Progress of the Work.
In stating the progress of the Bell Rock works at the close of the first season, it is hardly necessary to say, that, for success, and ultimate utility, they far exceeded the writer’s most sanguine expectations. By the erection of the frame-work of the Beacon-house, the rock had in a great measure been robbed of its terrors to those employed in building the Light-house. At all times when a boat could be put to sea, or approach this sunken reef, there was not now that actual danger in landing which formerly presented itself. Should the Tender in future go a-drift, or a boat happen to be wrecked on the rock, the Beacon could now be looked to as a place of shelter, till more efficient means could be resorted to. This work had always been a great desideratum with the writer, who had now chiefly to consider how the future steps were to be attained, having much less to occupy his attention in regard to the safety of the people employed.
The whole of the artificers being collected at the work-yard of Arbroath, in the latter end of the month of October, their number amounted to forty-four. It, therefore, became indispensably necessary to get forward with the quarries, otherwise a number of experienced workmen must have been paid off, which would have been attended with much disadvantage to the operations at the rock next year. There was now every prospect that by mid-summer, the foundation or site of the Light-house would be completely excavated and ready for commencing the building; while as yet the hewing of one entire course had not been completed, for want of materials, although the stones of three or four successive courses were in progress. For example, 10 blocks of granite were still wanting of the first course, 30 blocks of the second, which measured 18 inches in thickness, and 20 blocks of the third, and so of other courses. The procuring of a sufficient stock of materials, and getting the quarries into a more regular system of supply, became an object which we shall more particularly notice under the article [Building Materials], in the following chapter.
Work-Yard.
The Work-Yard at Arbroath, where the stones were collected and hewn, consisted of an inclosed piece of ground, extending to about three quarters of an acre, conveniently situate on the northern side of the Lady Lane, or street, leading from the western side of the Harbour, being only about 200 yards distant from the Light-House shipping birth, as will be seen from [Plate XII.] Upon this plot of ground there was built a suite or range of barrack-rooms for the artificers, and the several apartments connected with the engineer’s office, mould-makers’ drawing-room, stores, work-shops for smiths and joiners, stable, &c. extending 150 feet along the north side of the work-yard, which were now fully occupied. Shades of timber were also constructed for the workmen in wet weather, and a kiln for burning lime. In a centrical position of this ground, a circular platform of masonry was built, on which the stones were laid when dressed, and each course tried and marked, before being shipped for the rock. This platform measured 44 feet in diameter; it was founded with large broad stones, at the depth of about 2 feet 6 inches, and built to within 10 inches of the surface with ruble work; on which a course of neatly dressed and well jointed masonry was laid, of the red sandstone from the quarries to the eastward of Arbroath, which brought the platform on a level with the surface of the ground. Here the dressed part of the first entire course of the Light-House was now lying, and the platform was so substantially built as to be capable of supporting any number of courses which it might be found convenient to lay upon it, in the further progress of the work.
1807, November.
Mr Gloag, who commanded the Light-house Yacht, had been successful in grappling and finding the old moorings of the Pharos floating-light, from which that vessel had drifted after the dreadful gale of the 6th of September. These he had weighed, and removed to within about 400 fathoms of the new ground taken up by that vessel, and had placed a buoy upon them, that, in case of her again drifting, any vessel carrying the floating-light could immediately be brought to ride at these spare moorings. The Yacht had also lifted three of the four floating buoys, with their chains and mushroom anchors, from the neighbourhood of the Bell Rock, leaving one set for the use of the vessel occasionally attending for the purpose of inspecting the Beacon. In the course of the month of November several very severe gales of wind occurred, and Mr Watt, the foreman joiner, who had been appointed to examine the rock at spring-tides, when the weather would permit, with three or four artificers, found some small repairs necessary, in consequence of damage which the Beacon had sustained.
Sunday 22d.
The Writer visits the Rock.
On the morning of the 22d of this month, the writer landed at the Bell Rock, when the greater part of the bracing-chains of the Beacon were in a loosened state, and hanging from their eye-bolts, like so much shipwreck. Two of the chain-bats were also drawn, which had lifted considerable masses of the rock along with them. But after a most careful and minute examination of the six principal beams of the beacon, and their respective supports, it was satisfactory to find that the great iron-stanchions had not the smallest appearance of working or shifting; the wedges of timber and iron having exactly the same appearance as when they were at first driven home by the hammer; the coating of pitch and tar was also as entire upon the seams and joints as when first applied. Every thing connected with the fixing of the beams at the top was likewise in good order. Nor was it less surprising, after so much stormy weather, to find that the ruble building, with Pozzolano’s mortar, used in filling several holes in the site of the Beacon, remained in its place, having now become fully as hard as the adjoining parts of the rock.