The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-13
.AFLASHINTHENIGHT
SIGNALS OF LIGHT AT FIRE ISLAND
AND THEIR ANSWERS.

How Ncws Ia Sent In From Sen Through
tho Darkness and Lives and Property Arc
saved-Thc Pilotboats and tho Lonely
Watchers tho Beach on tho lookout.
Slowed snugly away in his little tow
er at Fire island, the man who ALWAYS
has his weather eye open sweeps the
horizon with his night glass, Watching
and waiting. Beside him is his list of
vessels bound to tho great port of which
the flaming beacon way above his head
is one of the sentinels, and all around
are the moaning Of the distant surf, the
breaking Of waves on the beach at his
feet and the whistle of the wind as it
eddies and swirls around the tower and
huge lamp at its top. Minute after min
ute passes away, each ono marked by
great beam Of light sent out over tho
waters
Suddenly there comes from the south
east, as if thrown up by the ocean, q
CLEAN Of red-red, the danger signal,
but the watcher is not disturbed. He
only waits Not for long, however, as
the night glass pointed toward that
point OF red on the oceans rim shows
blue light Oh each side Of 1t, about 100
feet away, while just below the red
light is faint speclk Of green That is
enough The signals have told their
story, and tho next instant o binding
flash of green light from the tower an
swers tho distant vessel, and before it's
glare has died away the electric spark
has sent to the Western Union Tele-
graph office and to every newspaper in
tho city the message, Steamer Paris
southeast of Fire island"
The big boat speeds on her way The
watcher checks her name off the list of
vessels due But others havo seen the
green signal The dim lights of tho
steamer had not attracted the attention
Of the sailors on tho little pilotboat
standing to tho eastward, but tho bril-
liant flash of green told them that sig
nal had been answered, and there was
no need for the Paris to send ND the
familiar pilot call of white-red-
white The Paris meant $3.50 for the
pilot catching her, and the men started
right off after her. knowing that she
was duo and hoping it was her signal
that had been answered.
Tho ocean greyhound has passed away
to tho westward i'll the darkness and
again the watcher resumes his vigil
But the wind has increased The breeze
has given way before gathering of tho
forces of tho air, and up from tho south
west comes IL surging of waves, and tho
surf is beating and pounding on the
shore with hollow, resembling boom
that tells of tempest abroad in the
!
clouds overhead, narrower and narrow
er grows the circle Of inky sea and SLY
that marks the limits of vision, and
whilo tho faithful monitor overhead
keeps up its clocklike regularity of blaz-
ing and fading its range of power is
constantly lessencd by tho coming
storm.
Down on tho beach tho swing Of a
lantern marks where the life saver Is
steadily tramping along to meet his
companion from tho next station. 1t isa
terribly lonely mission. He is alone
with the moaning surf, and each step is
hko entering some enchanted realm of
darkness, ruled by tho spirit of the
storm On ono side of him is the sullcn,
grinding sea, on the other waste of
sand, and III front the fitful glcam of
his own lantern. He Is lonely and cold,
but that has no terrors for him. His
next step may touch some one lonelier
and colder than he-a human body
pressed into the moist, unyicldin,r sand
Or away through the breakers rises the
form of ship, helpless for all her
strength, driven by the gallo far on the
shore despite the friendly warming from
tho tall tower with it's finger of flame
Then tho crimson signal i'll his hand
tells the watch at the station that there
is work to do, and the wrecked mari
ners that help is at hand. He hurries to
the station to assist in the preparations
for rescue AS he nears tho little house
there begins brilliant display of fire.
works. A glare Of red, changing to
clear white, which is followed by q
vivid green, conveys the message to the
next station, and a bright white blaze
tells that the signal is seen and under
stood, and then TIE beautiful Coston
lights send shooting through tho gloom
series Of orders easily understood. A
bright green tells the distant watchers
that aid is needed, and red and green
call for boats and equipments. A red
and white would have called for q rocket
apparatus, n green and red for the life
car or "breeches buoy" and SO on,
different combinations of colors convey
ing different Instructions
But it is not always stern business
that calls into play the Coston colors
a big yachting club has its regatta
From up and down the coast come the
swift, white winged or steam driven
pleasure craft Some of the stragglers
come in late. and Us q Mhite-red-