Evening journal., 1898-02-01
THE ZIZANIA'S WORK.
Guardian Angel of the Fourth
Light House District.
HER REPAIRS NEARLY COMPLETED

THE LIGHTsHIP TRAVERSEs THE
MOST IMPORTANT DISTRICT OF
THE ATLANTIC sEABoARD, AND
CARRIES HUNDREDS or TONS
OF PROVISIONS OUT or WILL
MINGTON.
The lighthouse tender zizania, which
has been undergoing repairs at the
Pusey and Jones Company, will clear
from the shipyard about Saturday. She
will afterward take a trip down the bay
to see that the channel buoys are in
place Her work in the lighthouses be-
gins IN March, and most of the inter-
vening time she viii be tied up at the
buoy station at Edge Moor. 1t is part
of her duty to keep all the buoys in the
Delaware bay and river Ia position,
and 20 take up an defective buoys in
the Spring and convey them to the re-
pair stations az Edge Moor and the
Puaey and Jones yard. There are sev-
eral hundred Of these buoys. marking
the channel and shoal places In the
river and bay
The Ilzania works altogether in the
fourth lighthouse district, which ex-
tends from Bordentown ~ j., to sixty
miles each side OF the Delaware capes.
Captain Adkins is in command, and
Lieutonant-Commander Long. Of the
United States Navy, is IN charge of the
district. The flfth district extends from
| Sandy Hook down 20 Cape Hatteras,
hut by far the most important Is the
sixth district. which extends from Cape
Hatteras TO the capes OF Florida Cape
Hatteras lighthouse is regarded as the
most important on the Atlantic sea-
board, marking, as II does. in conjunc.
tion with lghtship, the deadly Dia-
mond shoals, which extend seaward foi
thirty miles, the lightship marking tn,
outer extremity of these dangerous
shoals and the lighthouse the point o.
the cape.
The ordinary lightship would MO
suffice for service SO far oirt at sea, an,
consequently a powerful steamer ha
to be used to steam against her anchor
Z during q buoy gale 20 relieve the straii
ON the cables. and In time of heav
, storm. TO slip her cables and ride head
20 to the seas All attempts TO bull
, a lighthouse az this point have falle
+ utterly and a llghtship propelled b
! powerful engines, appears TO be the onl
y feasible plan to mark this spot, whic
= Is so dreaded by an mariners, becaus
= If they get within the blight Of the Di,
mond shoals IN a northeast gale the
are wrecked
One can walk for ten miles alon
1 nf
stepping from wreck to wreck. nev'
N step foot on the beach. 10 Is know
4 among sea-fariug men as the gray
yard Of the North Atlantic. 10 W.
here that the United States sloop-o
war Huron went ashore, and amor
- those who perishcd In that disaslrc1
wreck was Surgeon George Culhret
y of Smyrna, whose body was not rec0
- cred until several days afterward.
r, was mutilated almost beyond rec0gn
!. tion by the terrific force Of the brea
y ers.
The Zizania carries a crew of abo
! twelve men. Her duty as regards ligh
= ships is to convey them all needed su
plies, including the ordinary rati0ns
8 sued by the government Not on
y that, but she carries the government G
tcials on their tours Of inspection.
- In the course of a year many tho
ie sands Of birds meet death at the
lighthouses Attracted and blinded
the brilliant light thrown out by q
houses, they dash against them wi
such force as to fall dead at the ba
of the light. CIR else. If crippled,
m away to meet death elsewhere.
The Zizania is supplied with We
powerful derrick masts and hoistil
~ machinery, and a new derrick forema
ls of Oregon pine has just been put
ly She is about 135 feet long. 80 Il
IA beam, twin screws double ruddl
ne draws about feet, with hull Of ste
Ae She Is provided with hand and stea
m steering gear, and can show a speed
nine knots an hour The officers qui
or ters are luxuriantly fitted up.
x works continuously from March I'm
o- November, inclusive, and Is regarded
Nv the guardian angel of the create
Asi lighthouse district in the world, 81
I bracing as it does. the large numl
rs of vessels which enter the Delawr
me Breakwater for shelter or for orde
The range lights in the Delaware riN
and bay are considered the best in
world.
ar All the supplies for the district ;
ng purchased n Wilmington, and this aC
ld. materially TO the trade of the city II