Evening star., 1901-09-21
ENGLISH LIGHT ,[s HOUSE Il USE KEEPERS.
Severe and Amusing Incidents or
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severe ana Amusing Incidents OF
q g.. -E.ss 4 Their heir Ssryice.sd, NJ: s.sYr
During the storms that rage lintermitt ent-
ly around our. coast in winter, the lands
mans mind turns In sympathy toward
those who in ship or lifebaat are fighting
the waves for dear life But how often
does he give one thought to the men who
immure themselves to the light houses that
stud our coast line? --
It would rather spend my life in a penal
settlement than be light house keeper"
declared man to the writer. after visit
to the Bishop light house. off the Cornish
coast. "a convict does see little of the
world he lives in, but a light house keeper
sees nothing but dreary expanse of
water. 1 am not surprised that many OF
them should lose their mental balance"
The visitor to the Bishop light house did
not over-color the picture. 1t was only the
other day that one read Of the Longships
light house. 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, hops and tea leaves, though, for
tunately, they had not wanted for food.
The keepers of the famous Eddystone
light house not infreQuently find themselves
in a similar predicament. In a gale the
waves that buffet themselves against this
wonderful monument to the engineering
skill of the country are Of such stupendous
magnitude that they rise to a height of
two hundred feet, and sweep right over the
lantern. To those cooped up inside the
sound of these waves is like that Of a bat
terry Of guns at close quarters. AT such
times the house shakes like a tree with a
man on the top Of it, was the graphic de-
scription of one who spent many years OF
his life there.
The new Eddystone is the roomiest and
most comfortable Of all our rock light
houses. A sectional view of it shows the
various compartments, commencing at the
bottom with the water tank, then the en-
trance, the two oil receptacles, the store
room, the crane, the living apartment, the
low light, the bed room and the service
room in the order named. Formerly only
two keepers were employed in the light
house, but grim incident resulted in their
number being increased. One of the two
men died. So fierce ran the seas that the
remaining keeper could not get the body OF
his late 'cemrade to the shore. For month
the tempeStuouS weather continued, and
for a month the surviving keeper lived
alone in the solitary place with the body
as his only companion He was afraid to
cast it into the waves, for he might be
accused of murder.
Keepers of rock light houses do not last
long. The incessant pounding of the waves
against the building, the loneliness, the
want of fresh air and exercise reduce the
men to a state Of nertbushess that is some
times pitiful to behtJldIs rThey require a
fortnight's leave every IsiS weeks, but this
liberal allowance dSes little to improve
their physical state 1sAonsedfcai man whose
duty It is to pay perfeHiehe visits to one of
these light houses c0hfesses that there is
no remedy for the iIlsopeeHiar to the keep
ers, except retfrementoi 3 sEiEz&t~
The utter isolation Of the silent sentinels
of our coast Is well illustrated by the case
Of the Bishop light hovas aforementioned.
which stands right out in: the Atlantic.
Not once In year Is it. calm enough for
the superintendent tonarid his stores at the
light house steps, Thfsy have to be hauled
up by means of a windlsss from above. A
yis5tor e9d ,e enough A. visit the place
one foot in moose at the end OF rope.
which is thrown do&fh ITO his boat. and.
gripping the rope firmlsE above his head. he
is drawn up to the "see off, as the plinth
around the light house is called. Thence
he climbs up perpendicular ladder to the
door of the house.
Superstition adds a terror to the life Of
the men In this light house, for the first
structure was washed away bodily, and the
keepers believe that the rock is haunted.
fear of different kind keeps the men
Of Muckle Flugga light house-the most
northern point of Scotland-on the tenter-
hooks OF terrible suspense. On three oc-
casions the huge black rock on which the
light house stands has been shaken by an
earthQuakei IA
There is something comfcal, though char
acteristic of the stifLnecked Scot, In a
story which comes from a neighboring
light house, which is In charge of two
different families. They live on a desert
island. From year end to year end they
never see visitor, except the man who
brings their stores. Eighteen months ago
the heads of the two families quarreled
and ever since they have ceased to speak.
AT the shore light house OF UShinish the