Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-05
The Lighthouse
Keeper

was dressed IN DIaCh 6IluCe AlDChS
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 hor-
ror Of the sea, and the Prince Albert
coat. which he wore during his week
off. he put on as a protest against his
work Nothing gave him more pleas
ure than to be taken for a drummer.
Ziegler was his name.
"The sea is as smooth as 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 I'M
dertows, currents and eddies which
nobody knows Fortunately | 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 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 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, l have only one
more winter to spend out there" he
said.
"And them" 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 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"
buxom matron. whom no one would
suspect of morbid ideas, but she, new
ertheless, shared her husbands horror
of the sea.
sit seems a miracle that it has not
blown down." she said, 'for it looks
to me like a challenge to God"
Then we talked about the boy and
his prospects.
81 hope to meet you next year." l
said when I left. 81 shall call on you
in your new home, Ziegler"
eff the lighthouse does not topple
over this winter" he replied.
The lighthouse did not topple over
that winter, but Ziegler was not
transferred to North F'oreland light.
Two years passed before l 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.
l read the inscription. 1t said that
Ziegler had died the year before on
Christmas night OF his death the in
scription gave no information.
| walked slowly toward the little
fishing village and inyoluntarily turn
ed my steps toward the signal house
on the cliff. I was so filled with
thoughts of Ziegler that I was not at
all surprised to find his wife there
staring toward the lighthouse as OF
| old
81 had heard nothing about it,"
said as I shook her hand.
Then she told me how her husband
disappeared.
On Christmas eve the light was to
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.
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
little before four, but when they
woke up it was dark and Ziegler 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 a
narrow iron ladder led down to the
little landing.
There was only one explanation.
2iegler must have gone out on the
iron ladder, then stumbled and fallen
into the sea.
This is what Frau Ziegler told me
aud I wondered why she should want
to go 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
harbor with me and shake hands with
leopold He is third man on the
Bishop now"
"You are surprised" she went on as
she looked at me- ''Do you remember
that the last entry that Frederick
made was about a schooner? That
schooner went ashore on the rocks at
half past five that Christmas eve. One
man lost his life, the rest were saved.
That man was drowned because my
husband had not lit the light in time
and that is why gave my son in
stead If the Bishops light goes down
this coming winter it is only a life
| for q life"