The wind was still easterly, accompanied with rather a heavy swell of sea, for the operations in hand. A landing was, however, made this morning, when the artificers were immediately employed in scraping the sea-weed off the upper course of the building, in order to apply the moulds of the first course of the staircase, that the joggle-holes might be marked off in the upper course of the solid, which, as formerly, had not been done to the finishing course of the season. This was also necessary previously to the writer’s fixing the position of the entrance-door, which was regulated chiefly by the appearance of the growth of the sea-weed on the building, indicating the direction of the heaviest seas, on the opposite side of which the door was placed. The landing-master’s crew succeeded in towing into the creek on the western side of the Rock, the praam-boat, with the balance-crane, which had now been on board of the praam for five days. The several pieces of this machine having been conveyed along the Railways upon the waggons, to a position immediately under the bridge, were elevated to its level, or thirty feet above the Rock, in the following manner. A chain-tackle was suspended over a pulley from the cross-beam, connecting the tops of the king-posts of the bridge, which was worked by a winch-machine, with wheel, pinion and barrel, round which last the chain was wound. This apparatus was placed on the Beacon-side of the bridge, at the distance of about twelve feet from the cross beam and pulley in the middle of the bridge. Immediately under the cross-beam a hatch was formed in the roadway of the bridge, measuring 7 feet in length and 5 feet in breadth, made to shut with folding boards like a double-door, through which stones and other articles were raised; the folding-doors were then let down, and the stone or load was gently lowered upon a waggon which was wheeled on railway tracks towards the Light-house. In this manner, the several castings of the balance-crane were got up to the top of the solid of the building.
Artificers take possession of the Beacon.
The several apartments of the Beacon-house having been cleaned out and supplied with bedding, a sufficient stock of provisions was put into the store, when Peter Fortune, formerly noticed, lighted his fire in the Beacon, for the first time this season. Sixteen artificers, at the same time, mounted to their barrack-room, and the foremen of the works also took possession of their cabin, all heartily rejoiced at getting rid of the trouble of boating, and the sickly motion of the Tender. The boats had landed on the Rock this morning at 9, and the writer left it again with the landing-master and his crew at 3 P. M., and went on board of the Tender for the night, after having seen some progress made in setting up the balance-crane.
Smeaton arrives with the first cargo.
The Smeaton having been loaded at Arbroath with the first cargo of stones, consisting of thirty-eight blocks of the Twenty-seventh course, got to her moorings at the Bell Rock this morning, and was made fast, though not without considerable difficulty. But, nothing could be done towards delivering her until the balance-crane was got into a working state.
Saturday, 12th.
No communication with the Rock.
The wind was at E.NE., blowing so fresh, and accompanied with so much sea, that no stones could be landed to-day. The people on the Rock, however, were busily employed in screwing together the balance-crane, cutting out the joggle-holes in the upper course, and preparing all things for commencing the building operations.
Sunday, 13th.
Balance-crane ready for use.