Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-09-07
A DREARY EXISTENCE
THE LONELINESS OF THE ENGLISH
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS.

At the Bishop station the SentiDe1
That Lights the Waves Lives In Al
most Utter Isolation "A Services
with Few Enticing Features.
During the storms that rage intermit-
tently around the English coast in WIZ
ter the landsman's mind turns in syus
pathy toward those who in ship or Gfs-
boat are fighting the waves for drar
life. But how often does he give ont
thought to the men who immune thezD-
selves in the lighthouses that stud ths
coast?
l would rather spend my life in 4
penal settlement than be a lighthouse
keeper" declared a man to the write-
after visit to the Bishop lighthouse,
off the Cornish coast. "A convict does
see little of the world he lives in, but
a lighthouse keeper sees nothing but 4
drcary cXpanse Of water. am not sur
prised that many of them should LOSE
their mental balance"
The visitor to the Bishop lighthouse
did not overcolor the picture. 1t Was
only the other day that one read Of the
Longships lighthouse. also off the COAST
of Cornwall. having been completely
isolated for many weeks in consequence
Of fearful storms. The keepers had
been reduced to smoking coffee, bCFs
and tea leaves, though, fortunately.
they had not wanted for food.
The keepers Of the famous Eddystons.
lighthouse not infrequently find them
selves in a similar predicament. In
gale the waves that buffet themselves
against this wonderful monument Is
the engineering skill Of the country arS
of such stupendous magnitude thar
they rise to height Of 200 feet aua
sweep right over the lantern. To thuss
cooped up inside the sound of thess,
waves is like that of battery of gUDe
at close quarters. Eat such times tbs
house shakes like a tree with max
on the top of it, was the graphic m
scription of one who spent many years
of his life there.
The new E.ddystone is the roomiest
and most comfortable of all our rUcA
lighthouses. A sectional view of II
shows the various compartments, com
mencing at the bottom with the water
tank; then the entrance, the two o.s
leceptacleS. the storeroom. the craIaEv
the living apartment. the low light tlle
bedroom and the service room in fhe
order named. Formerly only tWs
keepers were employed in the i}gs2s-
house, but a grim incident resulted il
their number being increased. One OF
the two men died. So fierce ran tlze
seas that the remaining keeper eou,a
not get the body of his late comrade tk
the shore. For month the tempts1h-
Gus weather continued, and for II
month the surviving keeper lived alone
with the body as his only companion.
He was afraid to cast 1t into tts
waves, for he might be accused Of mur-
der.
Keepers Of rock lighthouses do nn
last long. The incessant pounding q
the waves against the building, the
loneliness. the want of fresh air and
exercise reduce the men to state OK
nervousness that is sometimes pltifuE
to behold. They require a fortnlghrs
leave every six weeks, but this libsrsa
allowance does little to improve thelr
physical state. A medical man whpse
duty it is to pay periodical visits n
one Of these lighthouses confesses Gl1aS,
there is no remedy for the Ills peculiar
to the keepers except retirement.
The utter isolation Of the silent sest~
tinels of our coast is we'll illustrated tSE
the case of the Bishop lighthouse afore--
mentioned. which stands right ont H.
the Atlantic. Not once in year Is IT.
calm enough for the superintendent nv
land his stores at the lighthouse stegs
They have to be hauled up by mssa2
of wndlass from above. A v:s1na
bold enough to visit the place is an
mtted'' in similar way. Tie places
one Tot in a moose ut the end of a rlEs.
which is thrown down to his boat a liz
gripping the rope firmly above his
head. he is drawn up to the ''see IN
as the pliuth around the lighthouse aa
called. Thence he climbs up a yisz<
pend,cular ladder to the door Of flas
house.
Superstition adds terror to the B&w
of the men in this lighthouse. for ths
first structure was washed aw0E
bodily, and the keepers believe that t!1s
rock is haunted. A fear of differenl
kind keeps the men Of Muckle FlnggS
lighthouse. the most northern point Of
Scotland, on the tenterhooks Of terri
bic suspense. On three occasions flaE
huge black rock on which the liyrs
house stands has been shaken by al
earthquake.
There is something comical, Though
characteristic Of the stiff necked Scsx,
in IA story which comes from a neigh
boring lighthouse which Is the charws
Of two famiiesa They live on leSerr
island. From year end to year sna
they never see visitor except tbs gnax.
who brings their stores. EighSlasds
months ago the heads Of the two flank
lies quarreled, and ever since they hare
ceased to speak.