The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-21
SURROUNDED BY DANGER.
Periis 90 Life on EiEHtsbip at seis-
mond Shoals, on Cape HatterRs.

mond shoals, on Cape HatterRs.
From the Chicago Record Herald.
Washington, June 1.-THE most ar
duous and the most dangerous duty per-
formed by employees of the United States
government is that of the officers and
crew of the lightship on Diamond Shoals,
which extend about thirteen miles into
the ocean off Cape Hatteras, directly in
the path of vessels bound between the
northern and southern ports OF the United
States the West Indies and South Amer
lea. This region is known as the grave
yard of the Atlantic" because of the
many ships that have gone down there,
and the hundreds of lives and the millions
of dollars worth of vessels and cargoes
that have been lost there. 1t is the most
dangerous place for navigation in the en-
tire Atlantic, for there the northeast and
the northwest winds meet and combine
their forces, while frequent Gogs. cross
currents, under currents and shifting
ga nds add to the dangers BY a glance
at the map 1t will be noticed that the
continent projects into the sea and the
shoals extend 30 far from the land that
shippers are compelled to stand out and
increase the length OF their voyage TO
escape them.
Look Death In the Face Daily.
Being thirteen miles from land light
house on the shore would be usless, but
1t Is necessary to keep some sign to
warn ships of the shoals and the task
OF furnishing It has given the govern
ment more trouble and anxiety than any
other problem. The various attempts to
solve II furnish the most interesting and
exciting chapter in the history of the
lighthouse service. 1t has seemed as II
the storm dragon was determined to main
tain and defend the evil reputation of the
place. A lightship is kept there constant
~. There are two vessels built especially
for this purpose. They carry crews of
mate, engineer cook and ten sailors.
The captain receives a salary OF 800 a
month, the engineers $50, the mate SIS
and the men $50 a month, as compensa-
ton for perpetual imprisonment within a
hulk that Is continually tossing about
on the waves and in constant danger of
being run into by other vessels i'm a fog
or blown ashore In a gale. These men
look death In the face daily, but their
isolation and idleress are more difficult
to endure than the dangers to which
they are exposed. Imagine men who hive
in a gale of wind all their lives. They
connot stand II more than three months
at time. If they were confined on the
boat much longer they would probably
go crazy. There was mutiny on mo.
II" a year or so ago, when 1t was kept
out for five months until mo. H." its
relief ship, was completed.
Captain Was Jealous of His Dignity.
The cause OF the mutiny was trivial
and was the result OF nervous irritation.
caused by the unexpected delay in the
~el.. o4I A a
naturally suppose, men who are willing
to accept such employment do not possess
very sensitive organisms. but the human
mind can stand only so much strain,
and even those tough sailors are still
susceptible to the influence OF their sur
roundings The captain reproved the mate
for playing cards with the sailors. He
thought 1t was a sacrifice Of dignity and
injurious to the discipline OF the ship
The mate brooded over the matter, ex-
cited the sympathy OF the engineer, and
the two waited upon the captain and
told him that he was putting on airs.
The captain drew his revolver The engi-
neer and the mate disarmed him and con-
cealed the weapon. The crew sympathized
with them. and the captain was practi-
cally a prisoner on his own ship until
Number ~ came out to relieve them
and Number n" went back to Norfolk
Upon the arrival there the captain and
everybody else on board relieved their
nervous strain by going off getting drunk
and painting the town red
When the inspector heard OF her arrival
and went down to the ship ne found II
deserted by everyone except James Adams
the mate. who formerly sailed from Chi
cago. who was reasonably sober There
fore his mutiny was not only forgiven.
but he was promoted 10 the command
OF the ship. The captain was discharged
for getting drunk with his crew although
one cannot help feeling q little sympathy
with him. because Of his unstrung nerves
He had been out two months longer than
usual, and the season had been one OF
the stormiest ever known. Sometimes
he did not have a nights sleep for days
at a time. nor dry clothing. But disci-
pine is discipline. and the lighthouse
service cannot tolerate a captain who
will get drunk under any circumstances.
Sea IL TOO Rough for Lighthouse
The first llghtshrip was sent out on
tho ehoals in the early '2os II was a
schooner-rigged vessel. anchored In the
sand by sunten cable, and carried the
best light that could be provided at that
time. She rode the gales successfully for
a few months, but then the cable parted
and she was blown ashore in a great
stern and lost with all on board Other
lightships have met with the same fate.
IL has been so difficult TO maintain them
that repeated attempts have been made
10 build lighthouse on the reef but no
structure that human skill can devise
has thus far been able 10 survive the
terrific force OF the waves that are blown
up by the West India hurricanes that
come from the caribbean Sea iu the
spring AMI fall 81 the year.
Three or four years ago the lighthouse
board designed plans for a skeleton struc-