The Jersey City news., 1892-05-17

LIFE ON A LIGHTSHIP.
How the Crews Live and
Work Along the Jer-
SeY Coast.
lNTHE CRADLE OF THEDEEP.
Dull Days and Tedious Waiting
for Release-FOur Lives
Lost.
In THE CRADLE OF THE DEEP.
snccfal to the Jersey Clty Ne,rs.


their neighbors. Sometimes the shore
watch is prolonged to u month or more
pending favorable time to make the
seventeen miles risky run from Cold
Spring bar to the spot where Lighthouse
No. Al is hitched TO the bottom with Il
winter cable of los fathoms clear OF the
hawse, just on the northeast end of
"Five Fathom Bank" While the men OF
the shore watch are enjoying the COM
TO Is of home and the novelty of the lands
mans life, the watch on dug are attend
Ing to the routine of the ship. counting
the hours TIL their turn of liberty comes
around.
When their tedious vigil is up the west
ern horizon, III The direction of Cold
Spring bar, is closely scanned for the re-
turn OF their shipmates. II 1t be LOO long
delayed emphatic words are apt To be-
spoken when the shadows of night re-
peatedly close down upon the waste OF
waters with no speedy prospect of II
break in the weary routine OF securing
and scrubb1ng water-soaked decks, and
trying to tind some comfort in being mis-
erabIe. But after u time u white speck
appears emerging from the open sea III
the direction of the Cape shore. Soon
theie is news from nome. and change
Will tu0 0OuGWhlQ-UOQuo WdlCu.
Captain Josiah Cranmer talkinburg is
the keeper Of No. a at the northeast end
of the bank, and Captain William Smith
of No. 40 on southwest end. The two
ships are nine aud Seven-eighths miles
apart, The second ship, NO. A, was put
on her present station III late years. She
is desIgued to warn SeagolnE vessels, COM
ing from the northeast. of the luinpy
ridge Of sand bank stretching away 70
the southwest. SO little as fourteeen
feet of water are found on the shoalest oil
these luiups In Il gale OF wind the sea
breaks on them i'll wild disorder. They
shift about, in this respect resem Dlin Z
diamond Shoals" off Cape Hatteras.
Being 50 close to the entrance of Della
ware Bay, where ships converge on their
way to the Break kwAGer for orders, or to
port of destination, Philadelphia, it is OF
vast Importance TO guard The channel by
every precaulion, hence the Government
has placed lights on both ends of the
shoal.
THE CAPTAIN ON LAND.
Captain EalkinDurg was sent at his
pleasant home IN this city during his
present respite from duty, and in his sun
shiny way spoke OF life on his ship, which
may be of interest TO the public. From
the captains statement, one OF these sta
t!onarv vessels is about as lively us one of
the can buoys of the chops of the Cape ln
a southeast gale. They are susceptible to
every wavs that goes by them. Rolling
aud pitching is their business, and they
pay particular attention to it. In very
naru weather il is no easy matter TO sLick
to the narrow shelves -bunks-whe the
sleeping of these hardy seamen is eX-
pected to be done. The labor of keeping
from taking an Involuntary header across
The berth deck causes ligatship men to
turn out" tired and out of sorts at their
futile attempts to get a little OF natures
n
as TO roll and pitch all at once, and i'll u
manner calculated 10 take the landSmans
feet from under him. IL not a good place
for undisturbed slumber.
The decks of a lightship are seldom dry.
No big seas are shipped, put the spray aud
mist Of the sea caught up from tue white
cps are blown profusely on board, soak
ing everything below and aloft.
The routine of duty requires the two
lanterns to be thoroughly cleaned each
morning. This is no small job when the
complex nature of the apparatus is con-
sidereu. There are eight lights in each
lantern. A tWelve-lpch silvered parabolic
reflector gives intensity to the rays. A
bail and socket device permits the Ian
terms To accommodate themselves to the
wobbly motion of the ship. The day
mark of No. "A is cage work on foremast-
head surinounted by olack ball.
THE SPRING HOUSE CLEANING.
When the good weather or spring really
sets in The crew commences u thorough
overhauling of the ship. Cleaning,
painting and mending of whate yer has
been broken down by rough winter
storms keeps all hands busy. Every thing
is put in trim foi inspection, which is
done by Commander p, +. Harrington.
U. S. N, lighthouse inspector for the dis
trlct iu which No. A is included. Every
thing is looked at. tine personal apparel of
the crew not excepted. The uniform
must conform to the regulations and be
kept neat and crcdi.abIe to the service.
The buoy boat transports rations to
the service. They are the same rs those
OF the navy. In the ten allowed No. A.
two are commuJed, fresh provisions being
supplied In place of them. The Ola
Dominion line plying between Norfolk
and New York delivers Il weekly mail to
the watchers ON the bank when weather
permits,
For days at a time the faint outline of
the Jersey coast Is hidden from view.
When the atmosphere Is very clear, the
stretch of coast, with its summer resorts.
comes into view. Frequently bewildered
captains Inquire OF lightshp officials of
their position, and send boats for news,
and ask about pilots il none are in sight.
The sad accident 10 No. A in April,
1874. by which she lost four out of five of
her crew, has not faded from the memoir
les of Cape May people who took part
In the current OF AfIHlFS III luOae QuyS.
The boat had reached Cold Spring bar on
the passage holneward when u bad Cross
sea caused il to capsize in the breakers,
causing the loss of Charles Smith, Frank
WilletJs, Harry Hoffman and Virgil NJ.
Mexican. Captain John Reeves was the
onlv one saved. He had more endurance
aud kept his grip on the boat til it washed
ashore and relief was at hand.
For days there was pail over the Cape
because of this unfortunate Occurrences.
These ill-starred men were i'll signt of
home when swallowed up by the sea-
Their funeral was memorable event.
They were all buried at one time in the
cemetery of the Brick Presbyterian
Church at Cold Spring,
RECREATION.
Bank life Is not SO dull in the soft sum-
mer time as many suppose. Fishing af-
fords ample recreation. When cod come
along honest dollars are made. Captain
+. tells of good Providence which made
it possible to enjoy u Christmas dinner.
The day before couple of Canada geese
circling overhead responded to q mimic
"nonk" of one of his crew by lighting iii
the water near the ship. Ohe OF them
was killed with an oar, and was found TO
be big enough to make an Xmas dinner
for all hands.
Regulations permit oue-half of the crew
ON shore at a time. The list comprises
ten, keeper. assistant keeper, engineer
and assistant-these officers ruu the fog
whistle and condeusing apparatus-a
cook ana five seamen. The pay of keeper