The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-06
IN LITTLE HELIGOLAND
The History Of the Rock In the North
Sea.
How The Island Came Into Eng
lands Possession Its Inhabitants
and Their Life-Lord Sails
bury's Pawn.
From the Philadelphia Times.


~HERE are not many American
IL readers who have any very clear
idea Of the character, history or To-
cation Of Hcligoland, which has suddenly
come into prominence ia Tho European
dispatches in the diplomatic deal between
Germany and England. What and
where is H~eligoland? Why should Ger
Many want il? And how does IL come
hat England has To give il away?
H~eligoland-or In German, Helgoland,
called In the native tongue simply Diet
Lunn, the lands a small island in the
North sea, about ~ miles northwest Of the
mouth of the Elbe, in 81 degrees II min
utes north latitude, and : degrees 81 min
utes east longitude. IL is about a mile
long from north to south m one-third Of
a mile from east To west, with an area Of
about 800 acres. According To tradition
the island was once vastly larger, great
tracts of country having been swallowed
mp by the sea between the seventh cen-
fury, when Christianity was first preached
To the Inhabitants by st. Willibrod, and
the end of the seventeenth century.
The tradition is borne out by history and
observation. Separated from Heligoland
10y a channel a mile wide, is the Sandy
Island, or Dune, "A small sand bank with
scrubby vegetation, which was formerly
connected with the land, but the nroads
of the sea have gradually cut il off. The
same agent, the heavy rainfall and yaria-
tions of the weather and the disintegrat-
ing power OF frost. are still reducing the
size of Heligoiand itself, the western cliff
having receded seven feet within the last
40 years.
The oberland is a rock a5 feet i'm
hcight,on which stands atownof 4UOhouses.
Access 10 this is obtained by l92 steps or
by "A steam lift, from the rnterland, n
patch of shore with some seventy houses
southeast of the ciili. III resident popu-
lation i'm lssl WAS 2.ODl, In lsD il was
PIP, showing a gradual diminution. In
the bathing season Heligoland is visited
10y UPWARDS If l2,UO summer guests, who
are attracted by excel mt bathing facili-
ties afforded by the Sand Island already
referred 10.
Ihe soil upon the flat top of the rocky
island affords a little pasture and pro-
duces some potatoes and cabbaQes. There
are some sheep ON the island and a few
cows. w~heclbarrows are said 10 be the
| only vehicles known on the island. There
| are two hartors. partlally protected by
t<neSU%SS&<ks21sssslAnA, one TO the north
and the other to the southland Heligoland
| formerly furnished n number of pilots in
| the North Sea-; but this occupation has
ceased and the Inhabitants are supported
chiefly by the lobster and other fisheries
anu 10y tie summer Nl-ltOfs. 1nert were
formerly public gambling tables, cstab-
lishcd in 1sD, out these were suppressed
m 1871. There is "A lighthouse ON the cliff
near the village, and steamboats, run to
and from the North Tristan Island and
Hamburg.
The native Inhabitants of H~eligoland
are frisians, "A tall and muscular race of
hardy seamen, simple and primitive i'm
their habits and holding land labor i'm
contempt and military service in abhor-
renee. The men are nearly all engaged
in fishing, and they contribute a good
many sailors To the royal navy. 1heir
native tongue Is H~cligolandlsh, a dialect
OF North Tristan, but herman Is currently
spoken. the trades people and shopkeep-
ers being mostly immigrants from Ham,
burg or elsewhere on the continent or
their descendants.