Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21
ON DESTRUCTION ISLAND.
The Sights That Relieve the Light
House Keepers Loneliness.

The Sights That Relieve the Light
House Keepers Loneliness.
From the Seattle Post -Intelligencer.
The keeper of the government lighthouse
which was established a few years ago on
Destruction Island doubtless leads lonely
life. but he has some experiences which a
lover of the romantic and the adventurous
might well covet. The island itself is not
without certain weird fascination. Thirty
five miles south of Cape Flattery it rises
abruptly from the face of the ocean.
1t has picturesque, though wild and rug
ged beauty. and as it stands facing the
northern blasts that have sent more than
one stout ship to the bottom, it calls up the
name of Isla de Dolores, which the early
Spanish navigator Quadra gave 1t to COM
memorate his misfortunes, and the later
name of Destruction Island, given it in 1887
by Capt. Berkeley on account of the sad
fate OF several of his crew who were muir
dered on its savage coast. On wild and
stormy nights, when the wind Is whirling
the sea into foam against the beetling edges
or the island, the scene passes the merely
beautiful and becomes majestic and sub
lime.
On such nights the keeper has visitors
that do not come to the door of the ordinary
landlubber. Flocks of wild fowl, attracted
by the bright light, fly blindly toward 1t,
and with the force of the wind added to
that OF their own stout wings, they are
driven against the lens with a momentum
that sometimes skaters the thick glass. but
oftener results merely in instant death to
the BIRDS. Sometimes there is a positive
Volley of birds against the face of the light
and as many as dozen have been known
to strike 1t simultaneously. After a stormy
night 1t Is not uncommon for the keeper to
PICK up at the base Of the tower as many as
twenty-five dead birds Many of these are
or the choicest kind, and the keepers table
seldom lacks supply such as an epicure
might crave.
During the day the keeper is frequently
greeted by the thrilling sight of a whale
hunt by Indians in the neighborng waters
chase as hazardous and exciting any on
mountain or plain. Each canoe goes out
with a crew of six oarsmen, one sportsman
In the bow. and the captain or helsman in
the stern. To the end of the spear an air.
tight sealskin, inflated like a bladder, is at
tached by line fifty feet long. A dozen of
these boats go out together when whale
is sighted. Stealthily a single boat moves
out from the little fleet and approaches the
big game, the oarsmen stoical and calm the
sportsman erect, rigid, statuesque. 1t is a
moment of grave peril.
A splashing oar. sudden move a waver-
ing hand or hot head at the helm, and boat
and crew would go down beneath a single
stroke from the great monster now so near
At precisely the right instant the spears
man hurlS his spear with unerring aim and
the battle begins. And then one standing on
the island cliff sees the little boat dart away
and the whale fiercely churning the water
The other boat comes up rapidly. Weaken
ed by loss of blood, retarded by the alright
skins that float on the water, and worn out
by turning hither and thither in whimsical
pursuit of his many foes, the whale slowly
gives over the unequal contest. and is towed
at last. like the great hulk of a merchant
man, to Neah Bay. where the Indians gath
er for great feast.