Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-03-28
The CANDLE BUOY
A Friend of the Mississippi Pilots
In the Old Days.
QUEER LITTLE LIGHTSHlpS
They Were Fioated and Anchored In
the Channel Of the River on Dark
kighto and Showed the Navigator on
Down Triis Where Reefs Were Not.

tHo N'dn'iei OF tHo nVcr on Oark
Nights and Showed the Navigator on
Down TRIPS Where Reefs Were Not.
In the Old steamboat days on the
Mississippi. before the government had
undertaken the duty Of marking and
lighting the crossings where the
channel swings oyer from one bank to
the other, the river pilots had to devise
their own means of finding their way
through these difficult and dangerous
places.
In the daytime It was not hard to do.
and on moonlight nights the landmarks,
which every pilot knew by heart. could
be seen plainly enough TO make the
crossing possible. But there were
many nights so dark or foggy that the
shore marks were not visible; then the
reefs had to be 'candled."
Gambling was resorted to only on the
down trip. Going up the river the pilot
might feel" Of the reef with his boat,
and II be did not find the best water
the first time he could back Off and try
again little to one side or the other.
wherever the soundings showed the
deepest water to be.
In going down the river. however.
that was impossible. The pilot had to
find the channel the first time, for If
the boat struck the current would drive
her hard on the reef or else swing her
broadside on the bar and In ten min.
utes lmbed her in the very midst Of 1t
with tons of drifting sand.
To guard against snrh disaster
when nearing Pigs Eye. Ecpf Slough
or Trcmpe!eau barS-or any one of q
dozen bars of equal diiliculty-on
dark or hazy night the pilot STOPPED
the boat at the head of the reef With
two men to row. u mate or watchmau
to steer. cub" pilot TO manipulate
the "candlc buoys" and an Older pilot
to tnke soundngs. the yawl was low.
cred and permitted to drop down the
channel below the steamboat
After the pilot had determined the
best course by taking soundlngs the
cub" under his direction. anchored
two. three or even four of the candle
buoys, one nfter the other. in the cen.
ter Of the channel. and then the men
let the ynwl drop down below the reef.
where It lay little outside the chan.
mel. Then one Of the men swung
tantern-a signal at which the pilot OH
watch came ahead. steering for the
tiny lighthouses md running over
them. one by one, until the reef was
passed.
The candle buoy was made of piece
OF two inch light pine plank. beveled
for four inches at the ''bow" in order
TO prevent Its "dlving" as the current
pressed against It A tin "sconce"
with three legs. three or four inches
long. was tucked down to the plank
Half of a common candle was placed
In each sconce, and after being lighted
Gu oiled paper chimney, with base
corresponding to that of the candle
stick. was placed over the light to pro-
tect It from the wind. The outer ends
of the tin "legs" Of the sconce were
turned back over the base Of the paper
chimney to hold It in place. and the
OuOy Wuo Tcuuy AOT MuuCuiuSs
A hole wns bored about six inches
from the end Of the plank. Through
the hole smnll cord some ten or
twelve feet In length was rove and
tnotted, and to this cord lump OF
coal weighing perhaps ten pounds
was tied. This served as IN anchor
to hold the buoy in its place In the cen
ter Of the channel.
Such was the procedure ffty years
Ago or more. Since the government
boats began patrolling the river and
establishing permanent lights at nil
bad crossings 1t is seldom necessary
for tho pilots to go out In n sounding
boat, although It is not an unheard Of
proceeding even now.
But the candle buoy Is thing of the
past Probably there ure scores Of
present day pilots who never even
heard Of the makeshift little lightships
that their puzzled predecessors were
wont to launch amid the darkness and
doubt Of former yenrs.-Youth's Com
panlon.
" Prsffv 4 apu ak Tirosa