IRELAND.

SOUTH AND EAST COASTS.
EAST AND NORTH COASTS.

Dublin Bay—Nos. 449 to 456.

NORTH COAST.

Lough Foyle—Nos. 473 to 483.

WEST COAST.

Galway Bay—Nos. 500 to 502.

River Shannon—Nos. 503 to 507.

II.
A NIGHT IN A LIGHTSHIP.

While these sheets were passing through the press there appeared in the Scotsman a graphic and interesting sketch of “A Night in the Gull Lightship, off the Goodwin Sands,” from the able and popular pen of Mr. R. M. Ballantyne (March 26, 1870). The following extracts cannot fail to be acceptable to the reader:—

“A little before midnight on Thursday (the 24th), while I was rolling uneasily in my ‘bunk,’ contending with sleep and sea-sickness, and moralising on the madness of those who choose ‘the sea’ for a profession, I was roused—and sickness instantly cured—by the watch on deck suddenly shouting down the hatchway to the mate, ‘Southsand-Head light is firing, sir, and sending up rockets.’ The mate sprang from his ‘bunk,’ and was on the cabin floor before the sentence was well finished. I followed suit, and pulled on coat, nether garments, and shoes, as if my life depended on my own speed. There was unusual need for clothing, for the night was bitterly cold. On gaining the deck, we found the two men on duty actively at work—the one loading the lee gun, the other adjusting a rocket to its stick. A few hurried questions from the mate elicited all that it was needful to know. The flash of a gun from the Southsand-Head lightship, about six miles distant, had been seen, followed by a rocket, indicating that a vessel had got upon the fatal Goodwins. While the men spoke, I saw the bright flash of another gun, but heard no report—owing to the gale carrying the sound to leeward. A rocket followed, and at the same moment we observed the light of the vessel in distress just on the southern tail of the Sands. By this time our gun was charged, and the rocket in position. ‘Look alive, Jack; get the poker,’ cried the mate, as he primed the gun. Jack dived down the companion hatch, and in another moment returned with a red-hot poker, which the mate had thrust into the cabin fire at the first alarm. Jack applied it in quick succession to the gun and the rocket. A blinding flash and deafening crash were followed by the whiz of the rocket, as it sprang with a magnificent curve far away into the surrounding darkness. This was our answer to the Southsand-Head light, which, having fired three guns and three rockets to attract our attention, now ceased firing. It was also our note of warning to the look-out on the pier of Ramsgate Harbour. ‘That’s a beauty,’ said our mate, referring to the rocket; ‘get up another, Jack; sponge her well out, Jacobs, we’ll give ’em another shot in a few minutes.’ Loud and clear were both our signals, but four and a half miles of distance and a fresh gale neutralized their influence. The look-out did not see them. In less than five minutes the gun and rocket were fired again. Still no answering signal came from Ramsgate. ‘Load the weather gun,’ said the mate. Jacobs obeyed, and I sought shelter under the lee of the weather bulwarks, for the wind appeared to be composed of penknives and needles. Our third gun thundered forth, and shook the lightship from stem to stern; but the rocket struck the rigging and made a low wavering flight. Another was therefore sent up, but it had scarcely cut its bright line across the sky when we observed the answering signal—a rocket from Ramsgate Pier.

