Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1912-07-05
The Lighthouse
Keeper

dered, squarely-built man promenaded
along the duays of the little fishing VII.
lage on the Island Of Pelworn. He
was dressed in black Prince Albert
coat, white vest and stovepipe hat
when he walked along the quays, but
when he disappeared he took up his
vocation Of attending the lighthouse
on Bishops rock.
Why he had entered this branch of
the government service have never
been able to find out Now, at the age
of forty.nine, he was filled with a .hor.
TOR Of the sea, and the Prince Albert
coat, which he wore during his week
OF, he put on as protest against his
work. Nothing gave him more pleas.
ure than to be taken for drummer.
Zsegler was his name. 800 q.
4 "The sea is as smooth as a 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 IN.
dertows, currents and eddies which
nobody knows. Fortunately I have
only one more winter to spend there,
though It would be just like my luck
If the old tower should blow down this
winter in q storm from northwest"
B. 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 fog-horn situated sixty feet
above the rock had been carried away
by the foaning waves during stormy
night. ....;. ..... g.
Ziegler trembled and stood up. 4
Thank the Lord, I have only one
more winter to spend out there" he
said. ~ ~
"And then?" I 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, I 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" = ~ ''' ~ .-sS.fs$ - y
Frau Ziegler was q red-cheeked,
buxom matron, whom no one would
suspect of morbid ideas; but she, new.
ertheless, shared her husbands horror
Of the sea. fs ~. s'5ss 1.
1T seems miracle that 1t has not
blown down." she said, ..for It looks
Ito me like a challenge to God. S
Then we talked about the boy and
his prospects. II: ss..s IT,; IT,, .
# hope to meet you next year !
said when I left. II shall call On you
( in your new home, Ziegler.'' e
IF the lighthouse does not topple
over this WINTER he replied.
The lighthouse; did not topple over
that winter, but Ziegler was moi
transferred tooNorth Foreland light
Two years passed before I returned.
But one day in spring I 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.
I read the inscription. It said that
,3.zfegler had. died ;.thesyears before ON
Christmas night r KAsi deaAhas tie IN,
scription gave no information, {
walked slowly toward the little
fishing village and involuntarily turn.
Cd my steps toward the signal house
on the cliff. I was so dlled with
thoughts OF Ziegler that was not al
all surprised to ind his wife there,
staring toward the lighthouse as Of
old. Il 81 s.Ss. - .s ri, Il. -
r had heard nothing about It.
said as shook her hand. ~ Il, a4
Then she told me. how her husband
disappeared. g..= ;s.ss. /, 5 .*
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. 3s5.sS 3!ss
@ OF 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, but when they
woke up 1t was dark and Ziegler was
not about. sEi8 en- gs rs Il.
When they lit the light they saw
that, he had made an entry in the
journal at $40 that5a schooner was ii
sight. They looked everywhere. final.
" descending the spiral stairway. The
lower door was open. From this q
narrow iron ladder led down to the
/. little landing.
There was only one explanation
Ziegler must have gone out on the
Iron ladder, then stumbled and fallen
into the sea. az
This Is what Frau Ziegler told me
4 and I wondered why she should want
to go on living here. ,5s; 3ssS
She shaded her eyes with her hand
and stared across the sea.
here Is the cutter from the light.
house, she said. Come down to the
harbor with me and shake hands with
Leopold He Is third man on the
/ Bishop now.
slsi ttYniI arc si11-nrisad 2, she went 0y, a (,