessel in the coaStwisc trade be-
tween New York and Portland, Me-, there
Is not one of them in the service who receives
Il higher salary than 81 900 IL year, and there
are some VIII" get not more than $780, There
are at least LOCO keepers i'll the employ of
the government, and under recent act of
congress their pay averages 5000 year.
That makes 5000, 900 the government pays in
wages for warning sailors Off of dangerous
ground, and the maintenance of the light
houses comes to hundreds of thousands he
sides. In no branch of the public service is
strlcter discipline and greater attention to
duty insisted on than in lighthouse keeping.
The service is controlled by II lighthouse
board, and the best men obtainablc are Sc
lectcd as keepers. Preference is given to
men who have spent years Of service in the
army or navy, as they know what discipline
Is, and know by experience that orders are
to be obeycd to the letter, and without ques-
tion. There are many retired ship masters
and mates who are to-day doing duty on
solitary and isolated beacon rocks where
they hear no sound but the moan and roar of
the ocean, except their own voices and those
of their families, if they have any, for months
at time
"0ne or the most accomplished and cul-
tulrd men that ever was in the employ of any
Gov
III charge of one of the United States light
houses, That man was Capt. Oliver Brooks.
lie kept the great light going ON Falkner
Island, five miles off the Connecticut coast,
on Long Island sound He had been a sea
captain for many years before entering the
lighthouse service, and his example and
methods as a lighthouse keeper SO improved
the capability of all other keepers, that he
should have met with more substantial recos-
milton from the government on his retire
mint than the expression of its regret and
reluctance at parting with him, genuine and
sincere as it must have been Falkner Island
light first flashed out upon the sea to warn
vessels away from that dangerous locality
one night eighty-scven years ago, and it has
never failed to lift aloft its welcome beacon
a single night since.
fSi.N'Et iSl.AND
'lhat light is one of the most important
on our coasts. Falkner island lies directly
III the track of all vessels passing either in or
ont of the Sound, and if on any night its
light should fail to catch the eye of the sailor
on such vessels the consequences might I've
fearful to relate. The lighthouse is nearly
loo feet high, and its signal beams out on
each of its eight Sides every ninety seconds n
flash panel, operated by the most perfect
rlockwork machinery, contrivcd by Capt
Erooks, revolving about the towers summit
with unvarying regularity. Tie sailor ON
watch knows whether his ships bearings arc
right when he sees that light, 10 matter in
what direction the vessel may be going or
coming. 1t is like no other beacon in the
range of tho sailors vision, and Falkncr is
his guide and hope as long us it can he seen.
Capt. Brooks raised large family of
boys and girls i'll his snug quarters in that
lighthouse, and their record of life saving in
That perllous quarter is preserved in tho
wealth of silver and gold plate, rare blic-;.-
hrac, and other valuable testimonials from
ahipwiecked mariners the captain and his
daughters and sons have saved from many
wrecks for even the great light has not pre-
vented n score of disasters in the trcachcro,ls
water surrounding it. Not only Sailors but
drowning men, women and children have
been time aud time again rescued by Capt.
Brooks and his courageous children The
family's home in the lighthouse vas II glad
surprise to the stranger visiting it. One
daughter was an accomplished ornitholosist,
and the walls were covered with artistically
mounted specimens of the birds of that local
lty, from the enormous bald eagle to the
diminutivc wren. Each specimen had been
shot by this daughter on the island and was
stuffed and mounted by herself. Another
daughter vas an authority i'll marine bot
amy, and her collection was a complete cx-
hlbit of the botanical possibilities of that
island and others in the vicinity This
daughter spent long time at Yale under the
private tuition of Professor Whitney in the
study of her favorite science. She was also
an accomplished water color artist, and there
arc in the houses of some of New Yurk's
Hcalthicst and most cultivated fumilcs al
buns Of her botanical collections that were
arranged To order by her, and are probably
th" most unique and valuable works of art of
ihoir kind ever executed. The books alone
cost $50 each in New York ut wholesale.
Each page was Il card of cabinet photograph
size. On these Miss Brooks mounted spcci-
men, of sea flowers and plants These were
l"rssnlIy dried in their preparation, and
their r"lors could not be preserved. These
"err shown in all their original beauty and
natnalncss by an exquisite water color
sl:r.ch OF the flower on the card below the
specimen painted by Miss Brooks. Each
specimen had its scientific name and IL de-
a.rii,tipn of its characteristics written on the
lack of its particular card. For these novel
exhibitions Of her artistic skill and scientific
knowledge Miss Brooks was paid from $50
t 500 each
An ot,E.sN HOME
Livery member Of Capt Brooks family
| was q finished musician and no less than ii:c
different musical instruments, We're brought