“‘That’s all right now, sir; our work is done,’ said the mate, as he went below, and quietly turned in, while the watch, having sponged out and recovered the gun, resumed their active perambulation of the deck. I confess that I felt somewhat disappointed at the sudden termination of the noise and excitement! I was told that the Ramsgate lifeboat could not well be out in less than an hour. It seemed to my excited spirit a terrible thing that human lives should be kept so long in jeopardy, and, of course, I began to think, ‘Is it not possible to prevent this delay?’ There was nothing for it, however, but patience, so I turned in ‘all standing,’ as sailors have it, with orders that I should be called when the lights of the tug should come in sight. It seemed but a few minutes after, when the voice of the watch was again heard shouting hastily, ‘Lifeboat close alongside, sir. Didn’t see it till this moment. She carries no lights.‘ I bounced out, and minus coat, hat, and shoes, scrambled on deck just in time to see the Broadstairs lifeboat rush past us before the gale. She was close under our stern, and rendered spectrally visible by the light of our lantern. ‘What are you firing for?’ shouted the coxswain of the boat. ‘Ship on the sands, bearing south,’ replied Jack, at the full pitch of his stentorian voice. The boat did not pause. It passed with a magnificent rush into darkness. The reply had been heard, and the lifeboat shot straight as an arrow to the rescue. We often hear and read of such scenes, but vision is necessary to enable one to realize the full import of all that goes on. Again all was silent and unexciting on board of the Gull. I went shivering below, with exalted notions of the courage and endurance of lifeboat men. Soon after, the watch once more shouted, ‘Tug’s in sight, sir;’ and, once again, the mate and I went on deck. The Ramsgate lifeboat Bradford was in tow far astern. As she passed us, the brief questions and answers were repeated for the benefit of the coxswain of the boat. I observed that every man in the boat lay flat on the thwarts except the coxswain. No wonder. It is not an easy matter to sit up in a gale of wind, with freezing spray, and sometimes green seas, sweeping over one. They were, doubtless, wide awake and listening; but, as far as vision went, that boat was manned by ten oilskin coats and sou’-westers. A few seconds took them out of sight; and thus, as far as the Gull lightship was concerned, the drama ended. There was no possibility of our ascertaining more, at least during that night, for whatever might be the result of these efforts, the floating lights had no chance of hearing of them until the next visit of their tender. I was therefore obliged to turn in once more, at 3 A.M. Next forenoon we saw the wreck, bottom up, high on the Goodwin Sands.” It was that of the good ship Germania of Bremen.

Index.

List of Illustrations.

[Eddystone Lighthouse] (Frontispiece).
The Beacon Fire,[1]
A Roman Pharos,[15]
A Medal of Apameia,[16]
Ancient Pharos of Alexandria,[23]
Modern Lighthouse of Alexandria,[27]
Tour d’Ordre of Boulogne,[33]
The Tower at Dover,[39]
The Colossus of Rhodes,[45]
Trinity House,[58]
Lighthouse on a Rocky Headland,[64]
Catoptric Apparatus,[72]
An Argand Fountain Lamp,[74]
Revolving Apparatus on the Catoptric Principle,[75]
Annular-built Lens,[78]
Electric Apparatus for Fixed Light,[82]
Annular Lens of First Order,[85]
Diagram, Illustrating Progress of Luminous Ray in a Catadioptric Ring,[87]
Fresnel’s Revolving Light,[90]
Stevenson’s Holophotal Light,[91]
Stevenson’s Fixed Light varied by Flashes,[92]
Fresnel’s Fixed Light Apparatus,[93]
French Fixed Light Apparatus,[93]
Cupola of First-class Lighthouse,[100]
Sea-Birds attracted by Lighthouse Rays,[105]
Winstanley’s Eddystone Lighthouse,[111]
Smeaton’s Lighthouse at the Eddystone,[127]
The Lightship at the Nore,[131]
The Smalls Lighthouse,[135]
Inchkeith Lighthouse,[146]
Building the Bell Rock Lighthouse,[150]
The Bell Rock Lighthouse,[163]
Skerryvore Lighthouse,[178]
North Unst Lighthouse,[183]
Transporting a Lighthouse,[187]
Needles Lighthouse,[190]
Wolf’s Crag Lighthouse,[195]
Bishop Rock Lighthouse,[197]
Lizard Point Lighthouse,[198]
Plymouth Breakwater Lighthouse,[199]
North Foreland Lighthouse,[201]
South Foreland Lighthouse,[202]
Holyhead Lighthouse,[203]
Kinsale Lighthouse,[204]
Fastnet Rock Lighthouse,[205]
Maplin Sands Lighthouse,[206]
Alguada Reef Lighthouse,[209]
Ancient Tower of Cordouan,[215]
Present Lighthouse of Cordouan,[219]
Interior of Cordouan Lighthouse,[222]
Lighthouse of Cape La Hève,[229]
Erection of Lighthouse at the Héaux,[241]
Lighthouse of the Enfant Perdu,[247]
Lighthouse at New Caledonia,[251]
The Lightship,[257]
Pompey’s Pillar,[267]
A Floating Beacon,[271]
The Arnish Beacon,[274]
Eddystone Lighthouse in a Storm,[283]
Girdleness Lighthouse,[298]
Whalsey Skerries Lighthouse,[300]
Ship Rock of Sanda Lighthouse,[301]

[FOOTNOTES:]

[1] Renard, “Les Phares” (Paris, 1867).

