Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-11-09
LIGHTHOUSE vIGILs.


the lighthouse keepers along the coast of
Brittany, thinks it strange that any of
them escape insanity. The system of re-
lief that prevails in this country has no
equivalent in the French service. and
with short intervals, months apart,
French lighthouse keeper may spend for
ty years of his life tending the lamps in
one station, with a. single companion
and that station may be on rock out
in the channel or the Bay of Biscav,
which boats can approach only in fine
weather.
As a matter of fact, the men often do
become insane or at least develop mono
mania. Sometimes it takes the form of
hatred of each other
In one case. at Terennec. one of two
men was found by party who came off
from the shore in response to signals
lying dead in hsi bed with long, keen
bladed knife through his heart. His
companions story was that he had COM
mitted suicide after a long period of
melancholia. There was no proof to the
contrary, but after examining the wound
the authorities doubted the truth of the
story.
On another occasion, where father and
son tended an isolated beacon together
the young man was seized with an at
tack of acute mania. When the time
came to light up he planted himself in
front of the stairway TO the lantern and
refused to allow his father to ascend.
The old man attacked his son, and find
ing he could subdue him in no other way,
Ao4 II. fsc.L4 u. III
lives depended might be kindled, stran-
gled him to death. The next day he sig
nailed to the shore for help and gave him
self up to the police, telling what he had
done.
Sickness and death are no strangers in
the lighthouses. There is, ninety-nine
times out of a hundred, no chance of
medical aid and the well man prescribes
from the medicine chest for the sick one
as best he can. He also does double
duty until his partner RECEIVERS or relief
comes.
There are not infrequent cases when
the survivor has to sew up his dead com
rade in a hammock and launch his
weighted body from the rocks into the
sea. Then come long nights of lonely
watching.
In winter time the lamps must be
tended and the clockwork kept going for
fourteen to fifteen hours. The lantern is
unheated except for the glow of the
lamps up in its ceiling and the govern
ment allows the watcher no chair lest he
fall asleep Then when day comes it
brings no rest to the solitary man, for
the lamps must be replenished and glasses
and rehectors polished
1t is no wonder that weird fancies
come to the men. They hear voices call
ing from the sea and see drowned men
and women looking up at them from the
breakers. One of their horrors is OF the
birds that beat against the windows Of
the lantern at night attracted by the
glare.
just as is the case whit American light
houses. the feathered armies that migrate
at night beat against the walls and bal
comics OF the beacons with their wings
and dash against the panes of the Ian
tern. sometimes breaking the glass with
their beaks As their eyes shine in the
glare they seem to express anger or
bloodthirstiness to the men within.
One of the most pitiful stories of light
house life is told of the keeper at -Four
en- Finisterre. who kept all alone sta
ton on an isolated rock j couple of miles
out from the shore, but so surf beaten
that only once a month or 50 was a boat
sent out to it with supplies. The cabin
in which the keeper made his home was
on the shore opposite his lighthouse, and
the recreation he most enjoyed was in
watching it through his telescope. He
could see the people 90 in and out and
the children playing in front Of it.
One dav he saw something fiutterlng
from the doorjamb. He was puzzled.
Then it flashed on him that it was a
crepe and that some one was dead in the
house
Was it his mother, he wondered; OF his
wife or one of his brothers, He counted
the children later in the day and they
were all right.
The wind blew and the water ragged
40 boat could come near him and he
watched the crowd Of sympsthizing
friends come and 60. Then he saw the
funeral
He recognized the cure at the bead q
the procession by his white surplice and
the altar BOYS walking beside him. Then
came the coffin carried by six men.
As the mouTners walked after It ne
strained and strained his eyes trying to
IDENTIFY each and thus determine the
missing one. Bat in vain; all walked