Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-12

| ".
Sable island proper Is about twenty-op
miles long and not more than one mi
! woe at any part. 1t consists of two par
allei ridges of sand, which rise in a sue
length, 1t is shaped like a bow. the con-
cave side being toward the land or dis
lant coast of Nova Scotia. The most
ni slngge n features lures Of this dangerous
tend for many miles at either end. These
Dars are for the most part submerged,
only small parts being bare at low tide.
me northeast bar is about nineteen miles
tong. Thus Sable island, with its bars
forms, IN rough weather, a line of roar
| ing, surging breakers fifty miles in length.
| III caimer weather the sea breaks with a
l0w moan on the sandy shores, and the
| PnOspnorescent effects produced on a
Ozark night are weird and beautiful. Be-
small small SKY Sky and seventy years ago
| vessels could enter for safety, but in 1890
one OF the terrific gales that sweep this
coast tore away the sand at one part of
tne Island and threw it up at another,
completely blocking the entrance to the
narpor. and imprisoning forever several
small h vessels which had taken refuge
| wnich may be still discerned, partly bur-
| led in the sand.
The island itself is simply a vast accu-
mutation of coarse. gray sand. 1t is alb
| solutely treeless, not even a large shrub
being produced but in the valley between
| the two parallel ridges many wild flow
ers , abound. as well as some Of the small
| fruits indigenous to these ATTITUDES, and
long, coarse grass grows abundantly
here. Some authorities contend that the
Island owes its origin to the varying cur
| rents and eddles that play about this part
| of the north Atlantic and make the
sands their spoil, and that at some flu
ture time the sands will shift and leave
| no part of the island above water Then
| indeed would this submerged sandbank
prove greater menace than noM for no
beacon light to warn the mariner could
~ Is correct or not only time can tell. but
| truth 1t is that the sea is gradually en-
croach1ng on the outer side. the light
| house at this end having had to be re-
| moved three times within recent years.
| Actual measurements show that more
| than one mile of the island has disap-
| peared on the seaward side within a few
| years. On the other hand, the sand torn
away mere is thrown up at some other
| point, and a change in the formation of
| the island is constantly taking place, and
| of actual disappearance. The island has
| decreased in size from forty miles in
| length and two and half in width to its
| present dimensions since a record has
been kept. The astounding statements
have been officially made that eleven
miles of the west end disappeared in the
years between 1903 and 1888 thirty-three
feet of the entire width during a few
hours, and in severe storm a section
| forty-eight feet by a quarter of mile
| sunk under water in a single night.
| This last movement caused a hasty re-
| moval of one of the lighthouses to point
| more distant from the sea.
| OF course Sable island has its ghost
| story A narrow lake about eight miles
| long extends through the centre of the
| island, and the legend of the lady of the
| lake is related to all who visit here. The
| story is in effect that the wife of an Off
| GER in the Halifax garrison was coming
| out to join her husband. She was pas
senger by the Inflated transport Princess
| Amelia, and though safely brought to
land at Sable island. she was murdered
| by the wreckers there. who did this to
possess themselves of some valuable
| rings which she wore. The finger on
| which the rings were worn was severed
| from the hand by these pirates. This
lady, the legend runs, appears fire.
| quently in the vicinity of the lake. even
bleeding hand to view, showing where
| the third finger is missing. Before a
| storm it is her custom to walk the
beach, and many a patrolman will tell
| you he has seen this sad lady, her gar
ments dripping with sea water. and her
long, dark , hair falling wet over her
| movements affirm that when startled she
| disappears in the waters of the lake, into
which her body is supposed to have
been thrown by the piratical wreckers.
Be this As it may, it is a well-authenti-
Gated fact that "a ring belonging to the
| wife of an officer who was coming out on
the transport named to join her husband,
and was drowned at Sable island, was
afterward found in a small jewelry store
in Halifax and recognized by a friend of
the family, it being of peculiar workman
ship. Some inquiry was made and the
ring traced to a man residing at dis
triet whence the wreckers We're supposed
to have come, but years had elapsed, no
| authentic information could be CLEANED
and the matter was allowed to drop.
Very curious effects are produced here
by the constantly flying sand. All Win
dow glass and anything of that nature
becomes quickly eroded in very fantastic
shapes, sometimes producing a beautiful
effect.
The natural history of the island Is Pc
culiar Some gruesome tales are told of
the wild hogs which previous 10 1914
roamed at large among the sand dunes
They were then destroyed by order of the
authorities on account of their propen-
sity to hunt for bodies in the sand or
number of English rabbits were then
brought here and soon become rather
troublesome by reason of their burrowing
holes, in the sand which We're dangero o1ss
landed from the wreck of Norwegian
ship. Their colony increased and they
| soon exterminated the rabbits. The rats
committed such depredations among the
| government stores that detachment OF
cats was taken down from Halifax. The
cats in their turn destroyed the rats, but
i dogs and shotguns had to be brought in
to use to clear them out. The dogs were
then withdrawn and the horses remain,
sole lords of the isle.
When a number of ponies are to be cap
tured large herd is driven into pound
| by men on horseback They are lassoed,
| thrown down and bound, then placed on
| stretchers and put into the surf boats,
| taken off and placed on board the steam
| er for conveyance to Halifax to be sold.
The sight is an interesting one, and the
men have become quite skilful in lassoing
and binding their captives. Places OF
. shelter have been erected for these
; horses, but the hardy little animals re-
fuse to enter them, preferring the open
/, | air even in severe winter weather. No
| doubt generations of exposure have in
ured them to the rigors of this northern
climate and they enjoy the freedom OF
their island home. When a storm is APP
| preaching the horses have a peculiar hab-
| ii of forming themselves into triangle
: | with the old veterans on the outside and
| the Younger members of the herd in the
| middle Thus formed into a solid body,
| they brave the elements, and so great IS
Z | the heat generated that clouds of steam
| rise into the air above them, and may be
, | discerned during a pouring rain. When
, | the ponies need water they have only to
scrape with their feet in the soft sand. 1t
is a curious circumstance that Sable
island is like an immense sponge and re-
| tains the rain water. Fresh water can
be procured almost anywhere by digging
not more than two feet below the sur
| face.
| The view as you approach the island Is
that of "A number of low-lying sandy hill
. locks, with the sea rolling in upon the
l., al iAVy-