[2] Tor is Celtic for a height, as in the tors, or granite hills, of Dartmoor.

[3] As Mr. Stevenson says (in his “Treatise on Lighthouses”), a notion so fanciful as this deserves little consideration.

[4] Suetonius, “Claudian,” 20.

[5] Author of an [Αναπλους Βοσπόονρ], circa A. D. 190.

[6] Strabo, Edit. Oxon., 1867, p. 184.

[7] See Dr. Smith’s “Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography,” vol. i., sub. nom.

[8] Pliny, “Hist. Nat.,” xxxvi. 18.

[9] These measurements amount to 576 feet; but we fear the Arabian writer was incorrect in his calculations.

[10] Renard, “Les Phares,” p. 16.

[11] Rev. J. Puckle, “Church and Fortress of Dover Castle” (ed. 1864).

[12] Strabo, xiv., p. 364; Pliny, xxxiv. 18.

[13] See Report of the Royal Commissioners on Lights, Buoys, and Beacons, 1861.—Edinburgh Review, Jan. 1862, p. 173.

[14] This proportion will be slightly modified, but not materially, if we deduct the harbour and pier lights from the English, Scotch, and Irish totals.

[15] We refer to the Exhibition of Lighthouse Models in the Industrial Museum.

[16] Stevenson, “On Lighthouses,” pp. 60, 61.

[17] Edinburgh Review, Jan. 1862, pp. 178, 179.

[18] To be more exact than have been the majority of authors who have written on lighthouses, we must add that a small revolving apparatus, with three reverberators (probably with spherical shells), had been planted at the mouth of the port of Marstrand, in Sweden, prior to 1783. The French engineer, however, had thought out the invention for himself, in ignorance that it had been elsewhere realized, and his was the merit of imagining a system so complete and so rational in all its parts, that nothing has since been added to or taken from his conception.

M. Leonel Reynard informs us that we are likewise wrong in attributing to Argand the idea of a lamp with a double current of air. It is to Teulère that it should, in the main, be attributed. However, this engineer, who has asserted the priority of his claim to the invention of the reflectors, and the system of eclipses, has not insisted upon that of the lamp. He limits himself to saying that Argand entertained the same idea as himself, and derived great profit from it.

[19] Stevenson, “On Lighthouses,” pp. 92, 93.

[20] Stevenson, “On Lighthouses,” pp. 105–107.

[21] From the Greek [δίοπτρον], an optical instrument with tube for looking through. [Δίοπτρον] is from [διἁ], through; and [ὅπτομαι], I see.

[22] ] From [ὅλος], entire; and [φὼς] light.

[23] These figures are the results of experiments made with an instrument invented by Mr. Thomas Stevenson, and called the Marine Dynamometer.

[24] Alan Stevenson, “On Lighthouses,” Weale’s Series, pp. 169, 170.

[25] “Smeaton and Lighthouses” (ed. 1844), pp. 24, 25; Smiles, “Lives of the Engineers,” ii. 17.

[26] It is obvious that this could never have happened had the modern regulation been in force which forbids the lantern, after the light is once exhibited, being left without the presence of a keeper.

[27] This is Smeaton’s own statement, but the reader is referred, for Mr. Alan Stevenson’s view of it, to p. 98.

[28] Smiles, “Lives of the Engineers,” ii. 38.

[29] “Smeaton and Lighthouses” (edit. 1844), pp. 57, 58.

[30] Smiles, “Lives of the Engineers,” ii. 45.

[31] Robert Stevenson, “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” p. 17 (Edit. 1824).

