The record-union., 1899-04-29
SHIFTING SABLE ISLAND.
DANGER OF THE GRAVEYARD
OF TILE ATLANTIC"
It's Rapid Changes Of Dimension,
Shape and Situation-Light-
house Keepers.

The men of the steamer Moravia,
which was wrecked in the early morn
ing Of February 18th on the northeast
bar of Sable Island, enjoyed an escape
from death granted to comparatively
few who are ever cast upon the shores
of that terrible mass of sand. Though
scarcely more than a. dot of land in
the vast and lonely ocean space, Sable
Island has record of shipwrecks and
loss of life unequaed by any other
island in the world. It's name carries
dread to every sailor whose voyages
carry him near to it, for he knows how
we it has proved it's right to be called
the Graveyard of the Atlantic"
Situated, as it is, about ninety miles
east of the coast of Nova Scotia, in the
region of the stormy forties," it is di-
rectly in the line Of transatlantic travel,
according to the courses taken by YES
sells sailing between Europe and the
northern ports of this country. This
position, together with the fact that it
is enveloped much of the time in dense
fogs, and that it shifts it's boundaries
with astonishing and puzzling rapidity,
gives the island dangerous import
ance out of all proportion to its size.
In length it measures twenty-five miles
from tip to tip, and scarcely a mile in
breadth at its widest part. It is in the
form of long, thin crescent, lying with
its concave side to the north and it's
ends directly east and west.
THE DANGEROUS SHOALS
Although the conflicting currents and
the frequent fogs and storms which
beset the island are perilous enough to
ships, they are not nearly SO productive
of disaster aus are the wide reaching
shadows into which the coastline runs
For miles beyond the line where the sea
and sand meet the water is not deep
enough to float even a small schooner
From the northeast end, where the Mo-
ravia was wrecked, an observer can see,
when the wind is high, eight or nine
miles of roaring, foaming breakers be-
fore a depth of six fathoms is found
Even beyond this there are violent
cross seas for some miles further out
before the depth sinks to as much as
twelve fathoms. The bar on the north
west end projects after much the same
fashion, and for at least as great a
distance, so that, taking the length of
the island and its slightly covered bars
upon WHICH the waves IN a storm Doll
together, there is a line of fifty miles
upon which the waves boil and break
with frightful fury.
1t is only on a fine clear day with a
south wind that a vessel can land with
any safety at Sable Island The one
good place for this is on the north side.
and even there the Government steamer
Aberdeen (Which brought the crew of
the Moravia to the mainiand) can come
no nearer than about a mile, and must
watch carefully at that distance. ready
to put to open sea at once in case of a
change in the wind. The weather con-
ditions of the region may be imagined
from the fact that not more than five
fine days have sometimes been recorded
in a period of four months, and that
the. steamer has sometimes spent a
week in trying to make landing.
Stanch, broad beamed surfboats bear
the passengers from the steamer to the
shore, and it is rough trip, seldom
free from danger.
JEWELLERS ON THE ISLAND.
On the island, with a Superintendent
at their head, live eighteen or twenty
men, whose business it is to maintain
the two fine lighthouses and the life
saving station. 1t is nearly a century
now since the first step was taken to-