The morning news., 1897-06-06

|
the light on the tower, bids the man at
the wheel take his course and the lights
on deck are put out for the night. The
engines away down below start their
churning and pumping with neWness of
life, and as the dirge of the bell on the
buoy dies away in the dark night and the
waters surge about the sides of the ship,
the realization dawns solemnly that the
hand of heaven then holds the lives of
those aboard.
Such experiences 60 not have to be told
in hyperboles or idle figures of language.
They have come to everybody, who ever
went to sea, and 1t is while amid such en-
vironments that the lighthouse on the
sandy shore presents its most interesting
story.
But there is another story of the light
house which cannot fail to interest those
familiar with the methods of maintaining
the lights along the coast, and that is
the story of the lives of the men who in
habit the great towers which stand like
lone sentinels looking out over the ocean.
When the sun sinks to rest, throwing
pictures along the skies in purple and
gold and amethyst, and these pictures be-
gin to fade into darkness, the man who
keeps the lighthouse at Tybee starts on
his tedious journey from the ground to
the top of the tower TO light his lamp for
the night. 1t is by no means a trihing
trip, for by the time he has climbed seven
long flights of winding iron stairs, almost
perpendicular, he Is tired enough to want
a breathing spell when he gets his head
out of the top windows and looks about
The Tybee tower is 150 feet high, land
at the top In the little house of the great
lamp there are many things to interest
the visitor. The lamp Is of brass and Il
Kept brightly polished all the time. 1t
holds seven gallons OF OIL The wicks
which are immense thick strips of knit
ted cotton, are circular; there are five OF
them concentrically placed in the great
neck of the lamp. The lamp itself is
surrounded on all sides by huge lenses
made in France at great cost. BY these
lenses the rays of light from the lamp are
thrown together around the blaze. There
Is a main leuse around this, which dispels
the rays on all sides out at right angles
TO the tower. thus having the effect of
hurting the light further than could be
done If any Of the light were lost by far
ing above and below.
There are small ventilators in the little
house to give the lamp air in winter time
when the weather is so cold the keeper
has to keep the windows fastened. II is
against the law to have fire on the tow
er, and the keeper is forbidden the use of
a stove or fire place of any kind. II is
true the heat from the lamp is sufficient
to warm his hands by and to keep him
comfortable, but IL does not enable him to
keep his feet warm.
The keeper has to sit beside the lamp
while IL is burning, and il may be safely
stated that there is never a time when the
light is seen burning but that there is a
| man in the tower close beside 1t, There
are three light-keepers at Tybee, a prln-
| eipal keeper, and two assistants These
| men are paid salaries as follows: PRINCIPAL
! keeper, 800 per year; first assistant Keeper
$3.50 and second assistant keeper 500. They
divide the night into three watches, and
| each man serves "a trick" of four hours
The man who lights up at sunset stays
until 10 o'clock, and then calls the next
! on duty by a button which rings a bell
/ In his house not far away. He takes a
turn until o'clock and then he calls the
/ third, who has to sit from O'Clock until
i sunrise.
The question may he asked why are the
| men required to stay beside the lamp?
While their presence may not be needed
at all, they must be there In case the chin
| ney should break, or the fiue that feeds
! the wicks choke and cut Off the supply
OF oil. This does not often happen, but
they are required TO be there in case II
should happen at any time. The light
! keepers have nothing to do with anything
at sea except the light they throw out
over u. That is to say they are not ex-
| pected TO keep watch for any vessels in
distress This is expected only at life-sav-
ing stations and the Tybee station is not
OF this class The principal keeper OF Ty-
| bee light Is Mr.. Peter Jacob. His first as.
sistant is Mr.. John s. Evans and second
assistant, Mr.. Henry W. Bond. They are
each given a house by the government
close beside the base OF the lighthouse.
While the men sit close beside the lamp
throughout the night they are generally
found reading a book. The government
furnishes each lighthouse with a library.
These libraries are sent about from light
60 light all along the water boundary OF
the United States In order to give the men
a change Of literatuYe Among the books
IN the library az Tybeo are "Prescott's
History OF the Conquest OF Mexico" 'grhe
! Story OF Parthia." Left on Iabradoru
Secret OF the Andes" "'rhe story Of po-
lane" !" "rhe story OF Sicily" ''Blacswood's
| Magazine" George az the Wheel" "Hls.
tory OF the Marine Corps OF the United
/ States" TON Sawyer" and many other
such books Of history, adventure ana ne.
/ tlon.
when asked " he ever had any storr
experiences up la his lofty dwelling. Mr.
Jacob remarked.
We'll ! guess I have had my share A,
one time was frightened out of INV v,lts
| when the tower began TO rock with tbc
wind. but that was when / was n hegin-
ner, many years ago. I know now tbat
30 long as there is a good vibration tho
tower will stand, Il being those towers