Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-17

other place OF the same size under
scientific observation.
Several great cntastrophies which de
mlnished the Island are recorded in
history. Tie first was In 500. And 30
lately as ITO n channel of ten fathoms
deep was formed. cutting the remain
ing portion in two. Since then the
work OF dlsintegration has gone on At
such rate that descriptions and pic
lures OF even sixty years ago are
quite misleading now. For instance,
the Monoh, that curious outstanding
boulder. had a companion, the Nome,
which was wasted almost beyond all
recognition within living memory.
photographs Of today, compared with
Views taken twenty years ago, show
plainly how quickly the work of ruin
Is going on. Single columns now only
Gre to he seen whore arches We're, one
slide Of them having been washed
t.way These arches and the caves to
which they sometimes lead are a pic
turesque element In the scenery of Hell
igolnnd. The face Of the sea cliffs liz
literally honeycombed with them. Hell
igoland. as n wise little island makes
the best OF itself to its summer guests
who come here to lounge and battle
and boat.
Heligoland Ia simply a slab of red
mari, rising very abruptly about 200
feet out Of the sea. u consists of two
very distinct parts. There Is the Inter
land. a fiat stretch OF strand on which
is cluster of houses Boats and steam
crs come and go and passengers are
landed there. This Gntnrland runs
close up under one of the wall-llke
cliffs OF the island proper Cliff too
steep for any practical paths to pc
made up It's face. Communication with
the summit or Overland, Is therefore
by means OF a staircase of 1872 steps.
divided into four flights. This unique
arrangement has been supplemented of
late years by huge lift close by.
Around the point to which these lead
on the Overland are more houses SO
close are they to the edge Of the cliff,
50 huddled together in this one corner,
that they suggest the fancy that dwell
lings once scattered over the whole
surface Of the island have been swept
hither like dead leaves by the wind.
and that some have dropped over to
find n resting place on the Unterland
below.
on the level plain OF the Overland
great fields of potatoes are planted, to
provide food for the people In winter. !
They are then cut off from the main
land, and obliged to depend on their
own resources. Often even before the
visitors have left In autumn there are
storms that prevent the landing of pros
visions; then one must live on fish.
The thrifty islanders turn their
position to good account and reap
harvest from the sea. They send guam
titles of fish to Hamburg, Cuxhaven
and other towns to be sold or ex-
changed for the turf. or wood, or other
necessities not native to Hellgoland.
They are of tristan descent-and, al
though they understand low German,
they have kept their own old language.
as well as their costume and customs.
There are nearly l.S00 inhabitants, n
startling decrease. Sixty years ago the
population was > .i00-and at one period
000 But ms the whole island measures
less than three miles in circumference,
one can hardly call 1t IA scattered popu>
latlon even now.
A high exposed tableland is not
favorable to the growth of trees, there
fore II is not surprising that none are
to be found on Heligoiand. But an al
lee in Germany always means a road
bnrdcred by trees. and one Is therefore
puzzled to know by what poetic license
the islanders speak of their Bindfaden,
or Irvine island, their Knrtoffel. or Po-
tato alice, and their Laster, or-but for
this last | can suggest no English
equivalent though / do not suppose the
Hellgolanders have monopoly of the
malice which can laugh at the troubles
of others, for the Lastcr alice is the
path up which passengers from the
steamer must pass. 1t is the custom
for everyone who can, native or visitor,
to assemble there to watch the disem-
barkation, and to jeer at anyone show
Ing signs OF sea-slckness. Thus the
Last" or burden of ridicule Is added
to the bitterness Of n trial for which
there Is no sympathy.