Morning journal and courier., 1891-09-08
THE IRIS Ar moosEHEAD PEAK.
Scenes Along the New England

THE IRIS AT MOOsEHEAD PEAK.
scenes Along the New England
Coast.
One thing enjoyed on the Iris, as on
land, habit Of years contracted in con-
test with asthma and certainly beneficial |
in my case against that disorder, viz,
smoking my pipe. The inspector and Cap
tain johnson smoke cigars. do not re-
fuse good cigar, but after all habit makes
me prefer selected tobacco and pipe. AZ
ter contemplation of varying scenes under
the nicotine mist of said pipe, whether
seated on deck chatting with the inspector
or walking about, or all together in the
pilot house with Captain johnson, who
holds the wheel and watches the compass
or landmarks not little of the time, re-
lieved by the mate as suits, now the next
eastward lighthouse is near, nv interest
again aroused and get another pencil
sketch of subject worth putting on can
| vas, viz, Moosehead Peak and lighthouse
on its extreme end-probably SO called
from some resemblance to a moses head,
possibly from moose head and massive
| rugged antlers found on it long ago. The
| moose once belonged to Maine, I think:
| very likely is still found there, still remote
| from mans abodes.
On long very ragged deeply scanned
| promontory of an island south of Moose
| a-bec reach, projecting eastward-coarse
| granite know of-near the end of said
map, about forty or fifty above the sea a
white brick tower rises some sixty feet
higher, the lantern and plane of the light
| of added height. By the looks of these
| same rocks very ragged and torn along
| the north side from base to summit,
should say, the sea disputes sway here
| with tremendous force at times. The
shape and construction of that covered
way about $50 feet long leading from the
| lighthouse towards the keepers and as
sistant keepers dwellings indicate
they . might not be able with
space at all times and in all weathers.
Why nots Because of the deep depres-
| sions, great unevenness and ragged nature
of the rocks, and needing some kind of
walk in best of weather, even in day time.
In the winter, with snow, ice and frozen
spray, the footing would hardly be safe
even though rock way were made by ex-
pensive filing. Aside from frost, how
| in driving rain-storm? Thoroughly slip
| perry and unsafe, but in gale think men
| in transit there might be "blown over
board"; that is, hurled by force of the wind
down one side or the other into the high,
| searching waves foaming around that peak
| This is the way such danger was averted:
Twelve pair of strong timbers joined at
upper end at sharp angle, like letter
A with cross beams low down; legs of
varying length, as the depressions required,
bolted to the solid granite masses. These
arches, SO to speak, are girded along their
sides and course by other heavy timbers
which support floor at level and uniform
height. Lighter timbers and rafters Sc
curely fastened to the larger ones complete
| the framework and support the root, which
is at once top and sides to the long struc-
| ture No wind, rain or spray to speak of
can get into this tight covered way. Its
simplicity, strength and utility quite i'm
pressed me as we went through it and
heard comments thereon.
The opportunity to go ashore at the
lighthouses always open to me, not al
ways used, because I prefer to make a
drawing from the Iris, I now avail
myself of, having taken my outlines as I
wished on approaching. have special
desire to see things look out here from
that tower.
Inspector, mate, lampist and guest, with
four seamen to row as wont, get down
into the boat, still hanging on the davits.
Mr.. Green-"All aboard to go ashore9"
are unlocked. "Heave away" The in
spector, who has been in the United
States navy long time, has commanded a
ship thereof in Indian and Pacific oceans,
like old sea captains in general, puts on
no airs and takes the tiller ropes and says
cardboard, ""Starboard" OF" All together"
words very few, well understood by sea-
men. We rock on the tide as we go, but
how nice it is to go with Uncle Sans own
men. Mr.. Green, in the bow, is on the
watch to see just where we can land best,
if best it can be at such a place. Only a
few minutes rowing and we are soon land
ed safely. When l speak of landing, no
set landing place, the most inviting place
where we can run in securely among the
lower rocks and get safe foothold with
out being upset while so doing is chosen
: for the time being. An hour earlier or
later, according to time, tide or wind,
seamen will stay in care of the boat to
keep her off little from knocking
around among the rocks. Two
seamen carry strong box of books and go
up the long rugged slant Herewith as best
. they can, while the rest of us 60 up with
the lighthouse men, who have come down
to the waters edge to meet US and conduct
| US by inc easiest way KNOW TO Cnem, anC
!: lend helping hand to those who need,
, not least to me.
Getting up without any serious slips OF
fall, which on such rocks would mean g
bad bruise, perhaps lameness, we reach
the upper even surface of Moose peak
.. where there is excellent walking and 9
very far prospect over the reach and mar.
! row sea and the great and wide sea outside
as interesting as at P Menan, if not more
SO because of differences. have alluded
to esfkampist," who goes on these quar-
terly trips to adjust anything needed to be
done by specially skilled mechanician, as
regards the lamps, very gentlemanly
! person. should apologize for not men
= tioning him before, also for forgetting his
,, name, but did not see SO much of him as
the others, probably because he kept te
his stateroom more and messed with the
officers of the Iris. The peculiar lenzes
, and lamps and machinery of different
kinds of lights require this skilled service
from time to time, besides anything the
lighthouse men themselves can do.