The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1904-11-26

STATION - SOMETHING ABOUr
MASSACHUSETTS NOW DIS
MANTLED D-TURTL LE.HUNTING-
TREASURE TRovE LEGENDS
ISLAND WAS ONCE HOME Oh
PIRATES.
BY MARY ABARR.. ~
GuIfport, Miss, Nov. f9.--All tn,
towns along Mississippi Sound in th,
radius OF twenty miles claims as its yer,
own Ship Island. Its white sand dune
are covered, underlaid and intorminglet
with history and legends fraught with
the deepest interest, It's sort has been 4
coast defense in the years gone by and
i,s light now guides the ships from oyeI
the seas into the safest harbor in the
world. A landlocked harbor sheltered
from the West Indian and tropical
storms that play such havoc among the
islands Of the Antilles and frequently
the mainland bordering on the coast.
Ship Island is visited By mora people
than any Island along this coast and ali
who make the voyage to its shores are
glad that they went and long for the
time to come when they may go again
II was in 1890 that Iberville and Bien
vile first landed on the Gulf Coast
Tradition iias 1t that they fret landed on
Ship Island, where they remained some
time before finding that the strip OF
land they occupied was surrounded by
water. A Franciscan priest was in the
company-a Godly ana dcvout man
While yet out at sea he was taken criti-
cally i'll and realized that he must die.
He prayed earnestly that he might reach
the land before dying, that the sharks
might not consume his body If cast into
the water. The vessels reached Ship
Island, but here the man OF God found
new terror TO harrass his dying mo-
ments. The vuitures were sailing in
the cir above the island, and he felt that
when his body was consigned TO the
sand 1t would be devoured by these sea-
yengers. Again he prayed that no vul-
tuae or other bird Of prey be allowed to
come near his remains. He. died and
was buried in the sand near the western
end Of the island. From that day to
this no vulture has eyer been seen TO
light on Ship Island. Lighthouse keep
efs who have been there for quarter OF
century, and Government officials who
have been meeting the incoming ships
there for years have never seen vulture
stop for meal on the island. One of
the light keepers thought he was going
4 10 see the tradition broken one day, but
he did not. The bird poised his wings
and flew low as though to light on a
q piece OF wreckage, but suddenly, as
though frightened by some unseen thing,
q II tapped it's wings and took it's flight
upward and away.
81 Vultures alight on Cat Island, on the
Chandeleurs, on Horn Island, and in fact
they are frequent visitors to the islands
Of the Gull Of Mexico with the lone ex-
ception OF Ship Island. Scientists can
offer no solution Of the problem, but
christian people believe that the deyout
Franciscan prayed in faith, believing
and was answered according to the prom
ise Of God.
Ship Island is twelve miles long, but
snarrow. Some places it Is not more
man half a mile wide, but in other
places it is over mile across. Its shape
Is such that the vessels moored on the
north side Of the island are protected
nom the West Indian storms SO com
petely that In the most destructive
Horms that have yet been known ship
nas never been damaged. The northern
snd Of the island has tall pine trees upon
The same as grow on the mainland.
ihe western half Of the island is sue
oession Of sand hills that change with
uery wind. Sometimes they are peaked
" 70 goOd-sized hills and possibly the
asn day they are mere hillocks.
QUARANTINE STATION.
Inc Quarantine. Station is on the east
y END OF the island. The government
here.
& Mar.
'any years ago the Quarantine Sta
''a was located on the Chandelier Is
naos, but the West Indian hurricane oi
~ swept the station away and many
Es''Ons lost their lives there. After
10y " was established again on Ship
sanu' where all the modern conven-
4'oS are enjoyed. There is commo-
w 'wo-story cottage for the doctor in
Eye eonValescent hospital, servants
4''rS and fqmigatiug plant. Grope-
~ ana pr1visions are brought oui
WV me stores on the mainland at BIZ
= sna Gulfport, and the fish, fresh
w me water, is theirs for the catch
Ihey furnish both amusement and
Inc station has its own oyster
~. and the physicians may have fresh
@'s every day if they desire. The
'Oi artesian water furnishes the sta
m'a drinking water.
ne visitors the western part Of the
~ = most interesting. 1t is there
lenthopse and the old fort are To-
~ ana it is there that legend ant
nVe their foundation. The Yves
araptine station for vessels
pOl.nieN tied ports and the docto