Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-01-27
THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER.
On Destruction island He Has Many
Things TO Relieve the MonotOny.

On Destruction island He Has Many
Things TO Relieve the MOnotOny.
The keeper of the government light
house which was established few years
ago on Destruction island doubtless leads
lonely life but he has some experiences
which lover of the romantic and the
adventurous might we'll coyet The ISL
and itself is not without a certain weird
fascination. Thirty-fve miles south OF
Cape Flattery it rises abruptly from the
face of the ocean.
1t has picturesque, though wild and
rugged beauty, and it stands facing the
northern blasts that have sent more
than one stout ship to the bottom, it
calls up the name of Isle de Dolores,
which the early Spanish navigator, Qua
dra, gave it to commemorate his mis-
fortune, and the later name of DeStruc-
ton island, given it in 1877 by Capt
Berkeley on account of the sad fate of
several of his crew who were murdered
on it's savage coast. On wild and stormy
nights, when the wind is whirling the sea
into foam against the beetling edges of
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 land-lubber. Flocks OF wild
fowl. attracted by the bright light, fly
blindly toward it, 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 re-
suits merely in instant death of the
birds. Sometimes there is positive vol
ley of birds against the face of the light,
and as many as dozen have been known
to strike it simultaneously. After
stormy night it is not uncommon for
the keeper to pick up at the base of the
dead
Many of these are of the choicest kino,
and the keepers table seldom lacks a
supply such as an epicure might crave.
During the day the keeper is frequent
ly greeted by the thrilling sight of a
whale hunt by Indians in the neighbor-
ing waters, chase as hazardous and ex-
citing as any on mountain or plain. Each
canoe goes out with crew of six oars
men, one sportsman in the bow, and the
captain or helmsman in the stern. To
the end of the spear an alright seal
skin. inflated like bladder, is attached
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 0arSmen Stocial and
calm, the sportsman erect, rigid and
statuesque. It is a moment of grave
peril
A splashing oar, sudden move. a
wavering hand or hot head at the helm,
and boat and crew would go down be-
meath single stroke from the great
monster now so near. At precisely the
right instant the sportsman hurls his
spear with unerring aim, and the battle
begins. And then one standing ION the
island cliff sees the little boat dart away
and the whale fercely churning the wa
ter The other boats come UP rapidly.
Weakened 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 I'M
equal contest, and is towed at last, like
a great hulk of merchantmen, to Neah
bay, where the Indians gather for great
feast.-Seattle Post-Intelligencer.