Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-19
PRETTY LONESOME WORK.
That of the Light-HOuse Keepers
Along the Florida Keys.
Florlda Times UnionO


More ships bones lie upon the outer
reef girdling the keys Of South Florida
than, perhaps, any other shoals, except
ing Hatteras, in this country. Captain
Thomas $. Eells. agent of the Lloyds, In
this city, has a record of shipwrecks
on the coast of Florida for many years,
and the aggregate of losses foots up sur
prisingIy high IN the millions Of dollars.
The strait of Florida has long been an
ocean highway for steamers and sailing
ships bound from foreign and domestic
ports to New Orleans, Central, ana
South America. In fact. The outlet OF
the great Gulf of Mexico surrounded by
rich and fertile countries, has been TINS
narrow strait between the keys ana
Cuba. through which the Gulf stream
passes. Consequently, 1t Is not sur
prising that i'm this narrow strait the
cauldron. where the West Indian hurri-
canes generate, with it's concealed reefs
of cruel coral thousands of vessels nave
ended their careers, and more than thou-
sands of men have lost their lives. Few
sailors pass through the strait now WIN
ont heing reminded OF the brave
men and the brave ship whose skele-
tors ,ybiten the sands beneath the sur
face Of the limpid green waters anu
some Of them, as they watch the STORM
the moan of the reef buoy mingling with
tbe king Of the spars of the ship,
nerbaps have good ground to believe
tbo+ this Mace Is haunted by demons or
~ deen and the souls of dead comrades.
II &c no wonder that the inhabitants or
.ba l,evs the "Conchs," have grown rlch
Ia vrecking. In these latter DAYS now
e,,er there are fewer wrecks in the stra't
nan there were some years ago, lot
1-noto sam has marked the contour OF
the dangerous, hidden reef with me
system of lighthouses, each with Hsht
Of separate and distinct character 50
that the mariner may know no" 10
shane his course I'm the blacklist and
stormiest Of nights.
he iob of lighthouse keeper is about
49, ,oneliest way of making living in
he catalogue of occupations, The mental
s+rotn has proved so great in several
,,.tonces that the keeper grew meian-
lhcl, IN such a degree that he ended IL
h,, blowing out his brains. The system
\, now so arranged that the sudden
darlleoing OF an important reet-lamp by
= enicide's bullet is not probable, Tor
two keepers are stationed in each hght,
for company's sake, as well as to guard
against sickness ,,.,... ,,r
months OH a oN'NNA eN'NNAA 49,
faces except their own, and converse
Win nobody except each other. Inc
'',,ht-bouses are. on an average, twenty
.-'iios from land. and ships pass from ten
49, twenty miles away. The lighthouses
80 buft OF four great iron pillars, found
"a deep i'm the coral and towering toward
oacb other. Platforms Of steel bind the
riliars together, sleeping and storage
raonos are constructed and the lamp
crowns an. The place is not perilous, but
-, storm must be what the colored
fou<s call lonesome" TO an uncanny de-
gree. -. 81. ,.oo,,,.
~ a month ashore TO spend with his
ss,,ilv or how he pleases. The families
~ The reef light-keepers are not allowed
a. tho houses. They are looked upon as a
1istraction that might cause the keeper TO
neglect his duty
Most of the keepers have developed into
,r,nivorous readers. Some OF them, how
>,,er have pursued steady purpose. anc
o,,a we have In mind prepared himself for
,'dnittance TO the bar, and has since be-
,.a,oe one OF Key Vests most eminent
,a',.,,ers lie has dramatic manner OF
exnression. and learned IT, so us sala.
Inv "noratin" TO the winds and the waves
and his single companion