The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-11-28
BLOWN AWAY.
Pathetic Tragedy of the Recent
Storm in the Gulf.
MANY LIGHT HOUSES

0e Solitary Reefs and Islands Were
Twisted. trImbied or Swspt Into
the Sea, and Their Keepers
aRd Their Families Made
to Suffer.
It was tidal wsve that wrought
the dirsful havoc-that strange and
swful marine pheE omenon, myster.
lous Of origin, which IS the ever pre-.
sent dres6 Of those who Dwell along
:he shores OF the Cult Of Mexico.
TIE news 6ispatche lave to!6 oi
che mischief that was done dnring the
recent series Ct hurricanes OF that
cast; OF the enormous destruction Of
property, and Of The great number q
human lives lost. But IN sil this bis
sory Of -rsredy the most striking snd
romantic festure has bsen the hteIa
wsping out Ct 8 whole series Ct light
stations the very outposts estab blisheo
oy the Government to ksep wstch Upon
g s.ulm neuus, and 10 IesIrslE LueE
rom iEfl;cairg preTentsbIe Gange.
Not on sny known coast Of sGy O.
be continents Wss there ever th3
q1sl Of this spectacle. Between tls
mouth cf She Mississippi River ant
Mobile, A!sbama, 20 less thsn forty
four lighthouse structures were either
uprcoted bodily and topplsd into the
sss, or 20 rscsed and sais!ea 5y t..
mc Aot OF the great wave that chs,
scs aov useless ruins.
Whether Ghey stood on the nsin-
lsnd coast or upon the islands that
fringe it. 1cne could withstand the
weight Of the dreadful sal Of water.
Enough the skul and experience Of
Goyernnelt engineers hsd been
exhausted and had been believ-
ed to have made thsse structures
inpregnable to much fercer pfessurss
Of wind and waves that had ever hsen
recorded, this cstaclysm crushed,
sRisted and otherwise d sabled them,
or even obiiterated with them the
very shoals on which they stood.
In most instances, happily the keep.
ers Of the lighthouses and their fsni-
lies either got away in their own BEATS
u were rescued; but in other cases
we're not so lucky. According to
latest reports received by the Light.
housa Board at Washington, the light
1t East Psscsgoula is gone entirely,
though st that point there was 40 less
of life.
But this vas owing to the extraor-
dinary heroism and persistence OF
Master ss Arms Peterson sno Q1sr-
ternasser Peterson, OF the U,,ited
States revenue cutter Winons. Wnen
the Winons arrived Of the Psscsgou.
IL light there was nothing Left tuj
the tower, which swsyed like flag
staff in q gsle and threatened every
moment to pitch into the ses.
was soon seen by the keeper whoss
wife and two babies had songht re-
fuge in the tower, that uni IS speedy
relief was given them they mus5 BE-
lost. The two petersons embarked in
: snsll best with other member Of
the crew, and after desperate fight
with the waves reached the bass Of
the tower. The keeper threw to
them from the top . line, which he
had carried up. One sfser the other
the two Petersons climbed up the
rope, which dangle6 from the tower.
The wind reached them, hurlsd
them against the building with such
fo,ce as to bruise them badly, aud
they were several times almost com.
pellsd to loose their hold upon
the rope, but they finally reached the
top, and then they lowered to the
men waiting below, first the two
babies, then the keepers wife, and
then the keeper himself. When sll
these had been saved, the two nsn
slid down the rope and returned to
the Winona.
At Sand Island the dwelling Of the
keeper has disappeared, together
with all the other buildings on the
island. Not only this, but the island
Itself has vanished. There is no
longer such place OF terra frma IS
Sand Island; and only benz and
twisted tower, torn half ssunder mid.
way OF iss height, to show that while
Il was bsing undermined On one side
the great wave struck It's top on the
other, remains to mark the spot.
Horn Island, too. Is gone; and here
; dreadful tragedy wss enacted. For
it appears that the keeper and his
wife were bosh drowned, together
With two daughters and little grand
laughter. The tidal wave came and
overwhelmed them; and st this mo
nens there Is 3 deep channel where
5he island formerly was. Incidental
=, OF course, the lighthouse has
vanished.
The keeper of tbs Horn Island
light vas Q hardy Sweda named
Charles johnson, and his assistan:
vas his good wife, Kate. She ha
proved herself Efficient In more than
me past emergency, and IS reward
be was appointed not long ago to az
issant keepership at $40 year. Rsr
salary was s770 per year so
he two together received sl.110. In
.ddition they enjoyed an allowance
rom the Government Of three ccrls
i f:sIood, delivered every twelve
months.
In some cases the Government p.o.
ides lighthouse keepers with rations
ut only when they sre so situated as
O be unable to obtain food supplies.
q ehis WY groceries, cured meats,
cme kind Of canned goods are fur.
sshed. But the station kept by John.