The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-01-06
TIE SANDY HOOK LOOKOUT.
A Telegraphic Watch for Arrivals
from Abroad.
How Your Friends Know When You Are
Coming Home from Foreign
Parts-An Oid-Tfme
SerVitor.

A man who has watched with n great
deal of interest the coming of immi-
grants from Camp Low, the stretch of
sand to the west end of Sandy Hook,
Is William De Ia Motto, the marine OBJ
server for the Western Union Tele-
graph Company down there. The build
ing in which De In Motto works is fifty
feet high and is of wood. Iron cables
or guy ropes prevent the wind from
blowing it over when it blows hard
across the sandy moors. All the pilots
who bring vessels into New York know
De In Motto. They speak of him as the
count. 1t is supposed that he belonged
to some noble family abroad, but he
himself will never confirm thiS'SuppoSi-
tion. He has been an observer for the
Western Union company for nearly n
quarter of n century, says the New
York News. He was formerly in the
employ of the English government. lie
has been stationed at Sandy Hook for n
dozen years or SO.
This is the most important signal or
sighting office on the American coast.
All vessels bound for New York from
abroad have to pass Sandy Hook to put
into the bay. None of them gets with
in mile of the lookout station before
it has been identified and its arrival
tclegraphed to this city. Everything
that enters the bay is reported The big
ocean greyhounds are spotted something
like half dozen miles out to sea. As
soon as the name of the steamer Is
learned it is flashed over the telegraph
wires To New York. Those who have
made an ocean voyage or have friends
who have may recall that either they
II
Union Telegraph Company one dollar
To have the steamer on which they were
returning home reported as soon as
sighted. Few of them have ever stopped
10 think how that information is OBJ
tanned, however. II they had made
inquiry they would have been told that
jhc marine at Sandy Hook had spiei
the vessel heading for the entrance to
our harbor. During the daytime this
observer is Count De In Motto.
From seven in the morning till seven
at night the count sits in the little
room in the very top of the tall tower
down on the extreme point of the Hook
alone with his telegraph instrument
and his big telescope. Around him, 81
far rs the eye can see, Is the ocean The
count is constantly gazing out upon
this endless eSpanse through his big
telescope 1t is a powerful instrument
and viii spy vessel the moment il
shows it's sparS above the horizon. By
the time it gets its smollcstacll in sight
the count has made out its name. lie
docs not distinguish the name from any
letters that might be painted ON the
vessels bow. He makes the name out
from the ships general appearance.
This is the counts speciality. and he is
an adept at it.
From morning until night the count
keeps his eye, the right one, glued to
the big. long telescope. He sweeps the
horizon slowly with the glass. Not n
spot on that portion of the ocean Of
which he commands n view escapes his
| observation. As soon as he makes out
the name of vessel approaching he
| quits his eycglass long enough to telc-
| graph the fact to the ship news office
/ down at the battery and the man in
| charge of the marine department of the
Western Union Telegraph Company
| The latter then sends out his message
| announcing the sighting of the steamer
| off Sandy Hook. The health officer at
| quarantine is also notified.
At seven o'clock De Ia Motto is re-
licved by the night overseer. who also
keeps up similar performance all
night. No matter how dark or how
| thick the night is, this man is on the
| lookout for incoming vessels. He dis
tinguishcs them by individual signal
lamps which they carry. Long before
these signals are visible TO the naked
eye the night overseer discovers them
with his powerful glass.
De In Motto lives in a neat little cot
tarc near the tower. 1t is rarely that
ne leaves the sandy shores of the Hook.
His food is sent down To him from tine
city. and his visitors are occasional
newspaper men from this city. He is
in constant touch with the world
through the telegraph, yet as far away
from it as on n desert island.