The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-09-13
A DREARY EXISTENCE
THE LONELINESS OF THE ENGLISH
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS.
At the bishop station the sentinel
That Lights the Waves Lives In Al
most Isolation "A Service
with Few EnticIng Features.

During che storms that rage lntermit-
tently around the English coast In win
ter the landsman's mind turns In sym
pathy toward those who In ship or life
boat are fighting the waves for dear
| life. But how often does he give one
| thought 20 the men who lmmure them
selves In the lighthouses that stud the
coastl
Il would rather spend my life in a
penal settlement than be n lighthouse
keeper" declared "a man to the writer
after n visit 10 the Bishop lighthouse
off the Cornish coast. "a convict does
see n little Of the world he lives In, but
a lighthouse keeper sees nothing but a
dreary expanse OF water. am not sur
prlsed that many OF them should lose
their mental balance"
The visitor TO the Bishop lighthouse
did not oyercolor the picture. II was
only the other day that one read Of the
LOngshlps lighthouse, also off the coast
Of Cornwall, having been completely
Isolated for many weeks I'm consequence
OF fearful storms. The keepers had
been reduced TO smoking coffee, hops
and tea leaves, though, fortunately,
they had not wanted for food.
The keepers Of the famous Eddystone
lighthouse not Infrcquently find them
selves In n similar predlcament In n
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 10 height OF 200 feet and
sweep right over the lantern. To those
cooped up inside the sound OF these
waves is like that OF n battery OF guns
nt close quarters. AT such times the
house shakes like tree with man
on the top Of IT," was the graphic de-
scrption Of one who spent many years
Of his life there.
The new Eddystone Is the roomiest
md most comfortable OF all our rock
lighthouses. A sectional view OF II
shows the various compartments, com
mencing at the bottom with the water
tank; then the entrance, the two oil
receptaclcs, the storcroom, the crane,
the living apartment the low light. the
bedroom and the service room I'm the
order named. Formerly only two
keepers were employed In the light
house, but n 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 comrade to
the shore. For month the tempestu-
ous weather continued. and for
month the surviving keeper lived alone
with the body ms his only companion.
He was afraid to cast Il into the
waves, for he might be accused of muir
der.
Keepers OF rock lighthouses 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 n state OF
nervousness that IL sometimes pitlful
10 behold. They require fortnlght's
leave every six weeks, but this liberal
allowance does little 10 improve their
physical state. A medical man whose
duty II Is TO pay periodical visits to
one of these lighthouses confesses that
there Is no remedy for the ills peculiar
20 the keepers except retirement.
The utter isolation OF the silent sen
tlncls OF our coast is well illustrated by
the case of the Bishop lighthouse afore-
mentioned. which stands right out In
the Atlantic. Not once in year Is II
calm enough for the superintendent to
land his stores at the lighthouse steps,
They have TO be hauled up by means
Of wlndlass from above. a visitor
bold enough to visit the place Is "ad
mittcd" I'm similar way. He places
one fot I'm moose ut the end OF rope.
which is thrown down TO his boat. and,
gripping the rope firmly above his
head, he Is drawn up To the "see Off"
ms the plinth around the lighthouse is
called Thence he climbs up per
pcndlcular ladder to the door OF the
house.
Superstition adds a terror TO the life
of the men In this lighthouse, for the
first structure was washed away
bodily, and the keepers believe that the
rock Is haunted. A fear of n different
kind keeps the men of Muckle Flugga
lighthouse. the most northern point OF
Scotland. on the tenterhooks of n terri
hle suspense. on three occasions the
huge black rock on which the light
house stands has been shaken by an
earthquake.
There Is something comlcal though
characteristic OF the stlff necked Scot.
I'm n story which comes from neigh
boring lighthouse which Is the charge
OF two families. They live on n 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 faml-
lies quarreled. and ever since they have
ceased TO speak.
At the shore lighthouse OF Ushinlsh
the keepers family has TO travel 40
miles 10 kirk" IL is no reflection on
their plety to add that they are not
regular attendants.
A lighthouse keeper receives n maxi.
mum wage OF fT5 year. out OF which
he has to supply his own rations. These
consist Of such unappetlzing edibles as
timed beef and hard biscuits. usually
washed down with weak tea and con.
dcnsed milk. No intoxicating liquors
are allowcd.-London Mail.
The children OF different countries
have different tastes. but tin swords
are wanted all over the world.