The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-05-30
GREATEST OF MOVING ISLANDS.
Treaeherous Sable. the Cemetery of tho
Ocean.

Sable island is again reported to have
| partly disappeared. 1t is not always
correct to infer that Sable island j. be-
coming smaller because slice of il has
been whitfield away. 1t may be found
little later that the debris had been
piled up against some other part of the
| coast, extending the great sand bank
about as far in one direction as it has
| lost ground in another. There is no
| doubt, however. that in the last two
centuries Sable island has lost much of
its area. y good deal OF the island is
now scattered over the bottoms of the
Atlantic, where all mariners in the
neigh bo11hood OF the Grand Banks would
be glad to have what is left OF il stay
at rest. Sable island is about hundred
miles nearly east Of Halifax. Sailors
never know whether last years chart
is safe guide for navigation in the adj
jacent waters. Many a ship has been
wrecked upon its treacherous coast. II
has been called the cemetery of the
ocean, and it deserves the name. 1t
would have no population if the Ca
madam government did not find it nee
essary to support a score of people there
to lcok after the lighthouses and care
for castaways who are thrown upon the
island
If the French maps Of two centuries
ago told the truth, Sable island has
since that time lost more than half lis
area. Maps of the island made at in
tervals since 1918 show remarkab ble
changes in its form and position Its
western end is now about twenty
miles farther out to sea than il
was a century ago. The highest
sand dune, which was formerly
about two hundred feet above the sea
level, IS now only about eighty feet
high The shifting sands are constant
" changing the outline of the curious
little lake in the interior just as they
do the contour of the coasts. Some
times this lake Is wholly cut off from
the sea. and at other times a wide chan
Del joins il with the Atlantic. Years
ago two small vessels took refuge in
this lake from a storm. only 10 find that
they were prisoners. unable TO put 10
sea when ready 10 pursue their voyage.
III 14As LIZ 4it AlAf AtAei = q a. @tf4A4f
times eats up many acres Of the great
sand heap only 20 build II up in some
other direction Its present form l. a
crescent. with its convex side 20 the
south Two OF the three lighthouses
built since 1850 were undermined by the
invading ocean. and while ago the
third was badly damaged, and VIII prob
ably have to be replaced.
II IS unfortunate that there are not
many similar impediments IN the most
unfrcquented tracks Of commerce Sa- Z
BILE however, IS only an exaggerated
type Of moving islands in various parts f.
of the world Winds. storms and cur
rent. are continually changing the out (
lines of not a few losv. sandy islands in
the Pacific Baker island. lying under (
the equator north of the Phnniz archi- /
pelago. Is a very curious instance - /
these changes. In summer the viud 4
blows almost steadily from the -cuth- +
east. and the axis Of the hig sand-bauz I
extends directly east and yves' In I
winter. when the dominating atru0s-
pheric current comes from the north
east the bank moves south. the ex-
t-enle annual oscillation In Tire position
of the island being about seven han
dred iee..-S !. sun