San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-04-25
Great Light Houses.

Outu ; companion.
There are between 600 and 700 light
houses off the English, Scotch and
Irish coasts, and many of them are
situated in seas which have the repu
tation of being the most steadily tenn
pestuOus in the world. The Fastnet
light, Off the southwest coast of Ire
land the Calf Rock light, on the
"Howling Dogs" as the ledge off the
Sicily isles is called; the Dhu Heart
ache light, Off the west coast of Scot
land, contest the honor of occupying
the stormiest and most dangerous
positions on the coast of the British
Isles; although the Eddystone light
house, near Plymouth, is cut off
wholly from communication with the
shore.
Unlike those American light houses
which are situated at a distance from
shore, the British light houses do not
appear to be prOvisiOned for long
period. During recent heavy storms
Oft the European coasts, the light
keepers ofFastnet were not OnIycut off
from communication with land, but
were compelled to make signals that
they were short of food. Several
gallant and unsuccessful attempts o
relieve them were made by volunteer
crews before they were finally reached
with supplies.
The keepers of the chief British
otf:shOre light houses, and is the case
with American first class lights, now
consists of three men. Several years
ago, when the light houses were in
charge of two men, one of the keep
ers at the LOngships light houses
died at his post during a storm.
The mans companion was forced to
remain with the dead body for many
days and nights, and at the same
time, of course, to keep the lamps in
order. The strain of this horrible sit
uatiOn upon his nerves was so great
that before he was rescued he had be-
come hOpelessly insane.
The Calf Rock light stands upon
rock which is from sixty to ninety
feet above the rock. The Fastnet
light is nearly $50 feet above the wa
ter, but the fury of the Atlantic is so
great that the waves are said often to
pass in sheets over the lanterns of
both, and to hide the tops of the tow
ers for two minutes at time.
1t is impossible to approach either
the Fastnet or the Calf Rock light eX
cept in the calmest weather. In the
rebuilding of the Calf Rock house,
which took four years, the wOrkmen
were prOvisioned in this way: A log
was anchored, by means of rope,
out at sea on the leeWard side of the
rock. To this log the provisions,
encased in rubber bags, were fastened
by men in boats, and the log was then
drawn in by the men on the rocks.
1t was still more difficult to con-
struct the Wolf light, in the British
Channel. Seven years were required
to build it, and in one particular
stormy year, 1862, only eighty-three
hours work could be done between
March and December, so tempestuous
were the seas.
The Dhu Heartache light house is
fOrty-eight miles from Oban, the near
est town. NO-bOat Is allowed to
touch the rock upon which it stands
and all visitors to it are hOisted from
their boats by means of a long der
rick. A visitor thus describes the
process by which he went upon the
rock:
"When the boat is in position, a
rope, with a loop at the end of it, Is
dropped into the stern. You put one
foot into the loop, hold tightly to the
rope with both hands below the
block, and are first hoisted into the
air, and then pulled downward upon
the Rock.
There you are clasped in the
strong arms of one of the keepers,
and before you are released from the
friendly grip, you are treasured by a
kindly voice, bidding you Welcome
to Dhu Heartachen "
Insure your property with R. W.
Lay & Co., Al Soledad street. 3-14tf