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by ANNE TODESCO It is the time of year when the lightkeepers leave for their seasonal residence at the light stations along the Lake Superior coast. The lighthouse stations are usually situated on islands among them be- ing Parisienne Island, Slate Islands, Battle Is- land and Lamb Island, to mention a few of them. Following is a story heard from retired light- keeper, Willard Hubelit and his wife Josie. Hubelit known as Bill by his friends. He started as an assistant keeper at Battle Island light in 1960. He was on 12 hour shift work from twelve midnight to noon each day. The lighthouse light was run with coal oil and air mantel. The lamp had to be filled twice a night. It had a timing device with a balance weight that had to be wound up twice a night. For power we had two Fairbanks motors to operate the fog horn, with water compressors that ran by belt from the motors and had to be started when the fog set in. It gave a very loud booming sound that could be heard for twen- ty or thirty miles. The house didn't have elec- tricity at the time, only coal oil lamps and to heat the building there were the good old wood burning stoves and an oil burner heater. The building was very cold in the early spring and fall. We had to keep firing up the wood burning stove and it never failed them astorm at Baute Island. Cylinders of propane gas blown about during like present electrical heating systems when there is a power failure. Bill says, "Then the new way came." The houses were renovated and they were given running water, electri- city, propane stoves, hot water tanks and indoor plumbing as opposed to the outdoor privy, carry- ing water from the lake and finding wood for the stoves. Now they had refrigerators and freez- ers for preservation of foods. Bill vividly remem- bers the big storm in November of 1971 when he lost part of his ring finger. Bill and Josie recall the mountainous waves were rolling in right over the light- house. He estimated that the waves were at least a hundred feet high. They washed away the oil tanks and his boat all over the place. Bill was working in the en- gine room when the storm hit its height and the first of. many big waves hit the building and knocked one of the windows out. Bill start- ed for the door at the back of the building hoping to reach the dwelling before the storm became worse. He battened down and fast- ened everything up as quickly as possible. An- other wave hit the build- ing and slammed the door on his ring finger of his right hand. He said that he never missed part of his finger until he was half way to the house. His chief light- keeper John Joiner came to his assistance and gave him first aid attention. He then ra- dioed to Thunder Bay of the accident. After the heavy sea roll had died down, Join- er took him into the Terrace Bay Hospital, two days later. It was too late to save the fin- ger. The accident hap- pened on November 2nd so he was left off duty the rest of that season. In the year 1973 Bill took the chief's job at the Parisienne Island lighthouse. He and Jo- sie were quite discour- aged when they landed there that spring as everything was in quite a mess. It took them a couple of years to get the house and grounds cleaned up from debris from storms and neglect. Everything had to be painted etc. to make things into decent living conditions. Out- side all their hard work, they were delighted to find that everything was more modern at Pari- ' sienne Light. They had UHF telephones a new light and fog horn that went on automatically when the fog came in about a mile and a half from the light's location. One summer the fog had settled in for three days and nights and they could hear many ships' horns blowing to pre- vent them colliding with one another they said. When the fog finally lifted on the fourth night, the Hubelits said that the whole lake as far as they could see looked like a large city all lit up. The ships had moved in around the is- land and looked like a large city and a beauti- ful sight. The Hubelits recall the night that the Ed- mund Fitzgerald went down. It was a busy and sad night of that fa- tality. Everyone was busy trying to keep pulpwood sticks, boom logs and debris away from the buildings. Huge waves washed right up to the build- ings. When daylight came they were sent out to search the shoreline looking for bodies or life boats that might have washed ashore. They said that they had quite a clean-up job to around the buildings and lawn T Ball, Boys & Girls, 5-7 years International League, Boys, 8-10 years American League, Boys, 11-13 years National League, Boys, 14-17 years Blue Jay League, Girls, 8-14 years Expos League, Girls, 15-17 years Registration will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. May 9th at the Recreation Office. Registration forms available at the office. Coaches and Umpires are required for all divisions. Leagues will operate only if sufficient interest is expressed. TERRACE BAY MINOR BALL PROGRAM REGISTRATION DIVISIONS: Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, May 4, 1983, page 13 The Lake Superior lighthouses Baute Island lighthouse. -- large trees, boom logs etc. had to be re- moved. Trees were li- terally torn up by the roots. Parisienne Island is 28 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie, just up from the locks. They could see the American side from their station, says Bill. Outside of the storms and fog, the island was a very beautiful place to spend the shipping sea- son -- it has very sandy beaches for sun bathing and swimming and a perfect paradise away from home. They enjoy- ed watching the lake traffic going by whether a big freighter, a yacht, tug or a pleasure boat. All were part of the scene. They spent many a quiet hour tramping the beaches, or collect- ing objects adrift or swept ashore. They spent eight seasons on the island the miss the life there away from noise and pollutior. They often recall their continued on page 14 Tewune Cinema Terrace Bay 825-3771 Tue. 3 Wed. a (Formerly Das Boot) thu. 5 Fri. 6 sot. To write a great novel, you have to live a great novel. Too bad Mickey writes murder mysteries. MARGOT KIDDER ROBERT HAYS Sun. 8 Mon. % There are still some things we have yet to imagine. SOPHIE'S CHOICE John's Texaco As of Sun., May 8th hours of operation will be: ""THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY IS A SIZZLER!...A MOVIE YOU'RE NOT LIKELY TO FORGET." JODAY SHO, NBC TY Accepted ieleFlora Visa & Mastercard Mother Spoiled You, Why Don't You Spoil Her? | Fresh Cut Flowers Fresh Arrangements Silk Arrangements Potted Plants : Be) ee VY] Things Designs by Annette Send Floers World Wide UNITED FLOWERS BY WIRE CANADA LTD. 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