The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-13
EVERY SHIP SALUTES HER.
Twenty Years Vigil of Lonely Woman
 on Savannah River.

From the New York Tribune.
 Several weeks ago, as the Savannah
 Line steamer City of Columbus was pick ing her way carefully up the narrow
 channel of the Savannah river, the pas
 sengers on deck were surprised to hear
 Captain Burg give three long blasts to
 the steamers whistle. There were no
 steamers .n sight. and those on deck
 were naturally curious to know what the
 skipper was blowing at. young woman
 started for the bridge to find out, but was
 restrained by a fellow passenger, who
 said the captain was too busy at that
 moment to tell why he saluted. If you
 will take this marine glass, he said,
 and look over on the south shore you
 will most likely see woman waving
 white flag from the porch of that
 little cottage"
 It was some minutes before the young
 woman was able to focus the glass on tho cottage, and the steamer had gone about 300 fathoms beyond the place where the
 three blasts were blown.
 i've found it." said the girl with the
 glass excitedly. She is waving 1t now.
 Yes" observed the man who owned
 the glass, "and she will continue to wave
 it until we are completely out of sight"
 After many passengers had taken their
 turn for a look at the white cottage the
 curious young woman again wanted to
 know why the ship had whistled three
 times.
 q thought you knew by this time" said
 the man. You saw the woman waving, didn't you?"
 "Oh l see" she replied How silly of me not to have seen it before or course, the woman waving the flag on the porch is the captains wife The man replied: You'd better not let the skipper her you say that Why. why did he salute the woman Of hp urbi ita Ia Ia
 the line. or does he salute everybody who
 waves q flag at him along the Savannah , river?"
 Not at all." said the man, who by this
 time had the entire passenger comple-t ment for audience. .'The woman whom l Captain Burg saluted few minutes ago , it recognized by every skipper who passes up and down the river and for the last 20 years no steamer has passed Ty- bee light that has not saluted her as she waved to it from the porch.' But she surely doesn't wave at steam CTS at night?' remarked the young woman.
 { q should say she does. That little
 woman keeps track of all the steamers bound for and scheduled to leave Sayan- nah, and unless she goes up to the city shopping, there isn't one gets past her" But why does she doi it?' asked the young woman earnestly. Well. now, you've got me sighed the
 man with the glass. "I don't know that l ever heard the correct story of the
 woman's faithful vigil. Some say she lost a lover on a deep water tramp 20 years or more ago, and she has salut- ed every steamer in respect to his mem or. 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 "rm going down to see her when I get to Savannah"
 Her name is Miss Mortus,' said the man with the glass. i've forgotten ner first name. She lives there with her
 mother and brother. The brother is
 in charge of the range lights on Elba, Island'' f Two weeks later the City of Mem-
 phls was steaming by the white cottage on the south marsh the same young wom- an waved small American flag from the bow. and after Captain Dryer gave thu customary three toots of the siren, tiny American flag was waved from the porch , of the white cottage. Rushing back to her state room the woman scribbled nasty note and gave it to the purser to be posted on arrival in New York There's great material for novel on Elba island" she whispered to her room-
 mate. "and the waving of that little American flag from the white cottage on
 the marsh was a signal that was free to write the story