Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-10

himself, but the man refused In few
minutes Gaze passed aWay-8 1t was carly
morning when the craft, ST "a ggled up to
the fort, nearly full of water a the corpse
Of the old keeper smashing fr1sn one side to
the other The crave keeper was exhausted
To this day the residents Of the keys tell
how Jack Low brought the body Of Mark
Gaze from Rcbecca shoals to F'prt Jefferson.
On Sand key is grave thai is pitiful in
its loresonlcness The island is all OF sand,
except in the center, where a few tall, rush
like grasses grow. Man rarely visits the
spot The sun shines iierccly all day, and
the ocean booms upon q series of outlying
reefs.
Turtles are plentiful in the waters around
here. In the season Loggerhead key anG
East key are favorita resorts for the turtle
hunter In the shoals of the reefs thenurSe
shark comes to breed. These lSh are harm
less, as their mouth is small, but they ART
allied to the man eaters, aud long, taper
ing, wicked tail gives a spice Of danger t.
the pursuit of them. The animals are of
ten over 10 feet in length. Splendid spor
can be had in spearing them. The skin or
their back is wonderfully tough, and il
takes a strong arm to fix the grains in them.
Here are the most magnificent mar!Gt
gardens in the world. For miles around
the water is only few feet deep, save
where the narrow winding channels arr
marked by a dark blue path, Over the shal
lows our dingy glides. Beneath us we Sc.
great coral heads, enormous sea urcEin'
with spines as long and ~ sharp ~ those o.
porcupiup brilliant cOlored fishes, g0r
geous coHch shells and sea vegetation Of ali
sorts and Of all pleasing tints. Vast schools
OF mullet ard snappeTs swim near the sur
face and we could trace thec course Of myri-
ads Of small fry by the piuuging flocks o.
gull and tern or the clumsy peiicans that
followed just above.
The great Florida reef is no longer 2
menace to navigation. Steamerand sailing
vessel pass fearlessly up and down. Nc
such wrecks occur as that OF l131, when Of
fleet Of 10 Spanish galleon4, treasure ladel
from Vera Cruz, 12 went to pieces On tAt
Florida reef Lights and buoys now marx
the course. The wreckers fought bitterly
the establishment OF these safeguards. II
the modern pirates a wreck was a g0dsand
Often the wreckeTs would lure a vessel t.
destruction with false lights, or bogu
pilot would he sent aboard. or u captain
when possible, would BE- bought Off
The wrecEers are not all dead yet.
Key West and the Bahamas are many PEI
sons, old and young, who would glgli.
have The Old regime back. Woe to the bari
that far from port becomes helpless! Sin
IS speedily surrounded bya hest Of BahanG
conchs or Florida dingies, and il she is NO
pillaged She IS seized as a salvage vessel
Loggerhead light is the most southerl,
Of the lighte on the Atlantic coast, 70
thoug III il isSA the gulf the reefs are but al
extension OF the coast line Rebeoca shoal
is the most lonely light. It stands in /.
fathoms of water, and the mainland is oy.
ID miles away Keepers dread the post
and old seamen shake their heads and sqeaI
darkly of the time when hurricane s faI
come. Three keepers are given each light
Once every three months keeper has ava
cation. Literature is supplied by passing
boats The life Is not as hard Is il use,! Il
be, but it is 4 non1tonous one and is ottel,
dangerous. Many a staggering vessel ha.
reason to pray for the welfare Of that MAI
who holds in his hand the guiding LAM
lighting pathWay through the cruel Flor
ida reef. Ed L. SABIE