The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-23
LOOKS DEATH IN
THE FACE DAILY
The Crew on the Lightship
Off Hatteras.
GRAVEYARD OF ATLANTIC
all Efforts to Construct a Light House
Have Resulted in Failure.
IA MUTlNY ON LIGHTSHlP NUMBER II
The Captain Was Practically Prisoner on His
Own Ship Several Months. When
Ashore He Painted the
Town Red.
GRAVEYARD OF ATLANTIC
ali Efforts to Construct a Light House
Have Resulted in Failure.
A MUTINY ON LIGHTsHlP NUMBER Z
Town Red.
Especial to the Record Herald

Especial to the Record Herald)
Washington, June 1.-THE most ardu-
Gus and the most dangerous duty per-
formed by employees of the United States
government is that of the officers and
crew of the lightship on Diamond Shoals,
which extend about thirteen miles into the
ocean off Cape Hatteras, directly in the
path of vessels bound between the north
ern and southern ports of the United
States, the West Indies and South Amer
lea. This region is known as 1.-The grave
yard of the Atlantic" because of the
many ships that have gone down there,
and the hundreds of lives and the mil
lions of dollars worth of vessels and
cargoes that have been lost there. 1t is
the most dangerous place for navigation
in the entire Atlantic, for there the
northeast and the northwest winds meet
and combine their forces, while frequent
fogs, cross currents, under currents and
shifting sands add to the dangers. BY a
glance at the map it will be noticed that
the continent projects into the sea and
the shoals extend so far from the land
that shippers are compelled to stand out
and increase the length Of their voyage
TO escape them. a.
LOOK DEATH IN THE FACE DAILY.
BEING thirteen miles from land a light
house on the shore would be useless, but
it is necessary to keep some sign to
warn ships of the shoals and the task Of
furnishing it has given the government
more trouble and anxiety than any other
problem. The various attempts to solve
it furnish the most interesting and ex-
citing chapter in the history of the light
house service. 1t has seemed as if the
storm dragon was determined to maintain
and defend the evil reputation Of the
place. lghthship is kept there con-
stantly There are two vessels built es-
| pecially for this purpose. They carry
crews of fourteen officers and men-a
| captain, mate, engineer, cook and ten sail
ors. The captain receives a salary of
| 500 month, the engineer $50. the mate
| SIS, and the men $50 a month as COM
pensation for perpetual imprisonment
| within hulk that is continually tossing
| about on the waves and in constant dan
| ger of being run into by other vessels in
| fog or blown ashore in a gale These
men look death in the face daily, but
| their isolation and idleness are more DIFF
| ficult to endure than the dangers to which
| they are exposed. Imagine men who live
| in a gale of wind all their lives. They
| cannot stand it more than three months
| at time If they were confined on the
| boat much longer they would probably go
| crazy There was a mutiny on mo.
| IL year or SO ago, when it was kept
| out for five months, until mo. r." its
| relief ship, was completed
| CAPTAIN JEALOUS OF HIS DIGNITY.
| The cause of the mutiny was trivial
| and was the result of nervous irrita-
| ton, caused by the unexpected delay in
| the arrival of the other boat. AS one
would naturally suppose, men who are
| willing to accept such employment do not
| possess 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 playing 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 sympathy of the engineer and
| the two waited upon the captain and 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 mo. ~
/ came out to relieve them and mo. II
went back to Norfolk. Upon the arrival
| there the captain and everybody else or
| board relieved their nervous strain by
| going off and getting drunk and painting
| the town red.
When the inspector heard of their ar
| rival and went down to the ship he found
| it deserted by everyone except James
| Adams, the mate, who formerly sailed
/ from Chicago, who was reasonably sober
! Therefore his mutiny was not only for
| given, but he was promoted to the com
J mand of the ship. The captain was dis
charged for getting drunk with his crew
| although one cannot help feeling a little
| sympathy with him because of his un.
| strung nerves. He had been out twt
| months longer than usual, and the season
| had been one of the stormiest ever known
| Sometimes he did not have a nights sleeI
for days at time nor dry clothing. Blu
discipline is discipline and the lighthouse
service cannot tolerate a captain who viii
| get drunk under any circumstances.
| SEA IS TOO ROUGH FOR LIGHTHOUSE
The first lightship was sent out on th'
shoals in the early 20s. 1t was a schoon
er-rigged vessel anchored in the sand b.
sunken cable, and carried the best ligh
that could be provided at that time. Sh,
rode the gales successfully for a few
months, but then the cable parted and sh,