Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-01-15

terrible army.
She had not the courage to go down
to the basement but remained there
on the trimming path actually fasci-
mated by the rampant sea- Higher
and higher rose the waves till now
they began to surge against the waist
OF the tower. and hogsheads of water
were flung against the lantern. Tn.
der some OF these onsets the building
quivered from top TO bottom. and
sometimes fairly reeled. The ma.
chlnery of steel and brass clattered
under a heavy shock. and under the
smaller ones rang like a number OF
little bells. She stood there with her
lace white as one OF the foamy waves,
her hands against the heavy steel
bars looking seaward. and not NOV
ing except when she turned TO trim q
lamp or empty the burnt oil from a
saveall. She remained in the lantern
till probably an hour before dawn; then
the gale swelled into greater fury,
and the storm went bowling and bel
owing past as il ten thousand con.
demned spirits had burst loose and
went floating by on the hurricane.
The swells grew longer and seemed
to roll from the very bottom. and they
ran nimbly and noiselessly up the
rock, up the tower. and flung their
cold white arms with swishy yet
thunderous sound completely around
the lantern. almost throwing the
heavy machinery from its place at
every sally. Then as she still gazed
TO windward out into the gray drift
she uttered a great cry, 'Oh. God, de-
liver me" for she saw mighty wave
towering nearly twice as high as any
OF the rest rolling. foaming and
storming at it, crest moving toward
the rock. AS 1t drew nearer it grew
larger and larger, and when it had
reached within twenty feet of the
light house. it seemed as IL the whole
lake had gathered itself up for ono on
slaught upon the rock. She had very
little time to wait. for the awful in
vader combed and curled several feet
above her head, and then fell with a
crash OF terrible thunder upon the
tower. Then the light seemed to go
out OF her eyes and she felt as one
does in some turbulent dream; shs
could not tell how anything happened;
but the cold lake water gurgling at
her lips brought her to consciousness
The tower was in the sea-
1t had broken away close at the
base, the posts breaking off short and
leaving part OF the floor still fastened
to the rock. The upper part of the
tower being heavy-owing to the ma
chinery and heavy metal work OF the
lantern when it fell over into the sea
the top sank perpendicularly into the
water. the base remaining uppermost
and two OF the floor beams still lay
across it with some OF the flooring.
As for the brave girl. she never
knew how 1t came to pass but In some
providential way she foated upward
from the lantern to the base and when
consciousness returned found herself
in the midst Of the wild sea with a
large beam at her elbow. This she at
once seized with both arms, holding
firmly, and STOPPING her head when a
great wave came breaking over the
top OF the wreck. At the base of the
tower there happened to be coil of
weight rope such as is usually kept
in these lighthouses and when the
tower tumbled over this remained
upon its hook upon the wall. The
girl espied it. and putting a coil OF it
around her waist she fastened 1t with
two half-hitches. and then secured the
blight to a stout broken timber above
her. Til On she lay across the beam
smitten by the cruel pillows praying
for the dawn. The constant pounding
OF the water upon her body began to
stupefy her and make her insensible
to pain. Then she lay scarcely caring
what fate befell her; but through her
numb senses she knew the storm was
abating.
The tower drifted far out into tho
lake and when tho sun rose touching
the subsiding waves with yellow gold
her father and her anxious folk on the
shore saw the base of the tower bob
bling up and down in the waves. Just
as soon as it was smooth enough they
launched a couple of boats and went
out to tow the wreck to shore the
father broken-hearted at what he
naturally believed to be the destruc-
ton of his daughter the fishermen
Borrowing over the fate Of the brave
young girl; but think OF their Joy as
they neared the wreck to see her liv
ing fastened to the timber at the base
OF the tower. her hair floating In the
water and feebly raising her arm as
she espied them. They unlashed her,
took her into the boat and rowed
swiftly to shore again. She could not
speak on the way, and was partly I'M
conscious but after they had swathed
her in blankets and forced draught
OF brandy down her throat she re-
vived and told them the terrible story
OF her experience.
The government did not build an
other lighthouse upon the rock. and
it remains TO this day menace to
ships while Gypsy hns developed into
a beautiful woman. admired and be-
loved by everyone for her heroism.
The Dominion government, in 70.
cognition Of the brave conduct OF tie
young girl settled upon her a pension
OF 81, 600 year for life. Cincinnati
Times.
Nickel Steel Armor.
Tho recent remarkable discoverv nj