Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-08-16
The Lighthouse
Keeper


dered. squarely-built man promenaded
along the quays Of the little fishing vii !
iage on the Island Of Pelvorm. He
was dressed In Z black Prince. Albert
coat. white vest and atovepipe hat
when he walked along the quays, but
z. when he disappeared he took up his
vocation Of attending the lighthouse
on Bishops rock.
Why ne had entered this branch Of
the government service have never
been able to find out. Now. at the age
Of forty-nine. he was filed with a hor-
ror OF the sea. and the Prince Albert
coat. which he wore during his week
on. he put on as protest against his
work. Nothing gave him more pleas
ure than to be taken for 4 drummer.
Ziegler was his name. o..
The sea is as smooth as 4 polished
floor" he said to me one day when we
were sitting together on the shore
looking westward to where the light
house was dimly visible against the
sky, "but the sea Is treacherous. !,
Around Bishops rock there are un-
dertows, currents and eddies which
nobody knows. Fortunately | have
only one more winter to spend there.
though II would be just like my luck
II the old tower should blow down this
winter in storm from northwest"
He voiced the general opinion OF the
islanders. The former lighthouse had
been swept away by the waves, and
although the new one had been stand
ing for several years. every one knew
that a fog-horn situated sixty feet
above the rock had been carried away
by the foaming waves during a stormy
night
Ziegler trembled and stood up.
: THANK the Lord, | have only one
more winter to spend out there" he
said.
"And them" l queried.
"Then am to be transferred to the
North Foreland lighthouse and will be
able to live ashore with my wife and
| boy. BY the way. wanted to speak
to you about Leopold. He will soon
finish school. and what are We to do
with him then? Come along home
with me and have a chat with my wife
and the boy"
Frau Ziegler was red-cheeked,
/ buxom matron. whom no one would
suspect Of morbid ideas. but she. new
ertheless. shared her husbands horror
Of the sea.
at seems a miracle that It has not
blown down" she said, "for II looks
to me like challenge to God"
Then We talked about the boy and
, his prospects.
81 hope to meet you next year." I
said when I left. Il shall call on you
in your new home, Zlegler"
'If the lighthouse does not topple
over this winter" he replied.
The lighthouse did not topple over
that winter, but Zlegler was not
transferred TO North Foreland light.
Two years passed before I returned.
But one day In spring once more Wis
tied the island, and my first walk took
me through the little cemetery. A
new tablet In the wall caught my eye.
| read the inscription. It said that
Ziegler had died the year before on
Christmas night. or his death the in.
scription gave no information.
| walked slowly toward the little
fishing village and lnvoluntarily turn.
ed my steps toward the signal house
on the cliff. | was so filed with
thoughts OF Zlegler that / was not at
all surprised to find his wife there,
staring toward the lighthouse as of
old.
IL had heard nothing about t." I
said as shook her hand.
Then she told me how her husband
disappeared.
On Christmas eve the light was to
have been lit at four o'clock, but the
minutes passed and at half past the
Bishops rock was still dark. On the
island people realized that something
had happened and the cutter was
made clear.
or the three men in the lighthouse
only two were found. They said that
Ziegler had taken the day watch while
the other slept. He was to call them
a little before four. bu: when they
woke up II was dark and Zlegler was
not about.
When they lit the light they saw
that he had made an entry in the
Journal at $40 that schooner was in
sight. They looked, everywhere, final
ly descending the spiral stairway. The
lower door was open. From this
narrow iron ladder led down to the
little landing.
There was only ore explanation.
ziegler must have gone out on the
iron ladder, then stumbled and fallen
into the sea.
This is what Frau Ziegler told me
and ! wondered why she should want
to 80 on living here.
She shaded her eyes with her hand
and stared across the sea.
There Is the cutter from the light.
house" she said. Come down to the
harhor with me and shake hands with
Leopold. He is third man on the
Bishop now"
you are surprised" she went on as