Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-29

THE CLIFF HOUSE AND THE SEAL ROCKS.
the life savers receive a reward of 500.
They also get the sum of $50 for the
rescue of person from drowning.
These watchers of the sea are vigilant
and are able to render aid to many uu-
fortumates.
At one place bold promontory
reaches ont into the sea. The rocky
walls are steep and far below the mad
waves roar and break. 1t is barely pos
Gus path and sit on a portion of this
promontory. You can get within 30
feet of the water. and then you can go
no farther. A step and eternity! One
morning a young girl of 10 years was
seen to descend this path. She had with
her paper covered novel and a basket
of lunch. She finally sat down and
commenced to read. BY and by the
book and the basket were observed on
the rock. The poor girl had jumped
into the sea and was drowned.
Not for five days was her body dis
covered, and then it was found near
the scene of her death Far below, at
the left of the promOntory, dark OBJ
ject was seen. and ii later proved to be
the much sought body. The strong
crevasse or cave in the rocks. where it
could he seen only at low tide. The
recovery of the body was difficult
matter. In the first place. the strongest
swimmer in the local life saving serv-
ice was brought to the scene of the
tragedy. He was placed in the water
100 feet or more from the shore. Then
another sturdy veteran was slowly ard
carefully lowered on rope. The tide
was at the lowest ebb. The man on the
end of the rope had 10 wait until a
wave had emptied some of the water
out of the cave and then at the proper
moment enter and grab the clothes of
the pitiful creature. 1t must be. done
before the next returning wave, else it
was dangerous operation. The. man
did it successfully. and, firmly grasping
the body. he was hauled up out of the
wave The services of the
second man. who was swimming out in
the water. were not needed. but if the
rope had parted he was expected to as
sist his daring companion.
Near by is another morbid spot. A
little plot of grass right by the waters
edge and surrounded on three sides by
towering walls of rock was the scene
Of two suicides Oh the same night. At
I o'clock on a certain evening one of
the life savers found q man lying on
the grass. He was dead and had taken
poison. The news got out, and three
hours later another Of the life saving
crew went to the spot with lantern.
His object was to search for valuables
or any possessions of the dead man
which might have been overlooked.
When he reached the lonely place, an
other man was lying there, and he, too,
WIS dead, having also taken poison.
Although the sky was bright and the
bay with its boats made charming
picture. we were glad to leave the
an,i grewsome scene. Next
we entered the grounds of tie late
Adolf Sutro. There. must be more than
~ acres in the estate. and the public
Is welcome TO wander about. The ex-
mayor lived here for some 80 years and
In his later life was very conspicuous.
with his white hair, walking about
leisurely and giving pleasant well
come to the strangers lie happened to
meet. The old mausion which he occu-
pied is still standing. He loved to gaze
)ut of its windows through fieldglasses
and survey the ocean.
The Cliff House is HEAR by. The seal
rocks are about 800 or 400 feet from
the shore perhaps more. In and about
the harbor there are about LOO seals.
and during Mr. Sutro's life it was
crime TO destroy one of the animals.
Lately sentiment seems to he chang
ng The seals move up the bay and
river and destroy the young salmon
and also ruin the nets of the fishermen
the seals will remain undis
turbed is uncertain ut this time. There
appears to lie a feeling that sentiment
should not interfere with business.
1t is interesting to watch the seals
they hask I'm the sunshine and sieep.
Then they get tired of that and slide
down like tobOggans into the water
md exercise. After bath they go
back to the rock. If it happens that
two seals desire TO get back on the rock
At the same time and in the same spot |
a fight will ensue. One seal will try
o keep the other seal from climbing
Up, and bath minute will result for
ach of them.
There are two individuals in the seal |
community that carry some weight. |
)ne is Mckinley" and the other is
Mrs. Ben Butler" the widow of the |
ate Ben Butler" who departed this
ife, or, rather, this sea. some five years
go. Ben Butler was at the time of |
lis death the oldest and largest seal in
he flock. He was thought to be. over
90 years old and weighed over $500
'ounds. Three days before the final
!ecline the other seals noticed that
Ben could not crawl quite as fast, so /
hey called q meeting and talked the |