The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-07-31
AN OCEAN CEMETERY.
THE MOST DEADLY TRAP FOR SHIPS
IN ALL THE WORLD.
bare. BienIs apd TrccIcss Quessnnt,
the Notorious Island of Terror. nnd
the Awrui Forests Tbnt supply II
with wood In Plenty.

WIN Nopu tu fttb'y.
Far out in the Atlantic ocean, Off the
northern French coast. almost due west
from Brcst, lies great rocky island
that Il one of the most deadly traps
for ships in all the world. 1t Is the
island of Qucssant, the notorious lie
lie rEpouvantc, the island of terror.
Bare. without tree TO break its mo
notony, II 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, Quessnnt reaches for their
bones.
Bleak and far away from any other
land as the island of terror Is, IL still
has It's population. What mysterious
thing Is it which attracts that popula-
tion and makes 1t cling? The infre-
qucnt visitor sees funny locks of little
sheep. scarcely twice as large as hnres.
He secs 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 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 Il great storm swept In from
the Atlantic and beat at the shores
with uncxamplcd fury.
He says "The daughter of my host
ess led me up the narrow staircase to
my room. As ! ascendCd / noticed,
without rcmnrklng the oddlty of it at
the time. that the staircase was of
shining oak. was ushered into my
room, large, low chamber, complete
ly panclcd from top to bottom. Put
ting the lamp on huge oak table that
shone like mirror, she said:
"'If you should need more firewood,
monsieur, you will find 1t in the next
room. Do not spare II. 1t is bitter
cold, and there will be more than
enough firewood in Quessant in two or
lllIft
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 | imagined that the very
island trembled under the onslaught
Of Inn - -
water.
AS ! sat listening | gaZed into the
flames. The wood struck me as strange.
And then | wondered On the entire
island there Is not Il single tree, and
! yet ] had been told not To spare fire
wood. There will be more than enough
| In two or three days
81 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, gaZed
Mt the piles of wood. Truly she was
| right the little maid. when she said
! that one need not be economical with
| firewood on the island of Qucssant
There were timbers of every shape
! spllntered masts and spars. planks
/ from decks and sides. remnants of Il
steering Wheel benches from the fore
| castle, yellow, black. brown, white and
red woods, even two figurcheads. some
bright, as If they were new, some crust
ed with shells and hung with seawceds.
In the entire room there was not Il
piece of wood that did not come from
some wrecked ship.
"When returned TO my room, took
the lamp and examined the place close
ly. ! noticed strange, delicate. yet
very insistent ragrance-sandalwo
Thick wooden pillars supported the
ceiling. They were of beautiful dull
black-ebony, as lived. The panels
were rosewood, mahogany and cedar.
Even an Impractical eye could see that
all these precious woods once had orna-
mented the cabins of noble ships. The
heavy carved chairs. the polished oaken
table. even the bed In which l was to
sleep, all came from shipwrecks.
"Ncw | understood the meaning of
the words stand rights In favor of
,nis island. far away from the world
and murderous for the ships that tie
the world together, .l1olus, with his
bride of the winds, Is more fruitful
than Is Ceres to the mainlands. with
her harvest moon and her blessings of
fruit The blessings of Quessant come
from the gale
'The forests of Quessant! Are there
such others In the entire world. so
unique, so terrible? This forest, instead
Of trees, has the mighty masts Of ships.
In that tremendous forest are the oaks
and pines of Canada and Maine. the
cypress of Florida. the baobabs of
Africa. the teak of IIindustan. the
ebony and sandalwood of South Amer
lea. The awful forests of Quessant
form the visible apex of vast GENE.
terry that stretches from New York to
Cape La Hague"
Before the FoOt1ights.
Il understand that young man who