The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-29

himself, but the man refused In a few
minutes Gaze passed away 1t was early
morning when the craft struggled up to
the fort, nearly full of water and the corpse
of the old keeper smashing from one sid, to
the other. The brave keeper was exhausted
To this day the residents of the keys tell
how Jack Low brought the body of Mark
Gaze from Rebecca shoals to Fort jefferson.
On Sand key is a grave that is pitiful in
its lonesomeness. The island is all of sand,
except in the center. where few tall. rush
ike grasses grow. Man rarely visits the
spot. The sun shines fiercely all day and
the ocean booms upon a series of outlying
reefs.
Turtles are plentiful in the waters around
here. In the season Loggerhead key and
East key are favorite resorts for the turtle
hunter. In the shoals of the reefs the nurse
shark comes to breed These fish are harm
less, as their mouth is small but they are
allied to the man eaters, and long, taper
ing, wicked tail gives spice of danger to
the pursuit of them. The animals are Of
ten over 10 feet in length Splendid sport
can be had in spearing them. The skin on
their back is wonderfully tough, and it
takes q strong arm to fix the grains in them
lltic dIc TUG IONl udSiliutCub
gardens in the world For miles around
the water is only a few feet deep save
where the narrow, winding channels are
marked by Il dark blue path. Over the shall
lows orr dingy glides Beneath us we see
great coral heads, enormous sea urchins
with spineS as long and as sharp as those of
a porcupine, brilliant colored fishes, gor-
geous conch shells and sea vegetation of all
sorts and OF all pleasing tints. Vast schools
of mullet and snappers swim near the sur
face, and we could trace the course of myri-
ads of small fry by the p!unging flocks Of
gull and tern or the clumsy pelicans that
followed just above.
The great Florida reef is no longer a
menace to navigation. Steamer and sailing
vessel pass fearlessly up and down. No
such wrecks occur a. that of 1731, when of
fleet Of IS Spanish galleons, treasure laden
from Vera Cruz, II went TO pieces on the
Florida reef. Lights and buoys now mark
the course. The wreckers fought bitterly
the establishment Of these safeguards. To
the modern pirates a wreck was godsend
Often the wreckers would lure n vessel to
destruction with false lights, or bogus
pilot would be sent aboard, or captain,
when possible, would be bought off.
The wreckers are not all dead yet. In
Key West and the Bahamas are many per
sons, old and young, who would gladly
have the old regime back. Woe to the bark
that far from port becomes helpless, She
Is speedily surrounded by a host OF Bahama
conchs or Florida dingieS, and if She is not
pillaged she is seized as a salvage vessel.
Loggerhead light is the most southerly
OF the lights on the Atlantic coast. for
though it is in the gulf the reefs are but an
extension of the coast line Rebecca shoals
Is the most lonely light. Ii stands in Il
fathoGs OF water, and the mainland is over
80 miles away. Keepers dread the post.
and old Seamen shake their heads and speak |
darkly Of the time when a hurricane shall |
come. Three keepers are given each light |
Once every three months a keeper has a va
cation. Literature Is supplied by passing |
boats. The life is not as hard as il used 70 |
be. but it is a monotonous one and is often |
dangerous. Many staggering vessel has |
reason 10 pray for the welfare of that man /
who holds in his hand the guiding lamp |
lighting pathway through the cruel Flor /
lda reef. ED l. SARTN