The Washington times., 1901-08-18

The most arduous and the most dan
gerous duty performed by employees of the
United States Government is that of the
officers and crew OF the lightship on Dia-
mond Shoals, which extend about thirteen
miles into the ocean OFF Cape Hatteras,
directly in the path Of vessels bound be-
tween the northern and southern ports OF
the United States, the West Indies, and
South America
This region is known as the graveyard
of the Atlantic" because of the many
ships that have gone down there and the
hundreds of lives and the millions OF dol
lars worth OF vessels and cargoes that
have been lost there. 1t is the most dan
gerous place for navigation in the entire
Atlantic. for there the northeast and the
northwest winds meet and combine their
forces, while frequent fogs. cross cur
rents, undercurrents, and shifting sands
add to the dangers.
BY glance at the map it will be no
ticed that the continent projects into the
sea, and the shoals extend so far from
the hand that shippers are compelled to
stand out and increase the length of their
yoya ge to escape them.
Being thirteen miles from land. a light
heuEe on the shore would be useless, but
it is necessary to keep some sign n warn
ships eff the shoals and the task of fur
nishing 1t has given the Government more
trouble and anxiety than any other prob
lem.
The various attempts to solve 1t fur
nish the most interesting and exciting
chapter in the history of the lighthouse
service. 1t has seemed as If the storm
dragon was determined to maintain and
defend the evil reputation of the place.
A Iightship is kept there constantly.
There are two vessels built especially for
this purpose. They carry crews OF four
teen officers and men-a captain, mate,
engineer. cook, and ten sailors. The cap
tain receives a salary of 800 month, the
engineer $50. the mate SO. and the men
$50 a month, as compensation for perpet-
ual imprisonment within a hulk that is
constantly tossing about on the waves and
in constant danger of being run into by
other vessels in a fog or blown ashore in
a gale.
These men look death in the face daily,
difficult to endure than the dangers to
which they are exposed. Imagine men
who live in gale of wind all their lives.
They cannot stand it more than three
months at a time. II they were confined
on the boat much longer they would prob
ably go crazy. There was a mutiry on
No. Al year or so ago, when it was kept
ont for five months, until No. Y, its re-
lief ship, was completed.
The cause of the mutiny was trivial and
was the result of nervous irritation,
caused by the unexpected delay in the ar
rival of the other boat. As one would
naturally suppose, men who are willing
to accept such employment do not pos
sess 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
surroundings.
The captain reproved the mate for play
ling cards with the sailors. He thought
it was a sacrifice of dignity and injurious
to the discipline of the ship. The mate
brooded over the matter, excited the SYM
psthy Of the engineer. and the two waited
upon the captain ana told him that he
was putting on airs. The captain drew
his revolver. The engineer and the mate
disarmed him and concealed the weapon.
The crew sympathized with them. and the
captain was practically a prisoner on his
own ship until No. Y came out to relieve
them and No. Il went back to Norfolk.
Upon the arrival there the captain and
everybody else on board relieved their
nervous strain by going OF and getting
drunk and painting the town red.
When the inspector heard of their
rival and went down TO the ship he
found, il deserted by every one except
James Adams the mate. who was rea-
sonab.y sober. Therefore his mutiny was
not only forgiven. but he was promoted
TO the command of the ship.
The captain was discharged for getting
drunk with his crew, although one can
not help feeling a little sympathy with
him, because of the 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 discipline is
"A nEtrff.a
not tolerate captain who will get drunk
under any circumstances.
The first hghtship was sent out on the
shoals in the early 20s. 1t was a schooner
rugged vessel, anchored in the sands by a
sunken cable, and carried the best light
that could be provided at that time. She
months, but then the cable parted and she
was blown ashore in a great storm and
lost with all on board.
Other lightships have met with the
same fate. 1t has been SO difficult to
maintain them that repeated attempts
have been made TO build a lighthouse on
the reef, but no structure that human
skill can devise has thus far been able TO
survive the terrific force of the waves
that are blown up by the West Indian
hurricanes that come from the Caribbean
Sea in the spring and fall of the year.
Three or four years ago the lighthouse
board designed plans for skeleton struc-
ture of steel that would offer as little re-
sistance as possible to the waves and
Nln1S ana De fastened Dy DOuS running
thirty-three feet into the rocks of the
reef. The light was IL be 100 feet above
the waves. The contract made the build
ers responsible for a year. II their light
house survived that long the Government
was to pay for IL. If not, they were TO
receive no compensation.
They built big caisson 100 feet square
loaded it with stone and sunk 1t on the
reef. but a storm swept II away within
twenty-four hours. They tried again and
again. and after wasting years work
and Sl0o.0co they gave up the job and the
idea of building stationary lighthouse
was abandoned.
Lightship No. 81 was supposed to be ca
pable of resisting any kind of attack from
the elements. She was the stoutest craft
ever built, as stout as the whaierS that
her place by immense mushroom an
Choir, but nevertheless-as / have already
told you-a storm tossed her ashore as il
she were shingie.
The lighthouse engineers were sur
prised al her fate. and then went TO work
to build bigger and heavier lightships,
which are known No. Il and Y. They
are built Of thick steel plates. us feet
long and Is feet deep, with three decks.
and are divided by bulkheads into i've
compartments, so that If they should be
stove In or spring leak at any part they
would stin float. They cost $4,000 each
The berthrooms, Hving-rooms, and galley
are comfortably furnished and well
warmed 20 withstand the cold gales OF
winter The entire stowage capacity is
filled with coal and other supplies so that
they can maintain themselves Indefinitely
Rising from the main deck are two hol-
low steel masts, carrying wires Ter six
lvt candiepower electric lights 100 feet
above the water, which are the most DOW
erful displayed by any lightshfp In the
world, and are visible for a distance of
eighteen miles. The electrical apparatus
Is re-enforced by old-fashioned oil lamps
10 be used In case of a breakdown There
is also siren attached TO the whistle for