The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-31
A BUOY's TRAVELS.
Brought to Port After Being
Tossed About for Five Years.
Breaking from Its Anchorage In Charles
ton Harbor 1t Makes an Extensive
Ocean Tour and Is Recaptured
UninJured.

Delaware brcakwater the other day
with strange object on her deck 1t
was derelict whlstling buoy of huge
proportions that the ship had picked up
during its voyage north. On the moon
less night of October 10 the Armestry
was hundred miles east of the Ber-
nudas. She was laboring through the
heavy swells that remained from the
storm that had ragged for the two pre-
ceding days. The night was still,
noticeably so from contrast with the
day preceding, and for hours the swash
of the waves against the vessels side
was tho only sound that came to the
cars of the men on duty. About
midnight faint murmur like the
moaning Of person in distress
came floating over the waves and
was reported by the man on watch.
1t was heard again and again and
apparently originated in point al
most directly in the course the ship was
pursuing. An hour later the sound, so
strange in midocean. came with great
distinctness from the starboard bow of
the vessel and apparently not far off
The captain ordered the engines
stopped and the ship to lay to till
morning. The Armestry was kept
near the spot where the signal was ut
tcring its notes, and all through the
remaining hours of the night the sound
continued at regular intervals.
The sailors thought they had solved
the mystery before morning broke. and
when it dawned n score of eyes recog-
nized the familiar iron head of har-
Dor whistling buoy rising on the bill
lows and uttering it's sad note rs it fell.
The sea had Gained sufficiently to adj
NIT of capturing the wanderer and a
boat was sent out to attach rope to
the iron cage that covered its whistle
A tackle was rugged on the yardarm
and the hollow monster was hoistcd on
to the vessels deck. The iron air
cylinder, surmounted by the whistle,
and the siXtccn-inch tube that cx-
tended from this cylinder to keep it
upright in the waves gave length of
nearly fifty feet to the buoy. To the
long tube was attached several fur
longs of the heavy chain that had held
the buoy to its anchor until some acct
dent had released it.
The buoy was undamagcd, even TO its
whistle, but showed evidence of having
done many years of service. AS it lay
on her decks when the Armestry put
into port the strange object excited
much curiosity. Unloadcd on the
dock it was well-patronized free
show, but no Snowman was there
to relate its remarkable history.
All that could be told at first
was that the buoy was of an
American pattern, and that it had
heretofore wandered from some point
on the shore of the United States to its
place far out in the ocean, where final
ly it had secured its own capture by it's
melancholy signalings. A search among
marine records disclosed it's story.
The Atlantic Pilot Chart for Septem-
Der. 1890, says the New, York Record,
honored this lost property of the light
house board with an official mention.
On November &c, 1856, the Port ROYAL
buoy in Charleston harbor broke from
its moorings and started towards the
ocean on its career of adventure. Drift
ing out into the gulf stream it loated
in the warm waters of that current dur
ing the remainder of the year. 1t
moved northward in zigzag course
under the influence of conflicting winds.
Its siGnalings attracted the attention of
many passing vessels. On Christmas
day of 1856 it was last seen in the gulf
stream. Three months went by and
then it was discovered floating serenely
along some two hundred miles north of
the Bcrmudas. After that it started
for still more southerly latitude, and
during May it was sighted very near the
coral reefs of Bermuda
For moro than year it had been lost
sight Of when on June 0, 1883, it was
heard and seen six hundred miles north.
west of the Bermuda islands, During
this time it must have howled SADLY
along the very track of the great hur-
ricancs.
The buoy made this part of the ocean
n favorite headquarters for two wears.
1t was sometimes reported by incoming
vessels as having been heard and some
times as having been sighted always
within one hundred miles of this spot.
1t crossed its own track repeatedly,
but never wandered far away until the
summer of 1899, when on September
10 it was not seen below the latitude OF
the Bcrmudas, but five or six hundred
miles to the eastward Of the islands.
The dcrelict was then reported to be in
good condition. and its mournful warn.
ing of danger that it had left one thou
sand miles away as.still rs strong as
when it was doing honest duty in
Charleston harbor. In the year follow
ing the buoy for the most part kept out
OF the track OF ocean travel. and it was
again nearly forgotten when it's weird
Toice reached the ears of the watch on 4
the deck of the Armestry.