The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-05-30
Lonelisst of Lighthouses.

The highest point used by the light
house department of the United States
government as a signal station is pre-
cipitons rock In the northwestern part
OF Oregon called Tillamook Rock. Its
great height and perilous situation
tend to make this rock the most avoid
ed one on the government list, and It
Is only after long and careful search
that men are found who are willing to
go as keepers to the station.
Tillamook Rock Light Station is in
the Thirteenth lighthouse district,
which includes the coast and rivers of
Oregon, Washington and Alaska. 1t
is situated in the midst of the surging
Pacific, with 80 feet depth of water on
all sides, at the great storm center
off Tillamook Head.
IL is IS miles south of the entrance
to the Columbia river, and one mile
southwest by half mile west from
Tillamook Head. on the Oregon coast.
The water near Tillamook had such a
strong end uncertain current that ves-
sells unacquainte,s with the coast are
warned not to attempt the passage. Tie
rock, which has summit of so feet
above the sea level, is al irregular col
umn of basalt, apparently separated
from Tillamook Head, on the main
land, by untold centuries of erosion
prior TO the days when the sea was re-
ceding on the Pacific and encroaching
upon the land on the Atlantic.
The reason for the difficulty In secur-
ing keepers for Tillamook is said to be
that man not only risks his life in
accepting the position, but his reason.
At present keeper and four assistants
are provided for the double purpose of
dividing the watches and mitigating the
awful isolation that tends toward un-
seating the reason. The mere monoto-
ny of seeing the same face (of a man Of
course, day in and day out for months
and years, amid the same wild scene
and in the same narrow treadmill of
labor, is irritating. 1t begets dislike
by its very annoyance Of monotony.
1t is so different when the face is that
of woman-a wife.
But the wife is not permitted to live
there. The keeper and his assistants
are cut off from all social ties. This
wild waste Of water and fierce storms
of TillamOok forbid woman's resid-
siding on the rock.
Upon the east side Tillanook's sum-
init is 40 feet wide, narrowing to its
west side for a distance of go feet, and |
from that point extending 40 feet furth-
er in sharp and abrupt ledge, where |
it is only 40 feet in width. The rock is
on all sides, except on the |
east, where it slopes up at an angle |
Of 20 degrees. The summit, except the |
sharp ledge on the west side, is in |
closed all around it's ledge by strong
iron railing. The dwelling house is in
the center of the summit. 1t faces to
the east. 1t is a stone and cement /
structure, held down by great iron
bolts. The stone tower rests on the
rock and shoots up from the center of
The dwelling. The Enclosure of this
wild sea-girt house contains some 1000
square feet, or less than two acres in
area. The focal plate of the light is
1876 feet above sea level. Yet this Pacific
ocean, when in its angriest mood, Oft
lines dashes its waves against the plate
glass inclosing the light and hurls
gigantic rocks high above and drops
hem upon the home of those faithful
out helpless guardians of the storm
ossed mariner.
The keepers dwelling is a square,
'ne-story building Of stone for outer
walls, and brick, iron and wood for
Interior, with rectangular extension for
he: duplicate siren apparatus. The
light was first shown on February l.,
SSl, the building having been begun
october 2l, 1879, and completed under
circumstances Of the greatest peril.
On the northwesterly side of the
ock, upon a sloping ledge, a wide,
evel platform or landing place has been
for transferring freight and
The cage is four and one
lalf feet square and two feet deep, made
# wooden stats closely put together.
Ropes strongly bind each corner, into
which iron bolts with eyeballs are in
erted for attachment to the derrick.
The derrick raises the cage some 40
eet, and when the station boat is used
he cage is omitted and the entire out
It is derrieked up to the platform to
rest the ascent is at an angle of . de-
.rees, and the distance is As feet.
A tramway with tramcar takes up
he freight. Three tanks with Il, ,45l
alions capacity, and one cistern, H.
81 gallons capacity, supply the station
With water, that in the tanks being
sed for the fog Signals and that in the
isterns being for the dwelling house.
)nce a miniature garden six feet
quare enlivened the scene with men,
ries of home and furnished summer
egetables. It's soil, six inches in depth,
'as brought from Tongue Point, on
.storia peninsula
During the winter this soil was box
1 up and slowed away in a safe place.
or two summers this idyllic status
Isted, but the great tornado of 1854
'ashed the boxes into the sea.
The redeeming feature of Tillamook
tation is its elysian zephyr, known as Z
lie chinook wind, flowing with peren-
ial delight from the northwest in
lrnmer and imparting unequaled lon
svity and coming in at winter from
lie southwest with healing on its wings.
n Epidemic of Whooping Cough.