The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-22
HISTORY OF A
VANISHING ISLAND
HELIGoLAND is RAPIDLY DIS
APPEARING INTO THE SEA.
Even the Population Is Dwindling
The Work of Disintegration Has
Gone Steadily Onward Mere Spot
in the Ocean.


From ST. Paurs.
In 1890 the little Island of Heligo-
land, at the mouth of the Elbe, changed
hands, being made over to Germany in
return for certain concessions in
Africa to England The flourish of
trumpets which accompanied this bar
ter is not appreciated by all it's new
owners, for they consider they have
had by no means the best Of the bar
gain. At all events, the emperor took
formal possession of IT, and has ratl-
fled his ownership by rebuilding the
church steeple. Its roof is wooden,
and painted bright green
HeltgOland lies at the mouth of the
Elbe. about five and twenty miles from
the fiat North German coast. Politic-
ally considered, even within the pres
ent century, Heligoland has undergone
some sweeping changes. In 1907 Eng
land took it from Denmark during Ma.
poleon's continental system. It's har-
borage and wells were we'll worth the
four batteries, the garrison and the
lighthouse the English erected on it,
CHANGES IN THE MAP.
Middlc-aged folks in England prob
obiy hardly realized this little altera-
tion In the map of British posses
sions" as they learned it. one won
ders how many generations of German
school children, gone on to ripper years,
will have had the new name included
In their geography lesson before the
place itself will have disappeared al
together, for the political changes of
Heligoland are as nothing in compari-
son with it's physical viCissitudes. 1t
Is crumbling away into the cea that
chafes and frets around its rocky base,
effacing more rapidly than any other
place of the same size under scientific
observation.
THE WORK OF RUIN.
Several great catastrophes which di-
minished the island are recorded in
history. The first was in 500. And so
lately as 1770 a channel Of ten fathoms
deep was formed, cutting the remain
ing portion in two. Since then the
work of disintegration has gone on al
such a rate that descriptions and pic
lures of even sixty years ago are quite
misleading now. For instance, the
"Monch," that curious outstanding
boulder, had companion, the
Nome" which has wasted almost be-
yond recognition within living me-
mory. Photographs of today, COM
pared with views taken twenty years
ago show plainly how quickly the work
of ruin is going on. Single columns
now only are to be seen where arches
were, one side of them having been
washed quite away. These arches and
the caves to which they sometimes
lead are a picturesque element in the
scenery of Heligoland. The face of the
sea cliffs is literally honeycombed with
them. Heligoland, as a wise little
island, makes the best of itself to its
summer guests. who come here to
lounge and battle and boat.
Heligoland is simply slab of red
mari, rising very abruptly about 200
feet out of the sea. 1t consists of two
very distinct parts. There is the un-
terland, a fiat stretch of strand on
which is a cluster of houses. Boats
and steamers come and go, and pas
sengers are landed there. This unter-
land runs close up under one of the
wall-like cliffs Of the island proper, a
cliff too steep for any practicable paths
to be made up its face. Communica-
ton with the summit, or oberland, is
therefore by means of a staircase of
1872 steps divided into four flights. This
unique arrangement has been supple
mented of late years by a huge lift
close by. Around the point to which
these lead on the oberland are more
houses. So close are they to the edge
of the cliff, so huddled together in this
one corner, that they suggest the fancy
that dwellings once scattered over the
whole surface of the island have been
swept hither like dead leaves by the
wind, and that some have dropped
over to find resting place on the
unterland below.
On the level plain of the oberand
! great fields of potatoes are planted to
| provide food for the people in winter.
| They are then cut off from the MAIN
! land and obliged to depend on their
own resources. Often even before the
visitors have left in autumn there are
storms that prevent the landing of
! provisions; then one must live on fish
The thrifty islanders turn their posi-
| tion to good account, and reap a har-
| vest from the sea. They send quanti-
| ties of fish to Hamburg, CuXhaven and
| other towns, to be sold or exchanged
| for the turf, or wood, or other neces-
| saries not native to Heligoland. They
| are of Frsian descent-and, though
! they understand low German, they
! have kept their own old language, as
| well as their costume and customs.
| There are now only 800 inhabitants,
startling decrease. Sixty years ago
the pODulatiOn was 2400-and at one
! period Of the English occupation it
! rose to 1000. But as the whole island
measures less than three miles in cir
cumference, one can hardly call it a
scattered population.