The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-17
THE PASSING OF SABLE ISLAND.
The Sea Is slowly But Surely Eating
IN the Land.
From the London Mail.


From the London Mail.
The latest news from Sable Island is
that the sea during the past winter has
made such inroads into IL that ITS very
existence is endangered. Sable Island is
the most notorious spot in the world for
wrecks. Every sailor breads its name. It
is called the Ocean Graveyard. and
since its first discovery IL has been a per-
manent menace to transatlantic COM
merce.
Word has now hsen received from Hail.
fax, N. s., that several square miles Of
Sable Island have disappeared during re-
cent gales, and that shortly after the
wreck of the Moravia there. fears were
entertained by the lighthouse keepers on
Sable Island that the entire place would
be swept away.
A lighthouse on Sable Island that was
at one time a mile from the "a has had
to be hastily abandoned, for its fourdn-
tons had been undermined, and the struc-
ture collapsed. Those who know the place
are now convinced that the eul OF the
celebrated ocean Graveyard" is close al
hand.
With it's final disappearance II Is believ-
ed however, that II win be even a greater
menace to ships than at preseni. No light
house can then be maintained, and the is
land VIII become simply one of the large
number of shoals that extend for forty
mites around it, ana upon which hundreds
of vessels have gone TO pieces.
When first discovered Sable Island was
forty miles long and two and a quarter
miles broad. In 1776 a special survey was
made unde admiralty instructions, and the
length found to be only thirty-one miles
and the breadth two miles. Forty-two
years later second survey was made by
Lieut.. Burton, and his report took a mile
away from the length, but left the breadth
the same,
Another interval of forty two years
passed, and the admiralty. having their at
tentlon called to the inaccuracy of charts
had another survey made, which resulted
in a still further reduction of the islands
area while the west end was placed two
miles more to The eastward. Little more
than thirty-nine years have elapsed since
then. yet, according to the last admiralty
survey the total length is only twenty-five
miles at best, while the breadth has
shrunk to a single mile.
When seeking site for the main station
in 1902 a wel-sheitered position was chos-
en- among the sand-hills five miles distant
from the west end. Yet an 1914 the super
intendent was compelled to move three
miles farther east, as within the four pre-
cedng years no less than four miles had
gone entirely from the west end, while on
the north side an area equal to forty feet
wide and three miles long had been car
ried away during a single gale.
In 1890 another move, this time four
more miles eastward, was necessitated
sun the sea steadily advanced as II de-
termined not 10 be baked of its prey. The
two following winters brought with them
frequent storms, which wrought fearful
havoc among the western shore. topping
great sandhills into the surf thousands
of tons of Sara D cling CARED from the
beach and suewn over the inland valleys
smothering veg s.atlon so that hundreds u
ponies died fcr want uf food IN 1873 the
old station WIS nhandonsd ana new build
ings erected on the broadrst portion OF ire
island
The dwelling Of the superintendent was
then carried another four miles eastward,
and subsequently, TWO miles mnrc. w.teTe,
strange to say Is caclD u the sea only 10
fail victim 10 the sand. The gales stole
the hummocks under whose lee il nestled
in seeming fety
Left to the raea ~ The winds, sand i1den
eddies swirled nDOut y. Slowly a mound
arose, creeping up from threshold 10 lin
TEL from floor 10 'eak, Until al length the
house wholly disappeJ ell.
The winter % 'o31 did tremendous dam
age. During one gale seventy feet by one
fourth of r1'ic do2atsed holly
A month lalc- thirty feet Of the whole
breadth OF the island vanished In q few
hours. The water ot 1879 was even woi Sc.
and was Distinguished by the destruction
of buildings, including the wess end light
house, 100 'eet hl;.n
The lake in Sable Island has had Gu
rfous history. In 1896. when two vessels
baA RIM an tbara for shelter fha or,apfpa
was closed by a tempest.
The lake margin at the south was at one
time half mile broad and fifty feet high;
to-day 1t is merely narrow ridge. form
ing a sea wall. over which the waves
break In stormy weuther. The tremen-
dous poundings of the ocean swells during
the past winter have broken the wall in
several places.
Since the beginning Of this century sa-
HE Island has decreased In length from
forty miles 10 twenty-five miles, and In
breadth from two and fourth miles to
something less than one mile. In hight
II has diminished from 200 feet'to less than
80 feet. while there has been variation In
the west end of not less than twenty-five
miles.
Sable Island Is eighty-five miles distant
from Nova Scotia. 1t Is surrounded by
perplexlng currents and bewildering fogs.
Shadows spread out around Il so widely
that for many a mile beyond the point
where sea and sand meet there is not
water enough to float small schooner. At
the northeast end on winters day there
NAV be seen for nine miles a mass Of roar
ing breakers before depth Of six faith
oms is reached then there are four miles
more of heavy cross seas leading out 10 a
depth of from ten to thirteen fathoms.
Al fha northwest end the bar eStenda