El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-05-25
UNCLE SANS LIGHTHOUSES.
An UnbrOken Line From Boston tC
GalvestOn-HOw They Would
Act i'll Time of War.

GalvestOn-HOw They Would
Act in Time of War.
From The Louisville Post
All along our Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, anu usually situated on some
lonely, storm-beaLen point OF LAND,
where the great waves never ceaee
their sullen roArings, the lighthouses
# the United States, like giant sentl-
nels, keep watch and ward. And then,
far out from the shore, where the
danger from rock and storm Is great
st, with only the un quiet ocean and
the changing skies for company, swing
and tug at tue mornings the light
ships of the coast. Hundreds of brave
men and thousands of dollars worth
10 ships and merchandise are saved an
oually from the waves and the rock,
oy these watchful guardians, who have
ewes that never slumber and warning
voices even the noises OF the storm
cannot drown. The wlldness OF their
) .tuations, the lone oneness of their
surroundings, the character OF Their
duties-the saving OF human life and
property-csst glamour over the
ignL- ships, and make all that pertains
70 them of fascinating interest.
Stark and white upon the bare white
beach of North Island, South Caro-
iiaa, stands the historic G. orgetown
| Lighthouse. The tower is s. feet high,
aud its light can be seen for fifteen
miles 1t throws plain white light,
which shines with unbrOken rae lance
| far out over the dark waters, q beacon
| of hope to the stOrm-driven mariners
| This light has watched while history
| was made. 1t was built in 1901, and
| rebuilt after the war.
| &-o<bor 70 in, hisfnru ia
he one at Cape Henry off the coast of
Virginia, at the entrance of Cnes4-
| peake Bay. 1t is 10S years old, and its
| light has often guided 1.-THE Father OF
His Country" on the way home from
| his travels. Recently new house, 157
| feet high, vas built at this place and
equipped with all the latest appliances
electric light signals. a steam siren.
etc. A ''steam siren" is a trumpet
blown by steam, which sings a song to
lure mariners away from destruction,
| beard for many miles at sea. The song
of this siren is q blast five seconds
long, then G silence of ninety seconds,
a blast of five seconds, followed by q
silence of ninety seconds, and SO all
through all the hours of the day and
night. The light is white in .color,
with red rays between southwest and
west and south southwest, and shines
steadily.
ID with Boston by telegraph. A signal
di-plsy station reads the metssge
signalled from passing ships. and with.
| in q minute these messages are in BOs-
ton. The light is situated on the
highlands of Cape Cod, facing the
| ocean two hundred feet above the
level of the sea. The building is all
White and can be seen by vessels
twenty miles away. Its Daboll' trum-
pet sends forth continually blasts eight
seconds long, with intervals of half q
minute of silence.
The entrance of Delaware bay is
guarded by the Cape Msy lighthouse,
1877 feet high. This light can be seen
for q distance of nineteen miles. One
of the highest lighthouses in the Unit-
| d States is the one at Block Island
Rhode Island. It il 2O4 feet high, and
shows fixed white light that can be
seen for q distance OF twenty-five
miles.
| The lonesomeness and the dangers
of the position of lighthouse keeper
are SO apparent that one would hardly
expect to find women serving in that
capacity; and yet in the Uoited States
| some twenty womensbOld this respOn
ible and oft times dangerous post
| There are herOines, too, among them
whose deeds b ave been SO heroic as to
everywhe re. Ida Wi son-Lewis, the
story of whose bravely is too well
known to need retelling here, keeper
of Lime Rock lighthouse, Newport,
| Rho Island, has resc led eleven per
sons. Five people owe their lives
to the courage of Mrs Blake. keeper
# the lighthouse at Robins Reef, of
T, mpkiosville, New York harbor.
Heroic Jane Malby, keeper of the Elk
Neck lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay,
during a terrible storm of wind and
hail in 1894, pushed her own boat out
from the safety of Elk Neck Rock into
the angry waters and re- cued six men
whom she saw struggling in frail
| boat, which the great waves threaten
ed to swamp each moment.
Few people, except seamen, know
anything about the plumber OF light
hips which the United States keeps
moored in dangerous places. far out in
he ocean and exposed to al the peri's
If the stormy sea. From Boston to
Galve- ton there ia an almost unbroken
line of these floating lighthouses,
uIaced where they can best warn the
mariner of danger. Fastened to the
oceans bottom with great anchors,
strong chains or hawsers, these light
ships keep lonely vigils over the sur
rounding waters; and when the heavy
Storms and seas sweep down the coast
the bright flashes of their electric
lights, the loud blasts of their steam
whistles or the deep boom boom OF
Their great bells warn the stOrm-t toss ed
sailor lads from hidden dangers a.
guide them on their way to Ravens Of
safety.