[32] Stevenson, “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” p. 23.

[33] A “park,” Scottice for a “field.”

[34] Is it necessary to remind the reader that Honduras, on the Bay of Campeachy, is famous for its mahogany?

[35] Written by the great novelist in the Album of the Lighthouse, when he visited it in 1816.

[36] Stevenson, “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” p. 125. To prevent the repetition of useless references, we would here acknowledge that in the following pages we have closely followed Mr. Stevenson’s own narrative.

[37] Stevenson, “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” p. 157.

[38] Stevenson, “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” p. 180.

[39] Stevenson, “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” pp. 222, 223.

[40] “Smeaton and Lighthouses,” p. 97.

[41] Stevenson’s “Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” pp. 52–57.

[42] Stevenson, “Proposals for the Illumination of Beacons and Buoys” (ed. 1870).

[43] In one of the Paris water-pipes, 3120 feet long, M. Biot was able to keep up a conversation, in a very low tone, with a person at the other end.

[44] Alan Stevenson, “Account of the Skerryvore Lighthouse” (ed. 1848), p. 41.

[45] A. Stevenson, “Account of the Skerryvore Lighthouse,” p. 143.

[46] We think, however, that this statement is in great need of verification.

[47] Walter White, “A Londoner’s Walk to the Land’s End,” pp. 192, 193.

[48] Virgil, “Æneid,” transl. by Conington, bk. iii. 420.

[49] Practical Mechanic’s Journal for 1842, p. 265.

[50] Our account of the French lighthouses is mainly taken from M. Rénard’s interesting brochure, “Les Phares” (Hachette, 1867).

[51] Michelet, “La Mer.”

[52] Rénard, “Les Phares,” pp. 145–158.

[53] Saint-Denys-Chef-de-Caux was formerly the port of the town now called Sainte-Adresse. Here Henry V. disembarked, in 1415, when he laid siege to Harfleur. But the sea, gradually encroaching on the Cape, has destroyed the village, the port, and the church where St. Denys was worshipped.

[54] It is almost unnecessary to say that Saint-Pierre here refers to the mascaret, or “bore,” of the Seine.

[55] These towers have recently undergone another alteration, and are now lit by the electrical apparatus; giving a light equal to 5000 Carcel burners, and visible for upwards of 27 miles.

[56] The second light-vessel established off the British coast was the Dudgeon (Lincolnshire), in 1736.

[57] The average length is 80 to 90 feet, and the burden from 160 to 180 tons. The Calshot, between Southampton Water and the mouth of the Medina (Isle of Wight), is only 100 tons.

[58] Others which occupy dangerous positions are, the Leman, the Ower, the Newarp, the Sunk, and the Kentish Knock.

[59] Founded on a chapter in M. Rénard’s “Les Phares;” and an article in Chambers’s Journal, February 1870.

[60] See Article “Herculis Columnæ,” in Smith’s “Dictionary of Geography,” i. 1054.

[61] “Cornhill Magazine,” vol. i., pp. 224, 225.

[62] Longfellow.

[63] Compiled from the Admiralty List, and corrected up to April 1870.

[64] The height is given in English feet, from the base to the vane of the building.

[65] We condense the following report from the Dundee Advertiser, March 1, 1870:—

