Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-17
LONELIEsT OF LIGHTHOUSES.
TilIamOOk Rock, OF the Coast of Orc
EOn, and Its Keepers.

From the Topeka, Kan. Capital.
The highest point used by the lighthouse
department of the United States govern
ment as q signal station Is precipitous
rock in the northwestern part of Oregon
called Tillamook Rock. Its great height
and perilous situation tend to make this
rock the most avoided one the govern
ment list, and 1t 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 in
clutsAs the coast and rivers of Oregon,
Washington and Alaska. 1t is situated
in the midst of the surging Pacific, with
ninety feet depth of water on all sides, at
the great storm center off Tillamook Head.
1t is eighteen miles south of the
trance to the Columbia river, and one mile
southwest by half a mile west from Tilla-
nook Head. on the Oregon coast. The
water near Tillamook has such a strong
and uncertain current that vessels unac-
quainted with the coast are warned not to
attempt the passage. The rock. which has
a summit of eighty feet above the level,
Is an irregular column of basalt, apparent
ly separated from Tilamook Head. on the
mainland, by untold centuries of erosion
prior to the days when the sea was reced-
ing on the Pacific and encroaching upon
the land the Atlantic.
The reason for the difficulty in securing
keepers for Tillamook is said to be that
a 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 isola-
ton that tends toward unseating the rea-
son. The mere monotony of seeing the
same face (of man, of course0 day in
and day out for months and years, amid
the same wild scene and in the same mar
row treadmil of labor. is irritating. 1t
begets dislike by its very annoyance of
ia 81 6jfferapf wi Ia
face is that of a woman-a wife.
But the wife is not permitted to live
there. The keeper and his assistants are
cut off from all social ties. The wild
waste of water and fierce storms of Tilla-
nook forbid a woman's residing on the
rock.
Upon the east side Tillamooks sum-
nit Is forty feet wide. narrowing to Its
west side for a distance of sixty feet, and
from that point extending forty feet
further in sharp and abrupt ledge.
where it is only forty feet in width. The
rock Is precipitous on all sides, except on
the east, where it slopes up at an angle
of twenty degrees. The summit, except
the sharp ledge on the west side, is in
closed all around Its 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 in
closure for this wild sea-girt house con-
tains some 1880 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
ofttimes dashes it's waves against the
plate glass nclosing the light and hurls
gigantic rocks high above and drops them
upon the home of those faithful but help
less guardians of the storm-tossed mariner
The keepers dwelling is a square,
story building of stone for outer walls
and brick iron and wood for Interior.
with rectangular extension for the dupli-
cate siren apparatus. The light was first
shown on February /, 1881, the building
having been begun October 81, 1872 and
COMPLETED under circumstances of the
greatest peril.
ON the northwesterly side of the rock,
upon a sloping ledge, a wide. level plat
form or landing place has been construct
ed for transferring freight and passengers.
The cage is four and one-half feet square
and two feet deep, made of wooden stats
closely put together Ropes strongly bind
each corner. into which iron bolts with
eyeballs are inserted for attachment to
the derrick.
The derrick raises the cage some forty
feet and when the station boat is used the
cage is omitted and the entire outfit is der
ricked up to the platform. From Platform
to crest the ascent Is at an angle of twenty
five degrees and the distance is forty-eight
feet
A tramway with tramcar takes up the
freight, Three tanks, with 14.451 gallons