Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-09-09
THE IRIS AT moOsEHEAD PEAK.
Scenes Along the New England
Coast.

- ~S~~~~s
Scenes Along the New England
Coast.
Having reached the Covered Way, we go
through on floor, almost as level as that
of a bowling alley, of solid planking well
laid and feel that 1t is firm structure in
difficult and unique situation. At the
brick circular tower painted white, as
many lighthouses are), arrived we enter
and climb the usual iron spiral stairway
within, easier than getting up the side of
Moon Peak, but still rather steady climb
ing. Cannot say I enjoy such climbing.
But did enjoy what came next.
Soon on the narrow deck about the
keepers room, below the lantern, I walk
around outside giddy height once more,
protected always by the strong iron rail
| ing. And there I note the wildness of
Moose Peak, especially on the southeast
side, opposite that we came up. How the
Atlantic's green surges roll and foam
| around the base hundred or two, or three
| hundred feet away, far below me. Along
| rocks smoothly worn and altogether diff
ferent in looks from those rugged, sharp
ones we assembled. Their white foam ard
| llRuG B10OA Oo4OCI6, always oO
beautiful, mingle against rock of
uneven contour in snch varied
| ways only camera could catch their mo-
ton on the instant and exactly. Low cir
| cling waves, and swirling-do two of them
ever come alikea I think not. Just
| enough motion to remind one what rest
| less thing the sea is and what surprising
| forms water takes whenever its milder mo-
tons are resisted by the far under-reach-
| ing, shelving, invincible- masses of granite.
The irregularity of the underlying masses,
their unseen burrows and channels, slopes
| and projections so varied doubtless caused
those very peculiar waves which boiled
| there and since that day associate them
selves in my mind with that place, hardly
| ANYTHING like them elsewhere remembered,
| though my visions of waves in many places
have been many and of varied delight
I can recall the character of waves al
different places. At Rockaway, at Soon
set, Cape Cod, Mt. Desert and elsewhere.
Can outline them with pencil or co1ors
from practice and memory. But these
cannot distinctly recall-partly from the
short time had for observing them-varied
and surging around 80 at peculiar place
necessary to be drawn with them, and diff
ficult enough to take more skillful hand.
I did not attempt it, and find that ever
memory has taken no adequate impress
sion. Why then do I dwell upon it? Be-
cause it was such rare and singular pic
ture A wild prose poem fit for E. Poe's
word painting. What vision he drew o.
the maelstroml But my vision is of rea
scene-a thing one sees perhaps once in 6
lifetime and can neither forget or ade
quately describe.
If such with a light sea on, what would
il be in gale or with heavy sea running
as happened two days after. I would like
to have seen those waters then from tina
peak. But then we were on the Iris re
turning from eastward, and something
said, not in words, but with trumpet tones
"Beware of Moose Peak" We did not se
) the peak for the mists; but the great whist
| ling buoy told our pilot just where we wer
} half a mile away from the scene of GU
visit this day. 1 think those great dark
J green pillows, breaking and rolling VI
these slanting courses in the twisting roc!
grooves or out of them, buffeted and mad
dened by the ever-increasing resistance o
more vertical opposition, would send thei
spray high over all this end of Mooseheat
and drench the lighthouse from base t.
J dome.
And how would we like to be in tn
lighthouses ut such time? do not thinl
: I would like it. At night for six hours
and six hours turn about, the keeper o
assistant keeper are on the watch-forge
J what has been told me, but think general
7 one or the other will be in the light house
and not in the home dwelling, especial
if the dwellings are not connected wit
the light house, or part of it, as is some
i distance on very good site. with muc
space beyond. Do not remember tn
Y barn and COW and fowls; probably there
, | plenty of room for them
- While i'll the lighthouse we note som
panes of the thick plate glass of the later
: are cracked, and this occasions muc
: trouble in driving rain, SO much waite
makes its way through. One migt
e not not think 50, ,o yet the keepers ar;.al kno
y in. The very lighthouse itse
q quivers in the gales, and for tn
:, matter I dare say all of them vibrate som
Il what at such times, and because this OF
!. has been so wracked the thick plate gla
l., broke as one sees. The brick work of IL
r tower below is evidently out of line on OF
side, and twill probably soon give way
a safer and nobler one of iron," as our il
spector remarks. Having descended an
y reached the very good dwelling find tt
a seamen had got up the case of books a
:. right. The usual business of the printe
u schedule of questions and answers is con
Il pleted by my needed additions to what
already written, the money paid and som
thing said believe about transfer of OF
= of tho assistants elsewhere.
% At this home also, recall clear reco
lections of comfort, neatness, a cabin
u organ, and general intelligence, and OF
L reason why it is so will be understoc
= from the fact of their isolation, and habi
y of reading and self cultivation, and no
:, the government promotes it will yet
- stated more fully. A pleasant thing
;, them are the visits of the Iris, with tt
Il pay roll regularly attended to. The il
spector hands over the money, as I say
g and altogether the Iris comes like bea
of sunshine cheering briefly by it's pre-
!. ence, and longer by its recollection, an
II the expectation of it's next coming agai
0 Although in very lonely places, God
t ever with them. His written word
l. hand among their books to be much rea'
l. l would not be surprised if the fin
l. records of such peoples lives would p,
,, those of many more favored lives as r
Q CARDS some things to shame.
7. Faithful attention to duty is grand di
l. cipline for moulding character. It go
l. on day by day, very silently but surely,
d such places as I am describing. The gre
= stars overhead are very far off, and tn
J. go on, but are company to the lone dwelle
}, and keep watch over them at night. tt
), great maker of all himself is near the1
IT and doubt not they think much of hir
l. and that whoever else does he never TO
), gets them.
); Down the rocks we have gone togethe
n The hand shaking is hearty. The DO
= swings to, and we are soon seated. Ear
i well!' "Heave away" In a few minut
10 more we are on the Iris, and steam cas-
l. ward. w. L. B.
e Large Plate Glass.
., The largest panes of plate glass ev
d used in this city were put in F. NJ. Brow
!, & Co.'s new store yesterday. There a
four windows, each of which are fourte,
feet high and twelve feet wide. Semo
Bache & Co. of Providence were oblig
l. to charter the steamer Boston to cow,
"a the glass to this city. Crowds watche
the process of putting the big glasses
L place in the window eashes. The work
t, Improvement in general at the premise
which has attracted much public attentit
! for many weeks, is now well advance
- toward completion.