The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1909-10-23

v v it may seem to the
landsman, land Is the
sailors greatest men
ace, especially when beset by fog.
More wrecks are caused by strandings
than by any other cause or by all
other causes combined.
Hence the continual effort of gov
ernments to better their systems of
ghthouses, fog signals and other
aids to navigation.
San Francisco Is one of the most
admirably equipped seaports of the
world In this respect, and numberless
are the wearied mariners who heave
a sigh of relief when the lights, first
or the Farallones, then of Point Bo-
nlta and Fort Point, come In sight.
are picked up" as the sailor himself
says, or, in case Of thick weather.
their fog signals heard. Glad, too. are
tldlngs Of a ships arrival that are her.
aided by the lookout of the San Fran
cisco Merchants exchange stationed.
day and night, in his little sentry box
overlooking the Cliff house and Mile
rock and the sea for miles beyond.
The keepers Of the Fort Point light
Ind of the Merchants exchange gnal
station are interesting characters.
They may we'll be termed the keen.
ers of the Golden gate"
For 80 years John Hyslop has been
the lookout of the Merchants ey-
change. He is to the port Of today
what cid Telegraph hill was to the
1orty.niners. With the aid of his big
telescope, finely adjusted instrument
costing thousands Of dollars, Hyslop
can sight vessel far out a. sea and
classify and name her while she is yet
miles away. He knows every liner.
every steamer, every ship, every lum-
Der carrier. every fishing boat, every
schooner that passes his post A look
at vessels rigging is enough for him
TO Identify her; and remember he is a
iahdsman, or, lacking that, the sound
OF her whistle or note OF bell. For
80 years he has trained his powerful
telescope on the ships of 20 different
countries.
Jim Rankin has been the light
mouse keeper at Fort Point for AZ
years. His hair was brown when he
nrst entered the government service
and undertook tho responsible task OF
warning vessels o. the rockbound
shores OF the Golden gate and guild
ing them safely to the commodious
anchorage within. He Is now griz.
zied, but his eye is as keen and his
nerves as steady and his devotion 10
duty as stern as quarter OF cen.
tury ago In his period of service he
mas seen wondrous changes IN the
maritime life Of San Francisco
When gale is OF there Is aIwava
an oil clad figure and a ruldy faca
under lowered oilskin cap climbir q
he steps from the lighthouse tower to
another one Just opposite. where
haring mouthed trumpet hangs ever
the rocks below. Every 30 min ties
the big lamp must be visited. Every
80 minutes the big machine which
blows breath into the steel and iron
lungs OF the hoarse voiced trjmnet
must be examined and tested ,ba. {,
may bc aacertained If il is wording IN
Its full capacity. The dupllc.te ma.
chine which stands ready To- take nm
the work should any part Ct it's twin
suddenly fail IS KEEP, in perfect coDdi.
ton By daily inspection, bot II IS sci
dom called on to perform extra ar,v
Changes az great ss IL the top,.
graphica and architectural surround
inEs have been observed BY both Hv.
siop and Rankin in the maritime and
commercial conditions Of san Francis
GO bay during thei- long terms OF
service, The decline n sailing tonnage
and the increase OF steam tonnage en-. /
= ing and leaving tie port, the great