The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-07-26
AN OCEAN CEMETERY.
THE MOST DEADLY TRAP FOR SHIPS
IN ALL, THE WORLD.

the Notorious island of Terror. and
the AwfuI Forests That supply II
win Wood In Plenty.
Far out in the Atlantic ocean, on the
northern French coast, almost due west
from Brcst. lies a great rocky island
that Is one n the most deadly traps
for ships in MI the world It is the
Island Of Qucssant the notorious lie
10 rEpouyantc, the island Of terror.
Fare. without n tree to break it's mo
noiony, II lies in the path Of the ships
seeking the English channel. II they
steer too far north, the hundred shoilis
and reefs or the British coast open
their jaws for them. If they san 10"
far south. Qucssant reaches Tor thcir
bones.
Bleak and far away from any other
t,pd nc thr island Of terror Is, II stu!
ms IT'S population. What mysterious
thing Is il which attracts that popula-
Nan md makes It cling? The infre-
nurnt visitor secs funny ilocks Of little
sbccp. scarcely twice us large MS hares.
lie secs small herds of rough coated
r,riIrs almost ns tiny as the sheep.
ms. are the only signs OF productive
ministry tu be seen. There is fishing,
of course, but fishing can be prosccut-
c,l better from the mainland, with less
risk aud II more convenient market.
what is the mysterious attraction,
thcpg So asked Alexander Shuette, the
traveller, when he made his way from
ltc coast Of Brittany 10 Quessant. The
answer came, mt least In part, one even.
Ing when great storm swept in from
the Atlantic and beat mt the shores
with uucXamplcd fury.
lie says: 1.-THE daughter Of my host
css led me mp the narrow staircase to
my room. AS / assembled / noticed,
without rcmurk!ng the oddity of 1t Mt
tile time, that the staircase was OF
rhining oak was ushcrcd into my
room, Il large, low chamber, complete
ii panclcd from top TO bottom. Put
ting Tie lamp on II huge oak table that
sIonr like mirror, shp said:
OF YOU should need more tirewOod,
monsieur, you will find 1t In the next
room. DO not spare it. 1t is bitter
cold. and there will be more than
enough nrcwood in Qucssant In two or
three days Good night
Il sat down before tile blazing fire
and prepared for n coy evening. The
storm ragged In the narrow streets Of
the little village. The surgcs thunder
cd against the granite breast Of the
coast like endless artillery fire, and
sometimes imagined that the very
island trcmblcd under the onslaught
Of the hundreds of millions of tons OF
water.
AS sat listening l gazcd into the
flames. The wood struck me as strange.
Aud then wondered. on the entire
island there is not single tree, and
yet | had been told not to spare fire
wood. There will he more than enough
hi two or three days
II arose and opened the door into the
next room. That room was possibly
% feet high ana was nllcd almost to
the top with timber. First with won
der, then with growing awe, gazcd
1T the piles Of wood. Truly she was
right, the little maid, when she said
that one need not be economical with
iircwo0d On the island of QucSSant.
There were timhcrs of every shape
splintcrcd masIs and spars. planls
from decks and sides, remnants of u
steering wheel, benches from the fore
castle, yellow. black, brown, white and
rcl woods, even two tigurchcads. some