Smeaton and Patriot slip their moorings.
The Patriot came to the Rock this morning from Arbroath, loaded chiefly with timber and apparatus for the works of the Beacon. At 5 A. M., Captain Wilson, the landing-master, and his crew, made a second attempt to deliver the Smeaton of her cargo, but were only enabled to get out other five stones, with which the Fernie praam was towed to her moorings, without being able to land upon the Rock. The wind still continuing to blow fresh from the N.W., at 5 P. M., the writer caused a signal to be made from the Tender for the Smeaton and Patriot to let slip their moorings, when they ran for Lunan Bay, an anchorage on the east side of the Redhead. Those on board of the Tender spent but a very rough night, and, perhaps, slept less soundly than their companions on the Beacon, especially as the wind was at N.W., which caused the vessel to ride with her stern towards the Bell Rock; so that, in the event of any thing giving way, she could hardly have escaped being stranded upon it.
Sunday, 18th.
16 stones laid.
The weather having moderated to-day, the wind shifted to the westward. At a quarter past 9 A. M., the artificers landed from the Tender, and had the pleasure to find their friends who had been left on the Rock quite hearty, alleging that the Beacon was the preferable quarters of the two. The builders laid 16 stones in four hours and a half, when the whole returned on board of the Tender; and at 3 P. M. all hands, counting fifty-four, assembled upon deck to prayers. In the evening, at 9, the artificers again landed, and left off work at a quarter from 12 o’clock at night, having been employed in boring, trenailing, and wedging the stones which had been built in the morning.
Monday, 19th.
Remarkable breach of sea upon the Rock.
The wind was at N.E. to-day, with gentle breezes, but accompanied by the heaviest swell of sea which had yet been observed at the Bell Rock. It was what seamen term a Ground Swell, and, although the landing-master’s crew were employed alongside of the Smeaton, in loading the praams, the surface of the water being comparatively smooth, yet the breach upon the Rock was truly surprising. It is when the sea is in this state,—being the result no doubt of a distant gale of wind,—that the sprays conducted by a building, rise to such a height as is represented in the Vignette of Smeaton’s Narrative of the Edystone Light-house. In the forenoon, the writer, accompanied by the landing-master, in a well manned boat, went off to observe the effect of the breach of the sea upon the building and apparatus. The work had now attained the height of about 8 feet, on which one of the cranes was erected, the top of which was about 30 feet above the low-water mark. In the course of this tide, the sea, at the meeting of the waves round the building, was observed to rise in the most beautiful conical jets, of about 30 or 40 feet in diameter at the base, to the height of 10 or 15 feet above the crane. Between these seas, but more particularly at low-water, it was observed with a telescope, that some of the last laid stones had been partially lifted; but others, which had not been trenailed, it was feared had been washed off the building.
Tuesday, 20th.
3 stones in danger of being washed away.