New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-25
THE lit NAN" LIGHTHOL 81.
THE ROMANCE OF ITS LONELY KEEPER

THE ROMANCE OF ITS LONELY KEEPER
From The Chicago Record.
Petit Nanan lighthouse, or Tit Nan as
the natives call il, is one OF those spiue'! Iooh
Ing affairs which rise from the water HnIons
some dangerous shoals on " inter iieI ~
Maine and is supported by four IRON Iupes So
curely fastened into holes drilled INTO the so.u
rock About thirty feet above hlgh Tue, pu'
mot entirely out OF the reach OF the waves "hel
a gale is blowing is house built OF corrusdteu
iron. The lower story is for storage purposes
Here three months provisions ana stoIh
fresh water are always kept IN case t,'e lei,
teaner should be cut off from shore, and sloCh
OF oil sufficient 10 keep the lamp outi,is a.
winter There is the little machine siioP, -
where necessary repairs can be MADE "heh
needed Above this are the living apartments
two rooms about twenty feet by fourteen III s'Le
One of them is drawing-rOonl sltllhs-louiI' a. a.
brary and chamber combined; the otnei
kitcheu dining room, etc. Outside, on all Ioul
sid of the building. is a gallery, or piazza
where the lightkeeper can SIT IN ms ieisuIe
hours and enjoy the changing scenery OF me ga
or drop a hook over the raining anu CatO" ~"
for dinner or breakfast 49,,
Above is the tower with an enormous IaiiiI'
whose rays can be seen for several mics. ~
nevolyes SO many times an hour ana "lths
regularly twice a minute at the mariners that
haunt this coast. During the winter eaIes !,e
Lenses are often crusted with salt from the
'Ps ionneorae place is "'Tit Nan" lighthouse.
thirty miles from shore, and the only means OF
communication is q roWboat. Ihere arr ~
nelghtorS
the solitude of the lightkeeper except once or
twice a year when the inspector comes AROUND
or curious people from pleasure yach' ciii"o
the iron ladder for curiosity.
Amos Rice has kept Tit Nan nsht LOT
more than a quarter Of a century, and his wire
lived there with him all this time. Their emil
dren were grown and married OF or engaged ~
emplovment elsewhere so that they mao noun
Ing 10 trouble them and were able 10 put Dy the
greater part Of the salary of 900 a month which
the Government has paid Amos TOT protecting
commerce against disaster upon the shoais'
few weeks ago Mrs. Rice peacefully ter
minated a long and lonesome NE ana went 70
toin the choir invisible Amos had 10 keep ner
body four DAYS before ne could fulfil his promise
to bury her with her folks" at Winter Harbor
for the sea was high II is no easy JoD lot man
unaided 20 remove Dccy rom a 49, Ii Ii
that into rowboat that is tossing furlously
upon the waves. but Amos finally dld H. Inc
first quiet morning he left his DereaVed nonle
The very minute il lawful 70 put ms hsht
out rowed thirty miles over rough sea' anu
upon mis- arrival at Winter Harbor called up
the sexton and minister and what lrlehds couiu
be summoned. and after a brief and Impressive
service the body Of Mrs Rice was committed 10
the dust and her soul TO God VINO gave H.
After they came from the cemetery one OF the
neighbors asked Amos and the friends 10 nave
q little refreshment. OF courr;c they all accepted
and among others "likely' widow, whose nus
band had been dead two years ana VINO 49,
sboardin' round" among her relatives for want
Of q home and income Amoss grlel was not
greater than his sense of loneliness, and, nndhe
q sympathetic chord in the heart OF the wldow,
he proposed to her In the presence OF the "noie
COMPANY and the parsOn being present, they
were immediately married The bride hurried
over 70 her sisters to put UP her things, WINE
Amos continued 10 receive mingled condolences
and Congratulations.
1t was o'clock in the afternoon when he
started back to his watery eyrie with his bride,
With thirty miles Of rowing before him. III an!
ahips were out that night they must have Won