Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-20
BOYS HNDGIRL,S
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
o ssyi D
LIFE IN A LIGHTHOUSE.
Most People Would Find II n
Hard and Dreary One.

noble and henehcent No branch VI the Gov
ernmcnt demands atrcter discipline and
greater attention TO duty than lighthouse
keeping. The service Is controlled by
Lighthouse board. and tho beet men obtain
able are selected rs keepers. Preference Ia
given to mon who have spent years OF aer-
vice In the army OF navy MS they know what
discipline IS, and know by experience that
orders are to DO obeycd 10 tho lctter. and
without question. Thore nrc many retired
shipmasters and mates who are to-day doing
duty on solitary and Isolated hcacon rocks,
where they hear no sound but tho moan and
roar Of tho ocean, except their own voices
and those OF tholr Families, Il they have any.
for months at a timc.
Ono OF tho most accomplished men ever IN
tho employ OF any government was for mprc
than thirty years In charge OF ono OF tho Uni
tod States lighthouses. Tint man was Captain
Oliver Brooks. Ho kept the great light going
on falkncr Island, i've miles on tho Connoc-
lieut. coast on Long Island Sound. Bo had
been q sen captain for many years before
entering the lighthouse service, and hle
example and methods as q lighthouse keeper
so improved tho capabnity OF oil othor
keepers that he should have mo, with moro
substantial recognition from tho Government
on, his retirement than the expression Of iis
regret and reluctance OF parting with him,
genuine and sincere as Il must have been.
Falkner Island light ilrat flashed out upon the
sea toward vessels away from that dangerous
\ locality one night eghty-seven years ago
and II has never inalod TO lift aloft It's welcome
beacon singe night since. That light is one
OF the most Important on our coasts
Talkner Island lies directly IN the truck OF
all vessels passing either In or out Of tie
sound and Il on any night It's light should
fall to catch tho eye OF tho sailor on such ves-
sells, tho consequence might be fearful To
rotate. The lighthouse ia nearly 100 ieot
high and It's signal beams out on each OF its
eight sides every ninety seconds. fash
panel, opemted by the most perfect clock
work machinery, contrlved by Captain
Brooks, revolving about the towers summit
with unyaping regularity. The iallor on
watch knows whether his ships hearings arc
right when he secs tho light, no natter In
what direction the vessel may be going or
coming. 1t is Ike no other beacon in tho
range ot the sailors vision, aud Falkncr ~
his guide and hopo as long as II eau be ssen.
Captain Brooks raised a large family of
boya and girls IN his snug quarters on Falk-
ner Island, and their record OF lie saving In
that perilous quarter ia preserved In wealth
OF silver aud gold plate, rare bric-a-brac and
other valuable testimonials from shipwroekod
mariners the captain and his daughters and
sons saved from many wrecks for even tho
great light has not prevented a score OF die,
astcrs In the treaehcrous water surrounding
II. Not only sailors, but drowning men
women and childron were time and tlmo
again rescued by Captain BROOKS and his
courageous children. The famllys home IN
the lighthouse was a glad surprise to the
stranger visiting H. ono daughter wan nm
accomplished ornlthologlst, aud Tho walls
were covered with artistlcally mounted speoi-
mons 81 tho birds OF that locality, from the
enormous bald eagle TO the diminutiyo wren.
Each specimen has been shot by this daughter
on The island, and waa stuffed aud mounted
by herself Another daughter was an
authority on marine botany. and her COLLEGE
ton WIS q complete exhibit OF the botanical
possibilities Of that island and others In the
Vicinity. This daughter spent long time nj
Yale under Tho private tuition Of Professor
whitney In the study Of her iayorilo science,
She was also an accomplished wnicr-oolor
artist and thore arc In tho houses Of snme
Of Now York's wcathlost and most cultivated
families, albums Of her botanical collections
that was arranged TO order by her. and
are probably the most unique and valuable
works OF art Of their kind ever executed.
The books atone cost $50 each in New
York al wholesale Each page was card OF
cabinet photograph size. On these Miss
IrcokBmounted specimens Of sea flowers and
Ia
PREPARATION, aud their colors could not be
preserved. These we're shown In all their
original beauty aud their naiufalneas by an
exquisite wAter.color sketch Of the flower on
the card below the specimen painted by Mas
Brooks. Each specimen had ia scientific
name and II description Of ia CHARACTERISTICS
written on the back ofits particular card. For
these novel exhibitions Of her artistic skill
and scientific knowledge Miss Brooks was
paid from $50 70 $500 each. Every momhcr
Of Captain Brooks family was a finished
musician. and no lees than fye differont
musical Instruments wore brought into neo
by them on occasion, and their concerts were
treats 10 hear. A plano, guitars. flutes
cornets and yiollas woro the last things Wis
ltor would expect 10 SEQ Ia that bleak light
house dwelling, much less group Of young
people who were masters Of them ALL
Captain Brooks workshop was another
curious slight at Faikner Island lighthouse.
He WAS an export Ia electricity. light and
sound. ssa the results Of bis experiments In
determining the power Of lnminanis tho rc-
feetion and rcination OF lights under GER
tain conditions Of the atmosphere, the audi
billy Of fog signals, and many other subjects
Of Importance 10 the service, were from tim9
10 tine adopted as authority BY the Light
house Board. and he was honorably mentioned
and commended IA their oiiicial documents.
Al Of the intricate and delicate apparatus by
which those results were obtained were To-
vented aud inade by Captain Brooks himself
IN his little workshop IN the great ociasonal
bsncon tower.
The captain and his family made para
ilso out Of that desolato island. His children
were all born in the sea-bcaten tower. grew
up with tho ennetaut roar aud bowling Of the
breakcrs IN their ears, wcrs married. there
and not until thon left their ocean homo for
more comfortable but iess beloved abiding
places. II WIS teen that The captain himself
gave 10 tho Ne on he island to spend his de-
cllnlsg days on shore. There an many light
house kecpsrs who have made attractive
homes amid their dreary surroundings. but