[This Plate] gives a Perspective view of the Works at the Bell Rock, taken by Carse, at low-water of spring-tide, from on board the Light-house Yacht, in the month of July 1810, at the distance of about half a mile in a southern direction from the Rock, and is here reduced from a picture in the possession of the writer. In the fore-ground a boat is introduced, approaching the Rock with a party of strangers, and another is leaving it, supposed to be receiving orders from a figure on the Rock, who is pointing towards her. In the back-ground, the shipping belonging to the work is introduced, viz. the Tender, a Schooner, and the stone-vessels Smeaton and Patriot, with the Floating-light. In the distance, the hills of Fife and Forfar are seen, but the entrance to the Firth of Tay is intercepted by the beams of the Beacon-house. Between the Light-house and Beacon, or in the direction of the chain and stone suspended from the Wooden-bridge, the ruins of the Abbey of Aberbrothwick are seen. The operation of landing the stones with the sheer-crane at Duff’s Wharf, toward the right, is seen; and also one of the moveable beam-cranes, in a working position, at Pitmilly Wharf, on the left.
The principal lines of the railways, with waggons, and a variety of operations which are in progress, form a very busy scene upon the Rock. On the praam-boat’s deck, toward the left of the picture, Captain Wilson, the landing-master, is represented with a speaking-trumpet in his hand; and at the foot of the Beacon-house, Mr Francis Watt, foreman mill-wright, is supposed to be giving directions about some operations. On a level with the entrance-door of the Light-house, the bridge of communication is situate, and four blocks of stone are seen, in progress of being raised from the railways to the top of the building, viz. one is suspended from the winch-machine upon the bridge, another from the beam projecting out of the window of the Light-room store, a third from the bed-room, and a fourth from the Balance-crane, which last is about to be laid upon the parapet-wall of the Light-room. Here the operations are going forward under the direction of Mr Peter Logan, foreman builder. In the open gallery of the Beacon-house, Mr Dove, the foreman smith, is seen at work, with the smoke of the respective fires of the forge and cook-room. The tackle, distended in a diagonal direction, from the balcony of the Light-house, to the mortar-gallery of the Beacon, shews the mode of raising the mortar-buckets. The figure on the small scaffold suspended from the balcony, shews the method of pointing the walls with Roman cement.
Plate XIX.
ENTRANCE-DOOR, WINDOWS, HINGES, AND THUNDER-ROD.
ENTRANCE DOOR, WINDOWS, HINGES and THUNDER ROD.
Drawn by J. Slight
Engraved by R. Scott
PLATE XIX.
Pl. XIX.