The times., 1899-03-19
sable ISLAND THE
DREAD OF SAILORS
Known g. 1.-The Graveyard of
the Atlantic
Changes in Dimensions. Shape, and
Situation.
Vessels May Land with Safety Only
on Fine Days-The
Life-Savers.
From the New York Tribune.)


The men of the steamer Moravia, which
was wrecked in the early morning of Feb
ruary u on the northeast bar of Sable
Island enjoyed an escape from death
granted 10 comparatively few who are ever
cast upon the shores of that terrible mass
of sand. Though scarcely more than dot
of iaEd in the vast and lonely ocean space.
Sable Island has record of shipwfeck and
loss of life unequaled by any other island
in the world. Its name carries dread to
every sailor whose voyages carry him near
ii, for he knows how well it has proved its
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,' IL is direct
ly in the line of transatlantic travel, ac-
cording TO the courses taken by vessels
sailing between Europe and the northern
ports OF this country This position. to-
gether with the fact that it is enveloped
much OF the time in dense fogs. and that
IL shifts its boundaries with astonishing
and puzzling rapidity. gives the island a
dangerous Importance out OF all proportion
10 its size In length it measures twenty
two 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.
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 dis
aster as 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 hoat
even a small schooner. From the north
east end, where the Moravia was wrecked,
an observer can. see, when the wind is
high. eight or nine miles of roaring, foam
ing breakers before depth of six fathoms
is found Even beyond this there are vio-
lent cross-Eeas for some miles farther out
before the depth sinks TO as much as
twelve fathoms. The bar on the northwest
end projects after much the same fashion.
and for at least as great distance, so that,
taking the length of the island and its
slightly covered bars together. there is q
line Of fifty miles upon which the waves in
a storm boil and break with frightful fury.
Ii is only on fine, clear day, with a
south wind, that 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 Aber-
deem. which brought the crew of the
MoTavia TO the mainland, can come no
nearer than about mile, and must watch
carefully al that distance, ready TO put to
open sea at once in case of change in the
wind The weather conditions of the re-
gion 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
q week in trying to make landing
Stanch broad-beamed surfboats bear The
passengers from the steamer to the shore,
and ii is rough trip, seldom free from
danger.
DwcIlcrs on the Island.
On the island, with a superintendent at
their head live eighteen or twenty men,
whose business il is to maintain the two
fine lighthouses and the life saving sta
tion. 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 1902 Nova
Scotia voted 81 zoe a year for the purpose
This small sum was supplemented twenty
five years later by an equal allowance from
the imperial government Then, in 1867
when the provinces of Canada were united
the island came under the charge of The
federal government, and since that timt
has had hundreds OF thousands of dollar:
spent upon it. The life-saving station il
particularly well equipped, not only witt
boats. but with rocket apparatus for sig
mailing, and there is telephone connection
between all the principal buildings on th'
island. The rich grass, which somehow
draws its nourishment from the sand. af.
fords fine pasturege for sheep and cows, Sc
that the inhabitants have no lack of fresf
meat to vary their stores of provision
from the mainland.
In the wreck register kept on Sable ISL
and are the names OF nearly 200 vessels
that have left their shattered fragments
upon the fatal sands. An Interesting chart
was made fourteen or fifteen years ago. al
Halifax. indicating the locality and date oi
each of the wrecks known up to that time
as well as the kind OF vessel lost in each
case. There are about $50 on the chart
and they may be seen to encircle the isl
and completely being trifie more numer-
Gus lust south of the eastern and western
ends of the crescent. II need scarcely b,
said that the number of recorded wreck
on the island falls far short of telling thu
whole truth. II is believed that for ever.
one known another may be added, OF whicl
of debris are washed ashore-not seldom
indeed, human body-with nothing to in
dicate the ship from which il came Ol
the distant submerged bars many wrecl
might occur without even such tokens o
its presence coming 10 the knowledge o
the life-sayers, so that the island is un
doubtedly the grave Of scores of ship
marked missing" on the maritime regis
tiers.
Rapid Change of shape.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature Q
all about Sable Island is the rapidity wit
which its size and position have been an
still are changing. On the earliest know
charts, which were French, il was lai
down as being forty-four miles long an
two and quarter miles wide. In 1176
had shrunk TO thirty-one miles by two
and had moved several miles to the east
ward. Other charts made at intervals sine
have shown the same steady shrinkage an
eastward movement, until. according to tn
one made about fifteen years ago, IL is no.
twenty-five miles by one. and is in lati
tude ii degrees north by longitude 50 de
Frees west. Briefly. II is travelling east
ward so fast that topographers must revis
their work often to keep track OF 1t. Tn
latest charts are always some miles out G
the way.
Within one hundred years IL has no
only decreased about one-third in lengt
and breadth, but has also hsen ievele
down from nearly two hundred feet I
about eighty feet. while the west end ha
changed its position by twenty-five mile,
compelling the buildings of the life saver
TO be moved frequently TO escape from tn
encroaching seas. II the process OF shrink
age continues, the time is gradually com
ing when Sable Island. the meeting plac
OF the Arctic current. the Gulf Stream an
the current from the Gulf OF St. Lawrence
will succumb entirely to the terrific whirl
pool in which 1t exists. and the waves wi
Sash over the last spot OF dry sand IN th
Graveyard OF the Atlantic"