The Opelousas courier., 1892-08-27
SIGHTING THE STEAMERS
HOW AN EXPERT DOES TT AT THE
FIRE ISLAND STATION.
recognizing q Steamer by Her Smoke
or Other Little Details Before She
Tops the Horizon Line.

o9n q Dy her smoke
or Other Little Details Before She
Tops the Horizon Line.
TX hours before an Atlantic liner
~ is made fast to her dock the
~ announcement of her arrival off
Fire Island is made known in
New York City. It is impossible to
estimate the great value of such lnforma-
ton. Persons have abundant time to
prepare for the coming of friends, and
from places as far distant as Philadelphia
or Albany parties can come and be at
the steamers landing before the gang
plank is thrown out. Carriages car be
summoned and dinners arranged for, and
in many other ways a the coming
friends be properly attended to.
The first land sighted by the majorE
of incoming steamers is Fire Islane
beach. Every one has heard of Fie
Island. 1t is not an island, but the end
of a long and narrow strip of land be.
tween the ocean and the Great South
Bay, about forty miles from New York
City. Among the earlier seaside resorts
in this country Fire Island held a con-
spicuous place. It has been q place of
marine observation for nearly ten years.
The observatory was formerly on top of
the famous Surf Hotel, but so satisfac-
tory became the results of enterprise that,
about five years ago, the Western Union
Telegraph Company erected a substantial
wooden structure near the ocean shore,
suitably arranged for habitation and for
the watching and reporting of vessels.
Mr.. Peter Keegan, who had already
shown marked ability for the work re-
quired, was placed in charge and is there
to-day, accompanied by his wife and
children. The life in winter on Fire
Island is extremely lonesome. Commun-
ication with the main shore, across the
bay, is only had a few times a week, and
the Lighthouse keeper and his family and
the life saving crew are the only neigh
bors Mr.. Keegan has. The past year he
has been placed in telephoniq hommuni-
cation with all the life-saving cations ON
the south shore of Long Island.
1t doubtless seems to many people an
easy task-that of observing passing
steamers and ~telegraphing the facts to
New York-but when one considers that
most of the vessels are from fifteen to
eighteen miles away, and that many Of
them go by in the night time and in fogs
and cloudy weather, then some idea a
be obtained of the skill and training
necessary to successfully perform this
work.
But once in all these years has Mr..
Keegan reported a wrong vessel. Hel
was expecting a certain steamer OF the
Bremen Line. Unknown to him a new
steamer had been sent oyer in place oil
the regular one, and it was very natural
that he should report the one which bel
had every reason to expect would arrive.
The observatory is q wooden building
about forty feet in height, and lies bacl
from the beach about two hundred feet
It is surrounded by a waste Of sand, anf
in the winter it is an extremely lionel!
place. Bay Shore, about ten miles dis
tant, is the nearest point on the mainland
The top room of the town is the observe
tory proper. 1t is a small wat
windows Oh the four sides and lookol
aperture facing oceauward. On q
table is a telegraph instrument, which
connected by wire direct with the Wes
ern Union Office in New York City.
bookcase is well filed with standai
works, and upon the walls are picture
of some of the best known ocea
steamers.
Nj. Keegan has never been on boa
of one of these steamers, and says }
doubts if he could recognize them if J
saw them passing through the Narrow
His acquaintance with vessels comes fro
a long range, and he has to make an I
animation of general outlines and dets
such as would escape the notice oil otF
people. But once has he been able )
read the name of a passing vessel, al
that was a few years ago when .
Amerique came within three miles OF g
shore.
Mr.. Keegan keeps a careful recor6f
the departure of all incoming steame;
also reports of storms. adverse win,
icebergs, and everything that would,e
apt to cause a delay, and from .
knowledge of a steamers average spd
ne approximate ner arrival, and ts
fixes the tine when it is necessary1
him to be On the watch.
At night, all steamers, when oppoe
Fire Island, send up q signal. The slral
| of the Inman line is two blue and sd
lights followed by a rocket showingue
and red stars. The Cunard steasrs
burn two Roman candles, shoWingix
| blue balls. These signals merely H.
| cate to what line the steamers belg.
To distinguish what particular YES 1t
is a careful observation of the sidtnd
| stern lights has to be made. It Is Sen
with great difficulty that signals O abe
seen at night. As soon as q steer
comes in sight the observer must f1his
gaze steadily upon of the ightn-
til the signals are given. The wois,
of course, very tedious.
The signals in the daytime are ven
by means of colored flags, and at ong
distance are very deceptive. Beyd q
few miles colors cannot be easily din
guished, SO that the flag signals areen-
orally of little value. Mr.. Keegde-
rends almost entirely upon the dine
oil the steamer, the position o the
smokestack, cabins, lifeboats, ske,
etc. and also upon the course the
vessel.
For instance, on one smokestE OF
the servia is a square white mark, bile
on the others of the Cunard I'll the
mark is oblong. Certain vesselsrry
their sails in a peculiar fashion. One