Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-11
HUNGRY FOR SHIPS.
Goodwin Sands. In the North Sea,
Swallow Them Pitilessly.

win sands. many of the pilgrim ia
theirs embarked for America. and
their descendants, in visiting or leaving
England. travel through the famous
downs from which their stern progeni-
tors set sail in search of perfect liberty.
The Goodwins were then in the heyday
of their evil reputation. and for un-
numbered years they have been as
much the graveyard of the narrow seas
as Sable island is Of the Atlantic ocean.
With fervent thankfulness the pilgrim
fathers saw the last of those notorious
and farreaching shoals which break
the vicious seas in gales and make
them surge and roar like rapids and
which. faithful to their treacherous
character. appear on bright summer
days as restful as golden plains. with
blue and glorious rivers running
through the countless channels.
Ships Of battle. treasure ships. In
diamen with precious cargoes and emf
grant ships have sailed as far as the
Goodwins and there have been engulf-
ed. Most travellers who skirt the coast
between the Forelands see the gaunt
remains of melancholy wrecks.
The romantic tale is told that the
Goodwins were at one time beautiful
and fruitful island. the estate of Earl
Goodwin. but that in 1907 they be-
came vast shoal because of "a turbu-
lent rage of rain and an unheard of
rage of the sea-" The island disap-
peared and became Incredibly covered
with sand" That has been the tradi-
ton for many centuries, and less than
200 years ago there was an alehouse
keeper who declared that his oaken
SWITCHBOARD was made from a tree
which grew on the Goodwins when
they were an island.
A clerical investigator. however, who
knew the publican, sorrowfully classed
him as a lying fellow. Although the
tradition is generally credited. it seems
far more likely that the Goodwins are
formed by the strong run Of the tide
down the North sea and the tide up the
strait of Dover. the two meeting of
the Kentish coast and sweeping vast
quantities of sand in a whirlpool shoal.
In those days Of numbering sailing
craft. when vessels were completely at
! the mercy of the weather. there was
! little hope of keeping clear of the
! Goodwins unless the sands could be
discerned and wind and tide were ia
vorable. Every gale that blew gave
tribute of life and vessel to the shoals.
| There have been memorable disasters
in recent years, even since steam be-
came almost universal for marine pro-
! pulsion. but the most noted calamities
relate to the days of sail. OF all that
have been put on record none is more
/ terrible than the humiliation of an en-
tire feet OF warships in the storm
which devastated England in 1903
Thirteen warships anchored in the
downs were swept from their moor
ings. Some were driven ashore. Five
including four sail of the line, were
hurled toward the Goodwins and dash
ed to pieces Nearly 100 officers and
men persisted. yet a handful WERE
saved and brought to shore by men OF
Deal and Ramsgate and the little ha
vens of the coast.
" Ills the hard gray weather breed:
hard Englishmen." The hardest ant
grayest British weather is that of the
North sea. The Goodwins are at the
southernmost part of the North sea
and there on the coast line overlooking
the sands men battle ceaselessly will
one of the sailors most pitiless enc
mics The GOodwins cannot be coaxeC
or engineered into submission.
They flout mastery and scorn domi
nation and III their essentials remain
what they have been for centuries
Man has tried repeatedly to bride
them, to find a foothold on their stink
ing bases. More than 300 years ago
scheme was formed to build beacon
or u lighthouse on the Goodwins, bu
II came TO nothing. Long afterwar'
attempts were made to raise light
house, but the work was never lin
ished. In 1871 an old ship was scut
tied and was made dead weight witt
ballast 4 mast was put in her ant
bore q beacon. but only for time
The greedy Goodwins swallowed all.
The only way to conquer the shoal
is to grid them with buoys and light
ships, and that has been so well &C
compliShed that in fine weather tn
sands are marked as clearly on tn
waters as the hours are indicated o.
the dial of a watch But fogs max
beacous useless, and so rapid is tn
run of the sea i'll the swashes o
= channels of the sands that even /
clear weather an experienced pile
may not get his vessel safely throug
the indicated tracks.-Walter Wood
Earper's Magazine.