Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-04-17
ISLAND THAT IS
DREADED alike
BY The SAILOR .
And KEEPER

81 t f 80 10 :
n RoNTREAL. QUEBEC That
# was thrilling story which
came from Halifax concern
~ ing the heroism Of Mrs. Pc
f-.-l ter. Borque, widow Of the
keeper of the lighthouse on Bird Rock
in the Magdalen islands in the Gulf OF
St. Lawrence; but it is only one OF
i the many tales of death and disaster
that can be told Of this barren and iso-
lated bit of land.
After her husband had been wash
Il ed overheard and drowned during a
storm that threatened the demolition
of the lighthouse Mrs. Borque kept
the beacon burning for ten days, and
z thus probably saved several vessels
from piling up on the rocks. Both she
and her young baby suffered severely
from exposure and hunger and she
& was SO weak when rescued by the gov
eminent steamship Seal that it was
necessary to carry her on board. The
authorities say that the courage OF this
woman is unsurpassed In the history
OF the Canadian lighthouse service.
s For q time 1 thought l would 80
i mad" said Mrs. Borque after her res;
s cue, "but I:knew had to do my duty.
4 Ny baby suffered terribly from the
cold, butI held it as tight as could,
1t was terrible task to crawl with
her into the light chamber to keep the
Il lamps trimmed, filled and burning.
& There was food, but you couldn't cook,
and the baby cried constantly. Many
times I heard the whistles, but they
went away when they heard the bell
ringing and saw the light"
The Magdalens are group OF -
or Ia islands that lie almost in the
center Of the Gulf of st. Lawrence.
Their position makes them dangerous
4 to vessels and SO many are the wrecks
thereabout that they have been styled
by sailormen the graveyard Of the
gulf.
I II 4, Inaccessible Bird Rock.
!. Bird Rock is the most northerly Is
land of the group and is little more
than huge rock rising abruptly out
of the sea to a height of 14O feet, on
which the Canadian government main.
tains one Of the most inaccessible
lighthouse stations of the Atlantic
coast. Thousands of gannets, INJURIES,
kittiwakes and other sea fowl hover
over it at all times, while beneath on
{ its rocky lodges they have built myri-
ads of nests In series Of tiers. The
sides Of the rock are very precipitous,
and until a few years ago, when 9
roadway was blasted out Of the solid
rock leading to the top, all visitors,
and supplies were taken ashore by
cage lowered to the water and hoisted
up by means of a windlass. The
waves that generally break upon it are
so tremendous that it is only possible
to effect a landing in calm weather.
But 1t is such a wild and desc
late spot that the man In charge Of
the lighthouse must make it his
home during the entire year. Jean
Quette, the first keeper, remained one
summer with two assistants. Then the
solitude preyed SO upon his mind that
he went insane. He recovered his rea-
son only when he returned to civiliza-
I ton.
1!asfs4s3s% NCSRST PSIieteu VIII S0tts .ts5sg+
Pierre Wealen, the next keeper,
managed to hold out for nine years.
He came to a tragic end in 1880. In
the spring Of that year he, his son
and an assistant ventured out on the
Ice surrounding the Bird Rock during
"a binding snowstorm and lost their
way. The assistant succeeded In re-
turning to the lighthouse in safety.
Wealen and his son persisted.
Charles Chaisson, the third keeper
of the lighthouse. was killed on Aug
sust Is, 1881, by the premature dis
charge of a signal gun he was prepar-
ling to fire. His son and an assistant
were badly injured in the same acct
dent.
Telesphore Turbide, the next keep
zer. remained in charge of the light
house for over 16 years, but even he
did not escape the dangers Of his call
ing. On June "a, 1891, he was putting
home a charge in signal gun when
1t exploded and blew off part Of his
right hand.
Another tragedy Of Bird Rock &C.
CURED In March, 1897. In the spring
of the year the hooded and harp
seals come down on the ice from Lab
rador and Anticosti, and hundreds Of
men and boys from the Magdalens go
out to hunt them for their pelts and
oil. These seal hunts are attended
by many dangers. A storm is liable
to come up and drive the hunters
out to sea on the moving ice. Snow
covered assures may mean death in
case Of misstep. The danger of
drowning is ever present.
s.5 Fatal Seal Hunt.
{ IN March, 1897. Damien Cormier. an
assistant keeper Of the lighthouse,
started out on seal hunt accompan-
led by Charles Turbide, a lad Of II,
and Arsene Turbide, cousin of the
latter. Cormiers wife was left in
charge Of the lighthouse during his
absence They had noticed a large
number Of hair seals lying on the ice
to the eastward, and proceeded in
that direction, dragging behind them a
small boat for use on the open glades
of water.
The hunters reached the seals and
made many killings. Finding night
approaching they slowed their spoils
in the boat and headed homeward. But
they had not noticed the threatening
look Of the sky nor the increasing
wind while engaged in the hunt. and
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