The artificers had yesterday laid the Sixty-eighth course of the building, consisting of 16 stones, of which 10 had also been landed. The Tender having returned from Arbroath this afternoon, the landing-master’s crew left the Patriot, and took up their quarters again on board of the Tender. The artificers lodged in the Beacon had of late varied from twenty-six to thirty-one in number; but the Railways being finished, the work now admitted of their being reduced to twenty-two. During the time that the Rock was covered with water, and materials could not be landed, the masons were employed in dressing off and repolishing any inequalities which appeared on the interior walls of the different apartments. The raising of stones from the waggons on the Rock to the top of the building, now about 80 feet in height, had become rather a tedious operation. The lift with the balance-crane in particular being upwards of 45 feet, it required some precaution and trouble in coiling such a length of chain upon the barrel. It therefore became necessary to lessen this operation, by placing a winch-machine on the store-room floor, and projecting a beam from the western window, to form a stage in taking up the stones, as will be understood by examining the third year’s work of [Plate IX.], and the general view of the operations at the Rock represented in [Plate XVIII.]
Narrow escape of the Smeaton at the Bell Rock. Advantage of Alarm-bells.
Being now within twelve courses of being ready for building the cornice, measures were taken for getting the stones of it and the parapet-wall of the Light-room brought from Edinburgh, where, as before noticed, they had been prepared, and were in readiness for shipping. The honour of conveying the upper part of the Light-house, and of landing the last stone of the building on the Rock, was considered to belong to Captain Pool of the Smeaton, who had been longer in the service than the master of the Patriot. The Smeaton was therefore now partly loaded with old iron, consisting of broken railways and other lumber, which had been lying about the Rock. After landing these at Arbroath, she took on board James Craw, with his horse and cart, which could now be spared at the work-yard, to be employed in carting the stones from Edinburgh to Leith. Alexander Davidson and William Kennedy, two careful masons, were also sent to take charge of the loading of the stones at Greenside, and stowing them on board of the vessel at Leith. The writer also went on board, with a view to call at the Bell Rock, and to take his passage up the Firth of Forth. The wind, however, coming to blow very fresh from the eastward, with thick and foggy weather, it became necessary to reef the mainsail, and set the second-jib. When in the act of making a tack towards the Tender, the sailors who worked the head sheets were all of a sudden alarmed with the sound of the smith’s hammer and anvil on the Beacon, and had just time to put the ship about to save her from running ashore on the north western point of the Rock, marked “James Craw’s horse,” in [Plate VI.] On looking towards the direction from whence the sound came, the Building and Beacon-house were seen, with consternation, while the ship was hailed by those on the Rock, who were no less confounded at seeing the near approach of the Smeaton, and, just as the vessel cleared the danger, the smith and those in the mortar-galley made signs in token of their happiness at our fortunate escape. From this occurrence the writer had an experimental proof of the utility of the large Bells which were in preparation to be rung by the machinery of the Revolving-light; for, had it not been the sound of the smith’s anvil, the Smeaton, in all probability, would have been wrecked upon the Rock. In case the vessel had struck, those on board might have been safe, having now the Beacon-house as a place of refuge; but the vessel, which was going at a great velocity, must have suffered severely, and it was more than probable that the horse would have been drowned, there being no means of getting him out of the vessel. Of this valuable animal and his master, both delineated in [Plate X.], we shall take an opportunity of saying more in another part of the work.
The Artificers on the Beacon greatly alarmed.
The weather cleared up in the course of the night, but the wind shifted to the N.E., and blew very fresh: and it was with difficulty that a communication could be made with the Tender, after which the Smeaton bore away for Leith about 7 A. M. At 9 she was abreast of Fifeness, and at half-past 1 P. M. got safely into Leith harbour, after a passage of about six hours, which was fully the quickest which the writer had made from the Bell Rock to Leith, a distance of about 88 miles. From the force of the wind, being now the period of spring-tides, a very heavy swell was experienced at the Rock: at 2 o’clock on the following morning, the people on the Beacon were in a state of great alarm about their safety, as the sea had broke up part of the floor of the mortar-gallery, which was thus cleared of the lime-casks, and other buoyant articles; and the alarm-bell being rung, all hands were called to render what assistance was in their power for the safety of themselves and the materials. At this time, some would willingly have left the Beacon and gone into the Building: the sea, however, ran so high, that there was no passage along the bridge of communication; and when the interior of the Light-house came to be examined in the morning, it appeared that great quantities of water had come over the walls, now 80 feet in height, and had run down through the several apartments, and out at the entrance-door. From this state of things the work was stopped for two days, in the course of which the joiners got the mortar-gallery refitted, and the landing-master’s crew supplied it with a fresh stock of materials for making mortar. Notwithstanding this state of the sea upon the Rock, the Tender and Patriot still kept at their moorings. Such, indeed, was the practice of the seamen, in this kind of life, that, unless when the wind blew from N.W., or in such a direction as made the vessels ride with their sterns towards the Rock, they never thought of moving from their moorings, unless the vessels were deeply loaded.
Progress of the Light-room works.
On reaching Edinburgh, the writer found the Light-room and Reflecting-apparatus in considerable forwardness at the Greenside Company’s works. He had also received advice from Prescot, that the plate-glass for the windows would soon be in a state of readiness; and Messrs Meirs and Son of London intimated, that they would cast the Bells at any time, on receiving a week or ten days notice. The only article connected with the light-room, regarding which there was a doubt, was the coloured glass for distinguishing the light, which had long since been commissioned from Mr Okey of London, who, though a very ingenious artist, was rather an irregular correspondent.
Works at Arbroath completed.
The upper course of the Light-house at the work-yard of Arbroath, was completed on the 6th, and the whole of the stones were therefore now ready for being shipped to the Rock. The operations of the hewers or stone-cutters were thus brought very nearly to a close: only the 23 steps of the stone staircase of the Light-house remained to be dressed; and this piece of work was reserved for some of the principal masons, on their return from the Rock, as the steps could not be conveniently built until the balance-crane and other bulky apparatus were removed from the building. From the present state of the works, it was impossible that the two squads of artificers at Arbroath and the Bell Rock could meet together at this period; and as, in public works of this kind, which had continued for a series of years, it is not customary to allow the men to separate without what is termed a “Finishing-pint,” five guineas were for this purpose placed at the disposal of Mr David Logan, clerk of works. With this sum the stone-cutters at Arbroath had a merry-meeting in their barrack, collected their sweethearts and friends, and concluded their labours with a dance. It was remarked, however, that their happiness on this occasion was not without alloy. The consideration of parting, and leaving a steady and regular employment, to go in quest of work, and mix with other society, after having been harmoniously lodged for years together in one large “Guildhall or Barrack,” was rather painful. The completion of this part of the work at Arbroath was felt as an era in the Light-house affairs, by admitting of the discharge of so considerable a number of the artificers. Mr David Logan, by this means also, got off to the Bell Rock, having been hitherto chiefly confined to the operations ashore.
Mr Smeaton’s daughter visits the Light-house works at Edinburgh.