“On Tuesday night the Scurdyness Lighthouse, at the entrance to Montrose Harbour, was lit up for the first time, amid the rejoicings of the people of Montrose and Ferryden. From early morning the vessels in the harbour displayed numerous flags, and more than the usual stir was observable among the villagers on the opposite side of the river. Indeed, seldom have the Ferryden people manifested so much enthusiasm; but it is seldom that they have so much cause to rejoice. The want of a light at the Scurdyness has long been felt by the seafaring community. The rock-bound shore stretching between the Bell Rock and the Girdleness—a distance of nearly fifty miles—is perhaps one of the most dangerous parts of the east coast of Scotland, and has been the scene of numerous shipwrecks and great loss of life. At no point within these limits have so many disasters occurred as at the entrance to Montrose Harbour, now fortunately protected by the Scurdyness Light. Bounded on the one side by large outlying and in some instances hidden rocks, and on the other by a long stretch of sandy shore, whilst the channel itself is extremely narrow, the entrance to Montrose Harbour is very difficult for navigation, and particularly so when the weather is boisterous. Moreover, on the north side, and within a very short distance of the newly-erected lighthouse, is the Annat—a sandbank on which many vessels have been wrecked in attempting to make the harbour. The necessity, therefore, for a light on Scurdyness was very great, and has been long and deeply felt. Situated at the Point, on the southern side of the channel, the lighthouse, a substantial building, commands a clear-weather range of seventeen nautical miles. It is built on solid rock, the foundation being of stones from Benholm Quarry, and the tower itself of white brick. The entire height of the tower is about 100 feet and the lighthouse about 30 feet—in all, 130 feet from base to vane. The diameter at the base is 23 feet 2 inches, whilst at the top it is 16 feet. A spiral stair of about 140 steps leads to the top of the tower, after which the ascent to the various stories is by ladders. There is a room near the top, in which are deposited the stores. The light is fixed and white, of the second order (dioptric), and the mechanism for supplying the lamp with oil is of the most interesting nature. Oil is pumped up to the wick by clock-work; and an alarm sounds during the whole time the machine is in motion, so that any irregularity is immediately announced to the attendant. The light will be seen from about S. W. ¼ S., round by the east to about N.E. ¼ N., or as far as the land will permit. The bearings are magnetic, and from the vessel. A light of weaker power will be shown from the channel towards Montrose Harbour.”

[66] This lighthouse reflects a light on Arnish Beacon (see p. [274]).

[67] Sgeirmaoile, or Skeirvuile.

[68] It was this lighthouse, we presume, which underwent so extraordinary an accident on Saturday, February 19th, 1870. About half-past ten A.M., the schooner Elizabeth and Jane, of Preston, approached the mouth of the channel opposite Fleetwood. Adjoining the channel mouth, and about three miles from the latter town, is situated a lighthouse upon screw piles. When about half a mile off the lighthouse, the captain of the schooner found he was drifting towards it, and, spite of all his exertions, he was unable to change her course, as the tide flowed rapidly inwards, and a dead calm prevailed. Before the anchor could get a “hold,” the ship ran bow foremost into the piles, which were all shattered by the collision, and taking up the body of the lighthouse—a huge sexangular timber frame, filled in with windows, and surmounted with “a large revolving (?) light”—carried it away on her forecastle. Two keepers were in the lighthouse, but neither was hurt. The vessel, however, was greatly injured, and some alarm was felt lest she should sink. However the accident was seen from the shore; a tug steamer came to her assistance, and, with the lighthouse on board, she was towed into port. Until a new structure can be raised, a lightship will be stationed in a suitable locality.

[69] Or Queenstown.

Transcriber’s notes:

In the text version, italics are represented by _underscores_, and bold and black letter text by =equals= symbols. Superscripts are represented by ^{} and subscripts by _{}

Missing or incorrect punctuation has been repaired.
Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation have been left as printed.

Greek words in the text can be rendered onto ascii as follows:—

p. 11.tyrrisτύῤῥις
p. 13.Anaplous BosporonΑναπλους Βοσπόονρ
p. 19.phôsφὼς
horanὁρἀν
phaineinϕαἰνειν
phanerosϕανερός
phaneros, pharosϕανερός, ϕάρος
p. 20.EunostosΕὔνοστος
p. 77. Footnote 21dioptronδίοπτρον
DioptronΔίοπτρον
diaδιἁ
hoptomaiὅπτομαι
p. 94. Footnote 22.holosὅλος
phôs φὼς
p. 265.stêlaiστῆλαι

The following changes have been made

p. 79. emananting changed to emanating
p. 142. Rolandshay changed to Ronaldshay
p. 285.montony changed to monotony
p. 299.Ronaldsha changed to Ronaldshay
p. 318.Index, Paris, Matthew reference changed from p. 23. to 213.
p. 322.(the Index of Illustrations) Fresner's changed to Fresnel's
p. 322.Cordouan is used but the illustration caption uses Cordova. This has been left as printed.