The weather most fortunately continued favourable for the operations, the wind being westerly, with fresh breezes. The boats landed at half-past 7 A. M., the number of persons on the rock being, as formerly, fifty-two; the work was carried on till half-past 12, making four hours and a half upon the rock. The remaining two principal beams were erected in the course of this tide, which, with the assistance of those set up yesterday, was found to be a very simple operation. In hoisting up the sixth and last log, however, and just when it was about to be kanted into its place, the iron-hook of the principal purchase-block gave way, and this great beam, measuring fifty feet in length, fell upon the rock with a terrible crash; but what is not a little wonderful, although there were fifty-two people engaged round the beacon, yet not one was hurt in the slightest degree by its fall. The beam itself was only a little shaken near the upper end, but was not materially damaged. Another block was immediately hooked, in the place of that which had failed, and the beam was got into its place without much delay. Every possible exertion was now made to fix the lower ends of the beams to the rock, by connecting them with their respective stanchions, while three strong hoops of malleable iron were employed, for securing the whole in one mass at the top.
The six principal beams of the beacon were thus secured, at least in a temporary manner, in the course of two tides, or in the short space of about eleven hours and a half. The only inconveniency attending this operation, arose from the derrick for raising the first beam being rather too short. It was only thirty feet in height, whereas it was found that it would have answered better had it been about forty-five feet. We were also a good deal troubled and perplexed with the logs afloat, from having the six principal beams in two rafts: it would have been more convenient had they been lashed together in pairs, and then rafted in one lot. The writer concludes, upon the whole, that about eight hours only were actually employed in raising the beams of the beacon, and fixing them in a temporary manner. Such is the progress that may be made, when active hands and willing minds set properly to work in operations of this kind.
Tuesday, 22d.
Four of the supporting beams set up.
Having now got the weighty part of this work over, and being thereby relieved of the difficulty both of landing and victualling such a number of men, the Smeaton could now be spared, and she was accordingly dispatched to Arbroath, for a supply of water and provisions, and carried with her six of the artificers who could best be spared. The wind to-day was due west, and blowing so fresh, that the boats had some difficulty in landing the remaining thirty-six persons at 8 A. M. who continued on the rock till half-past 12, having had four and a half hours work. During this tide four of the struts, or supporting beams, were set up, butting against the inside of four of the principal beams. These supports were each about twenty feet in length, varying somewhat according to the inequalities of the rock. At the foot they were fixed to the rock with stanchions, similar to those of the principal beams, and at the top they were connected with pieces of oak, strongly strapped with iron, collapsing around the principal beams to which they were bolted.
Wednesday, 23d.
The boats have some difficulty in leaving the rock to-day.
Landed at half-past 9 this morning, and succeeded in getting up the two remaining supports, and in fixing several of the bracing chains. But, instead of entering at present into any farther details about the several parts of the beacon, it will be better to refer these to the letter-press description of [Plate VIII.] After having been four and a half hours at work on the rock to-day, the boats left it, though not without considerable difficulty, as the wind had been blowing fresh all the last night, and to-day it was shifting and veering about from N.W. to N.N.E., which had already set up a pretty heavy sea. In going out of the eastern harbour, the boat which the writer steered shipped a sea, that filled her about one-third with water. She had also been hid for a short time, by the waves breaking upon the rock, from the sight of the crew of the preceding boat, who were much alarmed for our safety, imagining for a time that she had gone down.
Shipping separated by a gale.
The Smeaton returned from Arbroath this afternoon, but there was so much sea that she could not be made fast to her moorings; she therefore let go her small bower anchor, in order to get a supply of provisions put on board of the Light-house yacht, and receive other six of the artificers to carry ashore. But the anchor was no sooner let go than it broke among the rocks, and the vessel was obliged to return to Arbroath, without being able either to deliver the provisions, or take the artificers on board. The Light-house yacht was also soon obliged to follow her example, as the sea was breaking heavily over her bows. After getting two reefs in the mainsail, and the third or storm-jib set, the wind being SW., she beat to windward, though blowing a hard gale, and got into St Andrew’s Bay, where we passed the night under the lee of Fifeness. In these circumstances, it was impossible for the writer to divest himself of much anxiety for the fate of the newly erected beacon, which was still but imperfectly fixed to the rock.