The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-21
THE M'LANE TO TIE RESCUE.
A Brave Service by officers of the
Revenue Marine.
From the Ne,o York Times

From the Neto York Times.
KEY WEST, Jan. 15.-Several of the great
lights ON the Florida reefs have recently had
a narrow escape from running out of oil.
| Owing to the severe ''northers" of late in the
gulf, the government lighthouse steamer
| Laurel has been unable to visit Key West
| for over a fortnight. During the past week
| news rea he'd Key West that several of the
| Florida reef lights were getting short of oil.
| The very chance of such an event is enough
| to brighten any sailor accustomed to navi-
| gate the Florida reefs. In all some eight
| frst-order lights stand sentinel along the
whole chain of reefs, commencing at Fover
rock and ending at Dry Tortugas.
|. On Jan. l a communication reached Com
mander Durand of the Laurel that many of
the lights in his district had only oil suffi-
| cient to last for ten days, aud that many of
the light keepers.were so short of rations as
to be on reduced allowances 1t was stated
to Commander Durand that unless relief
was speedily received the light-keepers
would be compelled soon to run their lights
with reduced flames and eventually let them
go out and substitute lanterns or place
lamps inside the lenses.
A week later, Commander VIM, in
charge of the Key West naval station, re-
ceived word from a messenger, who had
pulled a distance of forty miles in small
boat from the Sombrero light, that the oil in
that lighthouse had all been consumed. The
messenger stated that unless oil could be at
once sent, Sombrero could not burn during
the night of Jan. 7. The same deplorable
news came late from American Shoal light
house and Sand Key lighthouse. All of
these lights are built on sunken reefs far
out to sea.
The Florida reef lights not only mark the
position of the reefs. but serve as depart
ure marks for the passenger steamers run
ming to Havana, Galveston, Key West and
all points south. Sea captains steam in
toward the reefs until able to distinguish
one Of the great reef lights, when they
shape their course accordingly.
Should these lights fail to be burning, the
reefs would be discovered only when the
yes ell was high on the rocks and dashing to
pieces.
The news of the condition of the Florida
Reef lights no sooner reached Key West
than Capt. Thomas 8. Smyth, commander
of the revenue cutter McLa g, volunteered
to 60 through the storm to the relief of the
lighthouses. Capt. Smyth is the same
officer who figured last May in the Cedar
Key troubles, and again recently captured
t Spanish smuggler, Angeita. With an
old craft such as the McLane, the under
taking was at best hazardous, but revenue
marine officers have SO long been accus-
UOH16u 10 20 TO sea III TdUUl6 traps OF SHIPS
economically fitted out Dy the treasury de-
partrnent that they have become oblivious
to the dangers they are constantly incurr-
ing
With incredible alacrity oil was gotten
aboard the McLane, the bluejackets work
ing like beavers. Eighty gallons in all
were slung on the spardeck, and at 8 p. m.
the McLane was off on a run to reach Som
brero, forty five miles away, before sunset
An old and trusted officer, Chief Engineer
Keogh, was in the engine room.
Full speed, Mr.. Keogh." Capt. Smyth
shouted down the speaking tube, land don't
spare those fires, SIR" II was blowing a
half gale Of wind in the reefs, but the Nc
Lane was out on q mission of life and
death. There was no tn ught of danger
aboard the McLane; none other than to
reacn that great white structure with the
precious oil. Keogh was letting the Nc
Lane have her head.
Away the old sidewheeler few as she per-
haps never few before In her lifetime. Her
old hull creaked and groaned. A heavy sea
would occasionally roll up on the bows and
break over the recsstle, but no one paid
attention to it. Forward on the burrica
deck Capt. Smyth paced anxiously back and