The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05
lIGHTSHIP'S TRIP OYER LAND.
ADVENTURES OF A STRANDED
VESSEL IN OREGON. 2

Driven Ashore In Q Storm. she Passed
Through n Forest and Climbed Hils In
Order 20 Get Back Into the water
Now she Is on Duty Once More.
AZ Lightsbip No. 50 rides at anchor OF
the mouth OF the Columbia River the cap
tain and pilots OF vessels guided by her
look at the craft with more than ordinary
interest.
The lighfahip has been moored In the
Pacific. of the coast OF Oregon and Wash
ington. since she was launched In San
Francisco Bay fifteen years ago, with the
exception of about two years. During
the two years she made o remarkable
yoyage-a trip over land, when she passed
through forests, climbed hills, was moved
along q highway like an ordinary wagon.
It was the luck Of Number 80 to be ex-
posed to a November storm in which the
wind blew seventy-hve miles an hour as
recorded by the instruments OF the Weather
Bureau at the mouth OF the Columbia.
When the storm came up she was moored
about eight miles from the entrance to
The ship ohAnnel leading into the river
held by O mushroom anchor to which was
attached a chain Of iron links two inches In
thickness.
The force Of the wind and waves snapped
the chain. Number 50 is one Of the few
hghtships which are not propelled by their
own steam power, her boiler being used
merely 70 provide, steam to sound her
- inch fog whistle. By ean Of her sails
the crew succeeded in keeping her from
being driven on shore.
The chain snapped at nightfall and In the
AA--tA- - - NtW-a Ar1 q H.ANA--
tender went out 10 her rescue. Lines were
put aboard the Fghtship and she was headed
toward the mouth Of the. river.
The waves and The current tossed the
vessels around. The cables were twisted
under the lightship 90 that she finally broke
away. Three moro efforts were made to
rescue her, but each time tins lines snapped,
and finally the reeouers were obliged to
leave Number so and make for the harbor
TO save themselves.
Left to themselves, the crew OF the light
ship managed to keep enough sail on her
to give her steerage way. Then the cap
tain ran her on a bit OF beach between high,
rocky ~promontories known as MoKenEie
Head and Cape Disappointment. Tho
water was deep enough near the beach
TO throw the lightship so close to the shore
that the life saver shot a rope across her
and rescued the seamen in the breaches
buoy with the aid Of the soldiers stationed
near by ct Fort Candy.
Number 50 was cast 50 far upon the beach
that neither the Government engineers nor
O firm Of contractors who applied for the
Job could pull her into deep water. One
reason was that she was nearly filed with
sand. The Government inspectors found,
however, thai she had been but little dam
aged In spite Of her rough handling by the
wind and ave-
The bit Of beach on which she was thrown
forms part Of a peninsula, the water on
the other side being an arm OF the Pacific
known as Bakers Bay. The question arose
whether the craft could be launched in the
bay IL not in the ocean.
Surveys were made Of the country across
the peninsula, and while it was considered
a dihicult undertaking the engineers be-
lieved that the scheme would be practical
10 enough power could be secured. So
they asked for bids to move the ship over
land and finally found a Arm Of contractors
who were willing to bond themselves to
do the work for $17,5Oo.
Sixteen months had elapsed sinoe that