The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-09-04
A DREARY EXISTENCE
THE LONELINESS OF THE ENGLISH
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS.

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS.
At the bishop Stntion the sentinel
That Lights the Waves Lives In Al
most Utter Isolation A service
With Few EnticinE Features.
During the storms that rage intcrmit.
teutly around the English coast In win,
ter the landsman's mind turns In sym.
pathy toward those who In ship or life.
boat are lighting the waves for dear
life. But how often does he give one
thought TO the men who immurc them
selves I'm the lighthouses that stud the
coast?
l would rather spend my life In n
penal settlement than be lighthouse
keeper" declared "A man to the writer
after visit To the Bishop lighthouse,
Off the Cornish coast. "a convict does
see n little of the world he lives In, but
lighthouse keeper secs nothing but II
dreary cXpanse of water. am not sur
prtssd that many of them should lose
their mental balaSce."
The visitor To the Bishop lighthouse
did not ovcrcolor the picture. 1t was
only the other day that enc 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, hops
and tea leaves. though, fortunately,
they had not wanted for food.
The keepers of the famous Eddystone
lighthouse not infrequently find them
selves in n similar predicament. In n
gale the waves that buffet themselves
against this wonderful monumcnt to
the engineering skill of the country are
of such stupendous magnitude thnt
they rise to n height of 200 feet and
sweep right over the lantern. To those
eooped up inside the sound of these
waves IL like that of II battery of guns
Mt close quarters. AT such times the
house shakes like tree with man
ON the top of IT," was the graphic de
serlptlon of one who spent many years
of his life there,
The new Eddystone Is the roomlesi
and most comfortable of all our rock
lighthouses. 4 sectional view of It
shows the various compartments. com
menelnE at the bottom with the wnter
tank; then the entrance, the two oil
teeeptacles, the storeraom, the crane.
the living apartment. the low light, the
bedroom and the service room in The
order named. Formerly only two
keepers were employed In the light.
house. but II 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 n month the tcmpestu-
Gus weather continued, and for II
month the surviving keeper lived alone
with the body as Ills only companion.
lie was afraid To east 1t into the
waves, for he might be accused of muir.
der
Keepers of rock lighthouses do not
last long. The incessnnt pounding of
the waves against the building, the
loneliness, the want Of fresh air and
tAtIfINt lfNluNt ilit llflt W u blult OI
nervousness that IL sometimes pltful
to behold. They require Il fortnlght's
leave every six weeks, but this liberal
allowance does little to improve their
physical state. A medical man whose
duty ii IL To pay periodical visits TO
one of these lighthouses confcsscs that
there Is no remedy for the ills peculiar
IN a
The utter isolation OF the silent sen
tlnels of our coast Is well illustrated by
the ease 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 Mt the lighthouse steps.
They have to be hauled up by means
of wlndlass from above. A visitor
bold enough to visit the place IL "ad.
mittcd" In n similar way. lie places
one fot In II moose at the end Of rope,
which Is thrown down TO his boat, and,
gripping the rope firmly above his
head, he is drawn up 10 the "scc OFF,"
as the plnth around the lighthouse IL
called. Thence he climbs up per.
Il'l'itl W illt NObI VI wv
house
Superstition adds n terror to the life
Of the men IN this lighthouse, for the
first structure was washed away
bodily, ana the keepers believe that the
rock Is haunted. A fear of different
kind keeps the men of Mucklc Flugga
lighthouse, The most northern point of
l. 1. -.
bic suspense. on three occasions the
huge black rock on which the Hight
house stands has been shaken by an
earthquake
There Is something comlcal. though
Characteristic of the stiff ncckcd Scot,
In story which comes from n neigh
boring lighthouse which is the charge
of two families. They live on desert
island. From year end to year end
they never see n visitor except the man
who brings their stores. Eighteen
months ago the hcads Of the two fam-
lies quarrclcd, and ever since they have
ceased to speak.
At the shore lighthouse Of Ushinlsh
the keepers family has to travel 10
miles to kirk" 1t Is no reflection on
their plety to add that they are not
regular attendants.
a lighthouse keeper receives n mnxi-
mum wage Of E75 n year, out Of which
he has TO supply his own ratlons. These
consist of such unappetlzlng ediblcs Ms
timed beef and hard biscuits, usually
washed down with weak tea and con
densed milk. No intoxicating liquors
are allowed. London Mall.