Neap-tides. Artificers working knee-deep in water.
The weather, upon the whole, was very fine to-day, and the winds, though variable, were gentle; but from the mildness of the season, it got rather foggy towards the evening. The boats left the floating-light at a quarter past 9 o’clock this morning, and the work began at three-quarters past 9; but as the neap tides were approaching, the working-time at the rock became gradually shorter, and it was now with difficulty that two and a half hours work could be got. But, so keenly had the workmen entered into the spirit of the Beacon-house operations, that they continued to bore the holes in the rock till some of them were knee deep in water. In this work the sailors were also engaged, taking their turns at the boring and other works.
Operations entirely confined to the Beacon.
The operations at this time, were entirely directed to the erection of the beacon, in which every man felt an equal interest, as at this critical period the slightest casualty to any of the boats at the rock might have been fatal to himself individually, while it was perhaps peculiar to the writer more immediately to feel for the safety of the whole. Each log or upright beam of the beacon, was to be fixed to the rock by two strong and massive bats or stanchions of iron, of a construction which will be better understood by inspecting the diagrams on [Plate VIII.], and the accompanying description. These bats, for the fixture of the principal and diagonal beams and bracing-chains, required fifty-four holes, each measuring two inches in diameter, and eighteen inches in depth.
Description of the operation of boring the rock.
Progress of the work.
There had already been so considerable a progress made in boring and excavating these holes, that the writer’s hopes of getting the beacon erected this year, began to be more and more confirmed, although it was now advancing towards what was considered the latter end of the proper working season at the Bell Rock. The foreman joiner, Mr Francis Watt, was accordingly appointed to attend at the rock to-day, when the necessary levels were taken for the step or seat of each particular beam of the beacon, that they might be cut to their respective lengths, to suit the inequalities of the rock; several of the stanchions were also tried into their places, and other necessary observations made, to prevent mistakes on the application of the apparatus, and to facilitate the operations, when the beams came to be set up, which would require to be done in the course of a single tide.
Tuesday 25th.
We had now experienced an almost unvaried tract of light airs of easterly wind, with clear weather in the fore-part of the day, and fog in the evenings. To-day, however, it sensibly changed; when the wind came to the south-west, and blew a fresh breeze. At 9 A. M. the bell rung, and the boats were hoisted out, and though the artificers were now pretty well accustomed to tripping up and down the sides of the floating-light, yet it required more seamanship this morning than usual. It therefore afforded some merriment to those who had got fairly seated in their respective boats, to see the difficulties which attended their companions, from the hesitating manner in which they quitted hold of the man-ropes in leaving the ship. As it blew pretty fresh, the passage to the rock was tedious, and the boats did not reach it till half-past 10. By working upon the higher parts of the site of the beacon 1¼ hours work was got, though not without difficulty, and the men left off at a quarter past 12 noon, completely drenched in water.
Difficult situation of the Smith.