Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1907-06-27

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Our Night at the Lighthouse
written especially for the Missouri
Valley Times by Mrs. Frank TriendD
An invitation to spend the
night of June third at the
lighthouse! Heigho! And it
came about through the light
keepers daughters being in
Robins grade in the school.
Mrs. Robert Haines ian ex-Iowa
school teacher) and her daugh-
ter Norma had invitations for
the same night, and the four
of us with the keepers chill
dren as our guides, set out
about the middle of the after
noon.
We boarded a Southern Pa
cific train and were soon at
Point San Pablo. About three
quarters of a mile off the shore
at this place there rises from
the sea two great, rugged
rocks called "The Brothers. {"
On the larger rock stands the
east Brother Lighthouse. /"
Tied to the side of a lumber
schooner lying at the wharf
was the "Whitehal]," in which
Mr.. Stenmark, the keeper, and
his assistant were to take us.
After vainly trying to get us
over the side of the schooner
down into the boat, and having
the gunwale broken by the
strong tide beating the smaller
against the larger vessel, they
gave up and moved farther
down the wharf. There, by
the use of a strong plank, the
help of one man in the boat
and the other on the wharf, we
managed to get aboard.
For genuine, never-to-be-for-
gotten experience, take a row
boat against a high tide and a
strong wind as we did that af-
ternoon. Down in a trough of
the sea, now up on the crest of
a wave with the spray dashing
over us-away we go We re-
member Lord Byron's quota
tion: 'Roll on, thou dark and
deep blue ocean, roll! !" For a
short time | fervently wished |
could compel the waves to "roll
on" and also out of my sight
forever. And as / looked down
into the angry deep shuddered
to think what a frail shsl II lay
between US and eternity. Mrs.
Haines saidshe was frightened.
| said: "Oh, don't mind, Just
look at those awful waves!
What a dreadful thing it must
he to be lost at sea J" Of
course that was thoughtful of
me and cheered her up some
what. And the fact that a
yacht had capsized not far
from that place the day before
was also consoling. | had a
sort of a weak like feeling in
my own knees but | am sure
THAT was caused by the jump |
made getting into the boat.
We certainly know what it
means to be drifting with the
tide" the men at the oars pull
ing away for dear life.
A steamer passed and from
the bridge, as we'll as deck, we
saw the spy glasses turned on
our little craft. We waved at
them and they gave us a salute.
Since we were but little more
than half an hour going over |
cannot understand why it
SEEMED so terribly, fearfully
long. At the steps leading
down from the lighthouse
wharf we were met by Mrs.
Stenmark, who gave us a royal
welcome. After We had
watched the pulling up of the
boat and the steps leading down
to the waters edge, the keeper
said: ''Now, the drawbridge is
up and we are safe in our castle
from all the world outside. !"
And indeed we were, for,
although not so very far from
the "maddening crowd" yet
there were pillows of water be-
tween and the drawbridge
(stairway) was up as the keeper
said and, earring earthquakes)
we were safe in the citadel.
This great rock on which the
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