23 blocks of stone landed and raised with the new tackle.
The company of artificers, lodged on the Beacon, having been increased from sixteen to twenty-two, their time hang very heavily on their hands, till the stones were landed on the Rock. The wind being now N.W., the sea was considerably run down, and this morning at 5 o’clock, the landing-master’s crew, thirteen in number, left the Tender; and having now no detention with the landing of artificers, they proceeded to unmoor the Hedderwick Praam-boat, and towed her alongside of the Smeaton; and in the course of the day, twenty-three blocks of stone, three casks of pozzolano, three of sand, three of lime, and one of Roman cement, together with three bundles of trenails, and three of wedges, were all landed on the Rock and raised to the top of the building, by means of the tackle suspended from the cross-beam on the middle of the bridge. The stones were then moved along the bridge on the waggon to the building, within reach of the balance-crane, with which they were laid in their respective places on the building. The masons immediately thereafter proceeded to bore the trenail holes into the course below, and otherwise to complete the one in hand. When the first stone was to be suspended by the balance-crane, the bell on the Beacon was rung, and all the artificers and seamen were collected on the building. Three hearty cheers were given while it was lowered into its place, and the steward served round a glass of rum, when success was drank to the further progress of the building.
One of the stones in danger from the breaking of a bolt.
Having thus had the satisfaction of finding that the bridge and its apparatus answered every purpose for raising the materials; that the balance-crane was no less suitable for building the stones, which, from their dove-tailed form, as before noticed, required that they should be slipped or laid perpendicularly into their sites; and the artificers being now comfortably lodged in the Beacon-house, there hardly remained a doubt that the Bell Rock Light-house would be completed in the course of the current year. It often happens, however, that accidents occur on the first trial of machinery; and, accordingly, in shifting the wheel and pinion work of the winch-machine upon the bridge, from the single to the double-purchase, in order to raise a pretty heavy stone, the bolt of the bush gave way, just as the stone had attained its full height, and was about to be lowered on the bridge-waggon, to be moved within the sphere of the balance-crane. The fall of the stone, though only from a height of 8 or 9 inches, communicated a sudden shock throughout the Beacon-house, and produced an alarm among the workmen for the moment. Had this accident occurred before the waggon was wheeled under the stone, in all probability it would have killed some of those who were at work below upon the Rock; besides breaking the stone and the railway, which must have stopped the work for a considerable time, until another stone could have been prepared and sent from the work-yard at Arbroath.
Saturday, 19th.
15 stones landed.
The Smeaton having been completely discharged last night, sailed at 10 P. M. for Arbroath, to load a second cargo for the Bell Rock. The Patriot had towed off the Dickie Praam-boat to-day, being of a somewhat smaller size, and more handy than the Fernie, which now lay in ordinary, at Arbroath, in case of accident to the Hedderwick or Dickie. The wind, however, being rather unsteady, it was feared that no materials would have been landed; but Captain Wilson, with his usual dexterity and skill, succeeded in transporting fifteen stones, which were raised to the top of the building, by means of the tackle on the bridge, and built by the balance-crane with wonderful facility.
Smeaton makes rapid trips.
This morning at 1 o’clock, the Smeaton got into Arbroath, when Mr Kennedy, engineer’s clerk, had the artificers immediately called, who loaded her with the Twenty-eighth course of the building, consisting of thirty-three pieces of stone, besides six casks of pozzolano, six casks of lime, six casks of sand, four bundles of trenails, four bundles of wedges, and eight stone joggles, together with four logs of timber, one Railway-waggon, and a supply of water, beer, fuel and provisions for the Beacon-house. At 2 P. M. she sailed again for the Bell Rock, and reached it at 5, to the surprise of every one, Captain Pool being no less active in his trips than Mr Kennedy was zealous in the dispatch given at the work-yard.