The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-04
rran fhs W. Yn-l HsrsIa.

more tatT AEs"sH nf-H-+t 80 r-r~ +-~-tt----
hand that ssee tiie government IN the
.g.4mook R0ck Hight station. These men,
D. fhey are fortunate enough 20 survive
physical peril, constantly run the more
alarming danger 81 living death. They
have L. undergo q strain that has crazed
more than one keeper and that has FOR It's
u4fgr..I ultimate end the shatteriHg Of the
mind.
50 great are the dangers incurred by the
keepers Ol the Tili4mo0k light that the
government has difficulty IN finding vol
..fcef- Tor The perilous Work. The Tilla-
nook ufnt station stands high on Tilia-
Nook Rock pTeelpitoHs projection in the
Pacific OF the coast Of oregon. This IS
F.. highest point used by the lighthouse
department. OF the United States as a sig
nal station and mariners do not wonder
r4t volunteers Tor this perilous station
ar' few
Go the north. west. and east Of Tilla-
r.Ok Rock the Pacific has a depth OF
...m ono hundred and fifty TO two hun
C-ad and fifty feet, while on the south the
ters are about a hundred feet deep
srout this rock the ocean surges and rolls
lGsking II one Of the greatest menaces 10
navigation on the western coast Of tie
United States So peculiar are i:ic oondi-
fruit Of approach from the mainland as
from the sea. No part Of the Pacific coast
s. more dreaded by mariners, for it's MS
tUry is d story Of shipwreck and death
Great DiuicHIt, in Building IL.
THsmook Rock Lighthouse was con
e.ucred after most difficult endeavor.
The great need for signal light at that
lo.nt OF the Oregon coast had been re-
-
m-nt IN 1879 undertook the construction Of
O. lighthouse on the promontory. The
waters Of the Pacific have strong and
uncertain current in that vicinity, and
mariners long have been warned not 10
arr,mpt passage there. After the build
ing Of q lighthouse there had been decided
rpou IL was many months before the work
Of construction could be gotten well under
way The rock rises from the water 20 a
height OF eighty-siX feet above the mean
level Of the sea. and il Is doubtful If
greater difficulties ever have been enCOun-
tered in building signal stations anywhere
else IN the world. The north side of she
rock Is vertical, the south side is seDa-
rated from the main rock by a fissure,
While the west side rises straight from the
sea about twenty feet, then breaks back
for a short distance with an easy slope.
and, rising eighty feet, leans out to the
scean again. thus forming cuplike face.
shiCh catches the full force OF a westerly
D. northwesterly swell Only from the
Shore side is II possible to approach the
SeCk. and then only in the calmest wealth
Or and under great difficulties.
For these reasons II was no simple mat
Der for the government TO find men who
would undertake the construction of the
proposed lighthouse. The foreman of the
first band of men sent out was drowned in
an attempt TO reach the rock, and il WIS
several weeks before another force could
be induced to make the attempt A band
of nine men eventually were landed on the
rock, which was so steep that they had TO
drill ladder-like paths up its side. But they
were a persevering lot, and after nearly
Two years Of most exasperating work they
completed their task
The new light was displayed for the first
time on January p. 1881. If the work had
been completed eighteen days earlier
faial shipwreck in which sixteen lives
We're lost undoubtedly would have been
ayerted
British bark, the Lupatia, bound from
HiOga, Japan, TO Portland, came I'm to the
southwark OF the rock during a thick fog
on the night Of January 3, 1881 Workmen
We're putting the finishing touches on the
lighthouse, and were startled by voices so
close that II seemed a vessel must have
struck the rock. bonfire was hastily
built, and its glare penetrated the gloom
SO that the ship was brought i'm plain.
view. She had got between the rock and
The mainland, and when seen her yards
were aback and she was endeavoring to
work out OF her perilOus position. Direc-
lions were shouted TO the captain, and as
the ship disappeared in the fog and the
cries ceased, il was thought that he had
succeeded IN working out in safety.
Wrecked Upon the Rock.
The hopes OF the workmen were dissl-
pated, however for a shattered topmast
ana some bits Of rigging were all that re-
mained or the Lupatia. The southwest
gale had done its work thoroughly, for
out OF crew of sixteen men, not a soul
was left 10 tell the particulars. Twelve
Of The bodies were washed ashore the next
Gay and still lie In one grave In a little
cove In plain sight of the men on the rock
No such disasters have occurred in that
vicinity since the construction of the TIL
Iamook Lighthouse, for on clear nights a
white flash sends its beams over the wa
lers, and Is visible for more than twenty
miles During thick weather, sucn as
caused The loss Of the Lupatia, a steam
Siren gives out terrific blast, lasting five
seconds which IS repeated al intervals cf
ninety seconds
'itr persons are the sole Inhabitants cf
".- iTearF station, and all are men. So
s.'.. are the perils that no women ale
PERMITTED 90 visit Tillamook Rock. In
.... 10 woaid be guile impossible 10 send
women q. the lighthouse. as the utmost
'... and perseverance are required 20
-'.r aHE one 60 get from shore 30 the
. muse Oh The wave battered proi.c-
r.-. There are now IN Tillamook IIgn.-
Keeper and four assistants. this
..-'.i being necessary TO divide the
"a. a.- HHd 10 mitigate the awful isola-
..'. tends toward the unse tting Of a
reason. Most Irritating is The nc
f o.. seeing the same faces. and so
.. mem. ear IN and year out. amid
r -.'' Wild -,eEr ard IN the same mar
r... i.-H VI labor. To the govern
Nd -. mouse uIcials ID Is little Hunier
r lose their minds and bec5me ir- /
'..' amid sucn surroundings
Visited Oace a Month.
lle weather is favorable the lonely
... OF jhi~ solitary station have their
-'..a'"ny relieved once a month nv tbe
'.. '' "a lighthouse tender. which brings
o., ."'ia letters. newspapers, ana supplies ,
| H boo the lighthouse "A piano. from /
r. Toe men get some diversion, and OF /
.'Nir iHvy have somewhat limited
10y. Eut The keeper and his assistants I
.-r relief from the monotony OF see /
.. same faces, eating the same food +
-, again and again the same books. .
,..- f-geatedly the same floors. and 1
,..tN l-rlr oit-repeated turns on the /
fi 4Ae government recognizes ths 4
r'As mOn0tOny OF service at this 1
.-af station by dividing the night /
A., HI'r watches. instead Of two, as Is /
H.. 1'''m m other lighthouses Despite |
it. .'AllLons. Insanity Is liable 70 be /
- 1'uial tate of the men who keep this /
49,. vigil. although nearly all Of the
.s. stand the strain better than ala /
81. ''''-fr ana Old soldier named Zauer. |
'-lAr Insane in 1ssi ftsr three wears