Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-06-05


Great Bird Rock, far out in
Of St. Lawrence, fifty miles
Of the Magta.en Islands, has
reh. here by the schooner Rob
The supply steamer Of the Do
i Government which visits the
~.e quarterly. called at the rock
1 r5 The rock is precipitous and
t and has no beach, its sCorm-bat-
/ sinking perpendicular,y into
The supplies are hoisJcd by q
| . TO- a ledse of the rock.
sipper Of the government
was surprised TO see a wan,
woman standing alone on
..s He did not recognize her at
nee. A closer view convinced
She was the wife Of he light
...- keeper. Angus Campbell, She
,srently aged ten years since the
had seen her three months be-
Then there was not trace Of
si in her hair and she was plump
..-.z1me. The skipper looked up
- The deck of the steamer and when
within hauiug distance he shout
Where's the old man?'
To answer came back in remulous
e "Angus is dead and so are Jim
r and George Bryson.
Tho skipper said no more, but
.-r-way had the derrick rugged and
ms -,sd up to the ledge. Mrs.
tearfully told how her hus-
hand and Duncan and Brysoo, the lat
.- - professional seal hunters, had
lost and how for more than two
~s She had kept lonely vigil on the
-- Campbell and his two friends
- ont from the rock with their
. to hunt seals on the morning OF
-uarv 27. Tt was a cold day and
..-- vasr0 cpen water Within five or
.r miles of the lighthouse - any d.
cotton. Seals had been seen on the ice
.-s dsy before. Ms. Campbell was
s~ewhat reluctant 90 have her hus-
t.r 20 out. eff the wind changes.
.s" She said. "rhe ice will break up
,-f YOU may be carried out to sea-.
suppose I am. Maggie," he answered
rely. "I shall come back again,
even i'll don't. you are able 10 take
he light
IN. three men started across the ice.
-rtai mot been gone more than four
t when the wiod. which had been
from the eastward, shifted to
r Invest. This is q dangerous
rf.- the gulf i'm winter. and breaks
-r The ice with marvellous swiftness.
Mrs. Campbell became alarmed and
h0istei the danger flag. She soon saw
The hunters huryiug toward the rock.
They had doubtless realized their dan
GER even before the flag futtered from
us lighthouse. They We're within a
nile NJ the lighthouse when the ice
cracked I'm a line running east and
west parallel with the rock and North
Bird Rock. about five miles west of the
lighthouse.
V-s CAMPBELL was in the lighthouse
when the reverberation of the cracking
m1a,led her to run out a1d see if
her husband and his companions were
s The cracking was followed by the
breaking mp of the field of ice into
Goes which began drifting slowly sea-
~l Mrs. Campbell realizing her
t-ossuess. simply stood on the ledge
a- cried. Her husband waved his
bids or her. She fell on her knees
AMI began praying as darkness set in.
Then she waved him a farewell. and he
responded. He was then so far out and
us twiugh. was so deep that his mo
tcrs were barely visible.
Mrs Campbell remained awake all
r.cht mechanically lighting the oil
lamp ard attending to the other duties
about the lighthouse that were usually
Performed by her husband. She had
A'-,i to- see something of the cast
sVsys at dawn. She swept the horizon
WITH his glass and saw nothing but
.hes of ice-do,ted water. The three
rr we're either drowned by the break
--rn Of the foe. or. if it held together,
t lad died of hunger and exposure.
Tie skipper of the supply steamer
Mrs. Campbell how she managed
% through the winter. She said;
% % hardly tell. I know that l have
lsr. The light burning 1t was a dread
t. experience. all alone on a rock that
-lt Just as we'll have been in the
.'e Of the Atlantic so far as the
na0. Of getting relief was concern
Never a DAY passed during the
month Of my isolation that did
sweep the sea with my husbands
glasses with the hope Of seeing some
rse of him. DO not think l have
s.r TWO hours ccusecudve,y since my
husband was carried away on the foe.
Although I have plenty provisions, l
not think l have eaten more than
meal a day. As you see, my hair
turned gray. ard l have grown 50
.r That believe DO not weigh much
- .hr go pounds. although l weigh
1 when my husband disappeared |
have seen no living thing eXcept sea-