The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-09
DESERVES ITS NAME.
Sable Island Is the Graveyard of the
Atlantic.


Atlantic.
From the New York Tribune.
The men of the steamer Moravia, which
was wrecked in the early morning of Feb.
- 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 a record of shipwreck and loss
of life unequaled by any other island in
the world. Its name carries dread to ev-
cry sailor whose voyages take him near il,
for he knows how well it have proved its
right to be called the Graveyard of the
Atlantic"
Situated, as 1t is, about ninety miles east
of the coast of Nova Scotia, in the region
OF the stormy forties," 1t is directly in
the line of transatlantic travel. according
to the courses taken by vessels sailing be-
tween Europe and the Northern ports of
this country. This position together with
the fact that IL is enveloped much of the
time in dense fogs, and that 1t shifts It's
boundaries with astonishing and puzzling
rapidity, gives the island a dangerous i'm
portance out of all proportion to its size.
In length IL measures twenty-five miles
from tip to tip, and scarcely mile in
breadth at its widest part 1t is in the
form of long, thin crescent. lying with
its concave side to the north and its ends
directly east and west
Although the conflicting currents and the
frequent fogs and storms which beset the
island are perilous enough to shlps they
are not nearly so productive of disaster az
are the wide-reaching shadows into which
the eoastline runs. For miles beyond the
line where the sea and send meet the wa
ter is not deep enough to float even a small
schooner. From the northeast end. where
the Moravia was wrecked, an observer can
see, when the wind is high. eight or n;na
miles OF roaring, foamlng breakers before
depth OF six fathoms is found Even
beyond this there are violent cross seas for
some miles further out before the dentb
sinks TO as much as twelve fatboms Tha
par on the northwest end projects af,or
much the same fashion. and for ar leas+
as great distance, so that, taking the
lehg{n OF the island and its slightly COW
el e, oars together, there is line of fifty
miles upon which waves in a storn, ~,
ana break with frightful fury.
1t Is only on a fine, clear dav with
south wind that vessel can land wi,h
any safety at Sable Island The one good
pace Tor this is on the north side ara
even there the government steamar Az
deen (Which brought the crew of the Mo-
ravia TO the mainland) can come no nearer
than about mile, and musr watch care
fu!ly at that distance, ready to put to omen
sea at once In case OF change ar tha
wind. The weather conditions of the re-
glon may be imagined from the fact thai
not more than five fine days have some
times been recorded In a period OF four
months, and that the steamer has some
times spent a week in trying TO make a
landing. Stanch. broad-beamed surfboats
bear the passengers from the steamer IN
the shore. and 1t is rough trip seldom
Tee from danger.
On the island. with superintendent at
their head live eighteen or twenty men
whose business Il Is to maintain the two
fine light houses and the lie saving sta
ton. II is nearly a. century now since the
FIRST step was taken toward making some
provision for the numerous wrecks which
occurred on the island In 1892 Nova SEQ
TIA voted 1900 a year for the purpose
This small sum was supplemented twenty
i've years later By an equal allowance