Crawford avalanche., 1891-08-13
A Heroine Of the Lakes.
BY EDMUND COLLINS.

very far from Prince Arthur's Landing,
was large granite rock, about twenty
square yards in area, which stood di-
rectly in the line of steamers and coast
ers passing up and down the lake. 1t
stood only a few feet above the water
level, and as eight or ten ships had struck
against it on dark nights and in thick
weather, going almost Immediately to
the bottom, the Dominion Government
decided to build lighthouse upon 1t.
The building was made OF stout oak
timber and the whole structure was Sc
cured to heavy stringers, which were
bolted and fastened to the rock as firmly
as architectural skill could devise. The
top OF the lantern was made of heavy
sheets of copper rivcted firmly together |;
the bars were Of hammered steel and the
panes. which were diamond. shaped.
were OF glass nearly half an inch thick.
The light was a revolving red d-andwhite,
flashing once q minute, ana the machin-
cry was built of steel. brass and Swedish
iron, the whole weighing eight or ten
tons, stood on the top floor of the
tower.
That part Of the coastwhefe the island
lay was so dangerous and the sea ran SO
high over the rocks in gale that the
Government sought long for a keeper
and could not find one with courage
enough to undertake so perilous duty.
But at last Joshua Alcott accepted the
Governments offer, taking with him his
daughter Gypsy, who was just 10 years
old, and all his worldly goods out to the
desolate rock. The lighthouse lay
about three. quarters of a mile from the
shore, but there were not many days in
winter that small boat could land at
the rock. Gypsy Alcott and her father
moved there in August. when the
weather was calm; nevertheless, when
the wind rose at night during the first
months residence there. and the soa
whooped and doomed about the base OF
the tower, the father and daughter trem-
bled with dread.
One day late in September the light
keeper and his daughter got into their
little boat and rowed to the nearest set
tlement. The father had some business
to do a couple of miles distant in the
settlement, and as they hauled the boat
up at the dock he said to his daughter:
''Now, Gypsy, shall be back in a
couple Of hours, so do not be far from
here when get back. We cannot trust
we'll now" Then he hurried away. and
Gypsy ran off to visit some OF her friends.
She visited three or four houses during
the next hour. and then the skies grew
dark. Great Armies of clouds gathered
to windward and trooped across the
heavens, and up the lake the storm had
struck the water. turning the blue,
SvhsH gypsy -6oticsd thfi'sB istsffe,f up
and exclaimed;
''Oh, the storm is rising. and papa
cannot get back before It l. too rough to
cross the lighthouse. will row over
alone. Someone come and help me TO
launch the boat" Her friends advised
her to remain until her father came, but
she said that it was going to be wild
night and the lamps must be lighted.
Three or four of the villagers followed
her down to the dock. but when they
reached there the wind was whistling
and shrieking and the lake between the
shore and the island had been already
aroused by the wind. One Of the viii
layers said:
"My girl, your boat can't live to reach
the island now; look at those white caps.
Better wait until our father comes back. -
''But it will be worse soon; want to
get off at once; will not ono of you, "
looking appealingly at the group. ''row
across with me, four oars arc SO much
quicker than twow But no one re-
sponded to her request. and two of them
were moving away homeward. when
Gypsy cried out passionatcly
II suppose you will help mo to launch
my boat" Still they made no sign to
assist her, and running impetuously at
the boat, she gave 1t strong push. which
sent itdown the spruce ways and into the
boiling SUR.
''Look here. girl" shouted the oldest
man in the party, ''no skiff can live out
in that sea now wait for your father"
1T will get worse, and by the time
papa comes it win be impossible to 90
over; / must be there to light the
lights and saying this she pushed the
boat off with her pole, then sat upon the
thwart, seized her sculls and rowed out
into the angry water. She made very
brave picture with the drift of spray
driving over her, like rain-storm, her
hair loosencd in the wind like dark
flag. The waves rolled SO as TO strike
the boat on the side, so whenever she
saw a billow larger than the rest she
pulled her little skif around to meet it
head on. and the tiny cookie mounted
the roaring crest like a water fowl. She
had had much experience in rowing on
the lake in smooth as well az pretty
rough weather, so now in the teeth OF
this fierce gale she handled the oars with
a sure, sturdy grip and the boat respon-
ded to every pressure OF her wrist. The
fishermen stood together abashed as they
saw the brave girl move further and
further out through the roaring storm
and drift. They felt ashamed of them
selves for their cowardice for refusing to
60 In the boat with this young lion
hearted girl; but they shuddered as they
saw the great white topped billows roll
ling toward the little boat and every
minute threatening to swamp 1t.
Asfor Gypsy she had no fear, though
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