A Grim Lighthouse Story.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 4292, 23 February 1884, Page 11 (Supplement)

A Grim Lighthouse Story.

WliiLE rendering nil honour to heroes of great enterprines, such as Winytanley, Rudyord, and Smeaton, wo must not forget that they were only three men, while hundreds of mon wore engaged in the hazardous work, and hud daily to exhibit the heroism of dangerous labour. It was a grand and heroic conception to build a lighthouse on the Eddystone, but what shall bo said of the mon who lirst of all tried tlio experiment of dwelling in the horrible isolation of that storm-beaten edifice, cut off from rest of the world, uncertain whether tho building would stand tho,test of storm, deafened by tho roar of the "water?, which sometimes would shoot right over tho lantern or dash headlong against tho lighthouso with fearful voilence, causing every part to vibrato as though the whole fabric were instantaneously going to pieces f It is-recorried that only two" men attended the lighthouse* built by liudyerd, and that one if them was seized with sudden illness and died. It was in the roughest time in the year, and although the survivor hoisted a signal of distress no boat could reach tho rockl What to do with the dead body ho did not know. At first he -thought ho would throw it mto the sea, but he was hindered by the fear lest the friends of tho deceased might chnrgo him with tho crime of murder. For a whelo month the woathor continued boisterous, and for that whole month tho solitary survivor kept the light all night not what his comrade could no longer share the duty, watch by watch, with" him, and for that whole month he kept tho body of the dead man, although it had fallen into horrible corruption. Can any more torrible strait be conceived than^ that in which tho bravo fellow was placed ? Yet wo do not even know his name. All we know is that in almost every great work of public utility involving hazardous labour, if one or two men have come to the front and left their names for the admiration of posterity, there have always been a hundred obscure heroes who hadiived and died and left no sign, but without whoso strong nerves and great hearts thoso works would never have oeen accomplished. —From "Heroes oj Britain xn Peace and War." ." , ''" ,'. .'