The 19th was a very unpleasant and disagreeable day, both for the seamen and artificers, as it rained throughout with little intermission from 4 A. M. till 11 P. M., accompanied with thunder and lightning, during which period the work nevertheless continued unremittingly; and the builders laid the Fifty-first and Fifty-second courses. This state of weather was no less severe upon the mortar-makers, who required to temper or prepare the mortar of a thicker or thinner consistency, in some measure, according to the state of the weather. From the elevated position of the building, the mortar-gallery on the Beacon was now much lower, and the lime buckets were made to traverse upon a rope distended between it and the building, as will be seen from [Plate IX.] On occasions like the present, however, there was often a difference of opinion between the builders and the mortar-makers. John Watt, who had the principal charge of the mortar, was a most active worker, but being somewhat of an irascible temper, the builders occasionally amused themselves at his expence. For, while he was eagerly at work with his large iron-shod pestle in the mortar-tub, they often sent down contradictory orders, some crying, “Make it a little stiffer, or thicker, John,” while others called out to make it “thinner;” to which he generally returned very speedy and sharp replies; so that these conversations at times were rather amusing. The brass cases of the upper-hinges of the window of this apartment, occurring in the Fifty-second course, occasioned a good deal of detention, on the 20th, in laying it, when the artificers were employed from 4 in the morning till 9 in the evening.
Extra pay.
Responsible situation of the principal workmen.
During wet weather, the situation of the artificers on the top of the building was extremely disagreeable; for, although their work did not require great exertion, yet, as each man had his particular part to perform, either in working the crane, or in laying the stones, it required the closest application and attention, not only on the part of Mr Peter Logan, the foreman, who was constantly on the walls, but also of the chief workmen. Robert Selkirk, the principal builder, for example, had every stone to lay in its place. David Cumming, a mason, had the charge of working the tackle of the balance-weight, and James Scott, also a mason, took charge of the purchase with which the stones were laid; while the pointing the joints of the walls with cement, was entrusted to William Reid and William Kennedy, who stood upon a scaffold suspended over the walls in rather a frightful manner. The least act of carelessness or inattention on the part of any of these men might have been fatal, not only to themselves, but also to the surrounding workmen, especially if any accident had happened to the crane itself, while the material damage or loss of a single stone would have put an entire stop to the operations, until another could have been brought from Arbroath. The artificers having wrought seven and a half hours of extra time to-day, had 3s. 9d. of extra pay, while the foremen had 7s. 6d. over and above their stated pay and board. Although, therefore, the work was both hazardous and fatiguing, yet the encouragement being considerable, they were alwise very cheerful, and perfectly reconciled to the confinement, and other disadvantages of the place.
Carpenter of the Floating-light leaves the service.
During fine weather, and while the nights were short, the duty on board of the Floating-light was literally nothing but a waiting on, and therefore one of her boats, with a crew of five men, daily attended the Rock, but always returned to the vessel at night. The carpenter, however, was one of those who was left on board of the ship, as he also acted in the capacity of assistant light-keeper; being, besides, a person who was apt to feel discontent, and to be averse to changing his quarters, especially to work with the mill-wrights and joiners at the Rock, who often, for hours together, wrought knee-deep, and not unfrequently up to the middle in water. Mr Watt having, about this time, made a requisition for another hand, the carpenter was ordered to attend the Rock in the Floating-light’s boat. This he did with great reluctance, and found so much fault, that he soon got into discredit with his messmates. On this occasion, he left the Light-house service, and went as a sailor in a vessel bound for America,—a step which, it is believed, he soon regretted, as, in the course of things, he would, in all probability, have accompanied Mr John Reid, the principal Light-keeper of the Floating-light, to the Bell Rock Light-house, as his principal Assistant. The writer had a wish to be of service to this man, as he was one of those who came off to the Floating-light in the month of September 1807, while she was riding at single anchor, after the severe gale of the 7th, at a time when it was hardly possible to make up this vessel’s crew; but the crossness of his manner prevented his reaping the benefit of such intentions.
Patriot makes a trip to Arbroath and back to the Rock, in 24 hours.
The trips of the stone-vessels became more and more remarkable for dispatch. The Patriot having only sailed for Arbroath yesterday morning at 8 o’clock, returned this evening at the same hour with a cargo; when the landing-master immediately got his praam-boats alongside, and came to the Rock with 16 stones, 8 joggles, 8 casks of pozzolano, and the same quantity of lime and sand, with seven logs of timber for the Railways, which were immediately taken up to the Beacon, till they were wanted on the Rock. Such, therefore, was the dispatch given to the loading of the materials at Arbroath, together with the persevering activity of Mr Spink,—who had succeeded Mr Macdonald in the command of the Patriot,—and his mate Mr Peter Soutar, that, although she did not reach Arbroath till the morning of the 21st, at 1 o’clock, yet being instantly loaded, she was made fast to her moorings again at the Rock, after an absence of only 24 hours.
An attempt made to land stones at high-water, with the bridge-apparatus.
The weather was extremely fine to-day, and the artificers laid the Fifty-sixth course, or kitchen-floor, forming, like the other floors of the building, a part also of the outward wall. For supporting the inward extremity of these long stones, until a sufficient weight was built upon the exterior wall, the joiners had erected a piece of frame-work on the floor below on which they rested. This morning at 4 o’clock, the landing-master’s crew had commenced their operations, and by 12 noon 34 stones were landed, together with the several articles mentioned above, which discharged the Patriot, and she again sailed for Arbroath. An attempt was made to-day to land materials at high-water with the bridge-apparatus; but, although the water was smooth, yet there was a certain lift in the sea, which occasionally brought a sudden strain on the frame of the bridge, and made the whole shake and jerk in such a manner as to communicate a considerable degree of tremor to the whole fabric of the Beacon-house, shewing that this mode of landing weighty stones could hardly be ventured upon, even in the very finest weather.