The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-09-06
EVERY SHIP SAlUTES HER.
Twenty Years Vigil Of Lonely Woman
on Savannah River.

Line steamer City OF Columbus was
| picking her way carefully up the mar
| row channel of the Savannah river.
the passengers on deck were surprised
TO hear Captain Burg give three long
| blasts OF the steamers whistle. Their
/ were no steamers in sight, and those
on deck were naturally curious To
know what the skipper was blowing al.
A young woman started for the bridge
| TO find out, but she was restrained by
fellow passenger who said the cap
| tain was too busy at that moment TO
| tell why he saluted. If you will take
this marine glass he said. 'and look
on the south shore you will most like
ly see woman waving a white flag
from the porch of that little white
cottage"
II was some minutes before the
young woman was able 10 focus the
glass on the cottage, and the steamer
had gone about three hundred fathoms
beyond the place where the three
blasts were blown.
I've found it," said the girl with
the glass excitedly. II can see the
woman waving the flag. She is wav-
ing it now"
Yes" observed the man who owned
the glass, "and she will continue 10
wave it until we are completely out of
sight"
After many passengers had taken
their turn for a look at the white cot
tage the curious young woman again
wanted TO know why the ship had
whistled three times.
II thought you knew by this time
said the man. You saw the woman
wavingf didn't you?'
"Oh! | see," she replied. How sill
ly of me not to have seen it before!
OF course, the woman waving the flag
on the porch is the captains wife"
The man replied You'd better not
let the skipper hear you say that"
We'll, why did he salute the woman
of the white cottage? Is she the own
er of the line, or does he salute every
body who waves a flag to him along
the Savannah river?"
Not at ALL" said the man, who by
this time had the entire passenger
| complement for an audience. THE
woman whom Captain Burg saluted
| few minutes ago is recognized by
every skipper who passes up and down
| the river, and for the last twenty years
no steamer has passed Tybee light
that has not saluted her as she waved
TO 1t from the porch.
How about the tramp steamers
that have never been to Savannah be-
| fore?" broke in one of the men in the
group. How can they salute when
they don't know it is customary to
answer her signal?'
Easy enough" replied the man who
owned the glass Every tramp steam
er that comes in or goes Out Of Savan-
nah, night or day, has to. take on pi-
lot, and leave it to the pilot to answer
that white flag on the porch of the
white cottage"
But she surely doesn't wave to
steamers at night?" remarked the
young woman. f
Il should say she does. That little
woman keeps track of all the steamers
bound for and scheduled to leave Sa-
vannah, and unless she goes up TO the
city shopping there isn't one gets
| past her"
But why does sbe do it," asked the
! young woman, earnestly.
We'll, now, you've got me- sighed
the man with the glass. II don't know
| that | ever heard the correct story or
the woman's faithful vigil. Some say
she lost lover on deep water tramp
| a
saluted every steamer in respect to
| his memory. Others say the passing
| of ships in the night or in the day is
| the only diversion that ever comes to
| that Godforsaken marsh where the
cottage stands"
| What is her name?' asked the
woman. I'm going down to see her
| when | get TO Savannah.
Her name is Miss Mortus," said
/ the man with the glass I've forgot
| ten her first name. She lives there
with her mother and her brother. The
brother is in charge of the range lights
on Elba island"
Two weeks later, as the City OF
! Memphis was steaming by the white
! cottage on the south marsh the same
]
young woman waved small American
| flag from the bow, and after Captain
Dryer gave the customary three toots
of the siren a tiny American flag was
waved from the porch of the white
cottage. Rushing back TO her state
room the woman scribbled hasty
note and gave it to the purser to be
posted on arrival in New York
There's great material for a novel
on Elba island" she whispered TO her
roommate. "and the waving of that
/ little American flag from the white
\ cottage on the marsh was signal that
| was free TO write the story."-New
/ York Tribune.
Dr. warre, late headmaster OF Eat
on College. has been presented with an