Monday, 27th.
Balance-crane removed from the top of the Building.
The sash-frames of the Light-room, 8 in number, and weighing each 254 lb., having been got safely up to the top of the building, were ranged on the balcony, in the order in which they were numbered, for their places on the top of the parapet-wall; and the balance-crane, that useful machine, having now lifted all the heavier articles, was unscrewed and lowered, to use the landing-master’s phrase, “in mournful silence.”
Wednesday, 29th.
Sir William Rae and Party visit the Rock.
The works were visited at this time by Mr Rae, Sheriff of Edinburgh, now Sir William Rae, Bart., Lord Advocate of Scotland, and Mr Adam Duff, Sheriff of Forfar, now of Edinburgh, ex officio Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses, who, as Members of the Bell Rock Committee, had individually taken much interest in the Light-house affairs. The party further consisted of General Brown, Captain Harry Stuart of the Royal Navy, Mr James Dickson of Leith, and Mr Charles Cuningham, Secretary and Cashier to the Light-house Board. The writer had the pleasure of embarking with these gentlemen at Leith on the 28th, in the Bell Rock Tender, and, after calling at the Light-houses of Inchkeith and Isle of May, the vessel, in the course of the night, got towards the Rock, and next morning the party landed, and minutely examined every thing connected with the operations of the Light-house and Beacon. On this occasion, one of the principal landing-places was named Rae’s Wharf, and another Duff’s Wharf, as marked on [Plate VI.] After breakfasting in the Light-house, Sir William proposed, that the foremen, landing-master, artificers and seamen, should be collected on the Beacon, when he expressed the satisfaction which he and his brother Commissioner felt at seeing the present advanced state of the Light-house; and, after alluding to the utility which might result from the publication of the whole proceedings of this work, concluded an address of much tenderness of feeling, by wishing all of us every prosperity and happiness. The party having been highly amused and gratified upon the Rock, again embarked; and at 10 A. M. the Tender sailed for Leith Roads, where she arrived, at 6 o’clock P. M., having made the trip from thence in the short space of about 28 hours.
1810, September.
Sunday, 2d.
Wooden-bridge removed from the Rock.
The writer having accompanied the party to Leith, immediately returned to the Bell Rock, where he was to make arrangements for bringing the operations to a conclusion. The steps of the stair being landed, and all the weightier articles of the Light-room got up to the balcony, the wooden-bridge was now to be removed, as it had a very powerful effect upon the Beacon, when a heavy sea struck it; and could not possibly have withstood the storms of a winter. Every thing having been cleared from the bridge, and nothing left but the two principal beams, with their horizontal braces, James Glen, at high-water, proceeded with a saw to cut through the beams at the end next the Beacon, which likewise disengaged their opposite extremity, inserted a few inches into the building. The frame was then gently lowered into the water, and floated off to the Smeaton, to be towed to Arbroath, to be applied as part of the materials in the erection of the light-keepers’ houses. After the removal of the bridge, the aspect of things at the Rock was much altered. The Beacon-house and Building had both a naked look, to those accustomed to their former appearance; a curious optical deception was also remarked, by which the Light-house seemed to incline from the perpendicular towards the Beacon. The horizontal rope-ladder before noticed was again stretched, to preserve the communication; and the artificers were once more obliged to practise the awkward and stradling manner of their passage between them during 1809, as will be understood by examining the second year’s work of [Plate IX.]