Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-08-06
AN OCEAN CEMETERY.
THE MOST DEADLY TRAP FOR SHIPS
IN ALL THE WORLD.

the Notorious Island Of Terror, and
the Awful Forests That supply 1t
With Wood In Plenty.
Far out in the Atlantic ocean, OF the
northern French coast, almost due west
from Brest, lies great rocky island
that is one of the most deadly traps
for ships in all the world. 1t Is the
island Of Quessant, the notorious lie
de rEpouvante, the island Of terror
Bare, without q tree to break IT'S mo-
notony, 1t lies in the path Of the ships
seeking the English channel. If they
steer too far north, the hundred shoals
and reefs Of the British coast open
their Jaws for them. If they sail too
far south, Quessant reaches for their
bones.
Bleak and far away from any other
land as the island Of terror is, 1t still
has its population. What mysterious
thing is it which attracts that populs-
ton and makes it cling? The infre-
quent visitor sees funny flocks Of little
sheep, scarcely twice as large as hares.
He sees small herds Of rough coated
ponies almost as tiny as the sheep.
These are the only signs Of productive
industry to be seen. There Is fishing,
Of course, but fishing can be prosecut-
ed better from the mainland, with less
risk and a more convenient market.
What is the mysterious attraction,
then? So asked Alexander Shuette, the
traveller, when he made his way from
the coast of Brittany to Quessant. The
answer came, at least in part, one even
ing when a great storm swept In from
the Atlantic and beat at the shores
with unexampled fury.
He says: 1.-THE daughter Of my host
ess led me up the narrow staircase to
my room. AS l assembled noticed,
without remarking the oddly OF 1t ut
the time, that the staircase was Of
shining oak. 1 was ushered into my
room, large, low chamber, complete
" paneled from top to bottom. Put
ting the lamp on huge oak table that
shone like mirror, she said:
"Tf you should need more firewood,
monsieur, you will find 1t in the next
room. Do not spare 1t. 1t is bitter
cold, and there will be more than
enough flrewood In Quessant In two or
three days. Good night
81 sat down before the blazing fire
and prepared for cozy evening. The
storm ragged in the narrow streets Of
the little village. The surges thunder
ed against the granite breast Of the
coast like endless artillery fire, and
sometimes l imagined that the very
island trembled under the onslaught
of the hundreds of millions Of tons OF
water.
"As I sat listening gazed into the
flames. The wood struck me as strange.
And then I wondered. On the entire
island there Is not q single tree, and
yet 1 had been told not to spare fire
wood. There will be more than enough
in two or three days.
IT arose and opened the door into the
next room. That room was possibly
20 feet high and was filled almost to
the top with timber. First with Won
der, then with growing awe, l gazed
at the piles Of wood. Truly she was
right, the little maid, when she said
that one need not be economical with
Hrewood on the island Of Quessant.
There were timbers Of every shape
splin.ered masts and spars, planks
from decks and sides, remnants Of a
steering wheel, benches from the fore
castle, yellow, black, brown, white and
red woods, even two figureheads, some
bright, as If they were new, some crust
ed with shells and hung with seaweeds
In the entire room there was not d
piece of wood that did not come from
some wrecked ship.
"When returned to my room, tool
the lamp and examined the place close
ly. noticed q strange, delicate, YET
very insistent fragrance sandalwood
Thick wooden pillars supported thu
ceiling. They were of beautiful dull
black-ebony, as I lived. The panel:
were rosewood, mahogany and cedar
Even an Impractical eye could see tina
all these precious woods once had orna
mented the cabins Of noble ships. Thu
heavy carved chairs, the polished oaker
table, even the bed in which l was t.
sleep, all came from shipwrecks.
"Now / understood the meaning o.
the words stand rights In favor o.
this island. far away from the world
and murderous for the ships that til
the world together, Eolus, with hi
bride Of the winds, is more fruitful
than Is Ceres to the mainlands, Will
her harvest moon and her blessings O
fruit. The blessings Of Quessant CONF
from the gale.
1.-THE forests Of Quessant! Are Their
such others in the entire world, 81
unique, so terrible? This forest, instead
Of trees, has the mighty masts Of ships
In that tremendous forest are the oak
and pines Of Canada and Maine, tn
cypress Of Florida, the baobabs O
Africa, the teak Of Hindustan, thu
ebony and sandalwood Of South Amer
lea. The awful forests Of Quessan
form the visible apex Of vast GENE
| terv that stretches from New York Il