An Account of the Bell Rock Light-House: Including the Details of the Erection and Peculiar Structure of That Edifice; to Which Is Prefixed a Historical View of the Institution and Progress of the Northern Light-HousesStevenson, Robert
History
An Account of the Bell Rock Light-House: Including the Details of the Erection and Peculiar Structure of That Edifice; to Which Is Prefixed a Historical View of the Institution and Progress of the Northern Light-Houses
Stevenson, Robert
Bell Rock Lighthouse (Scotland); Lighthouses -- Scotland
for containing a stock of provisions, water and fuel, for any length of
time, besides stowing two or three tiers of casks of lime, cement, and
other necessaries for the use of the work.
[Sidenote: Praam-boats, or Stone-lighters.]
Continuing the description of the marine part of the establishment,
we next notice three new praam-boats, or stone-lighters, built for
conveying the building materials to the Bell Rock, from the vessels
employed in bringing them from the work-yard at Arbroath. The term
Praam-boat is applied to a certain description of Norwegian boats,
having their stem and stem rounded after a peculiar fashion. The
introduction of this phrase, in the Bell Rock service, was purely
accidental, having been applied, by Captain Grindlay, Master of the
Trinity-House of Leith, to the first or experimental stone-lighter,
from its resemblance to the praams of Norway. Those now alluded to,
however, were built of a more rounded form, after the Dutch manner.
They measured over all, on deck, about 28 feet by 8 feet 6 inches,
and their depth of hold may be stated at 2 feet, for, being built by
different carpenters, they were not exactly of the same dimensions.
They had a considerable spring or sheer, and were constructed for
carrying their cargoes entirely upon deck, which formed a kind of
_cockpit_ in the waist, having a high gunwale on each side, and a
break, both fore and aft, as will be seen in Plate XI., the first tier
of stones seldom reaching above the level of the gunwale. They had,
consequently, little or no hold, having only what was sufficient for
stowing some pig or cast iron ballast, a few empty casks, with the
necessary warps, kedge-anchors, and grappling-irons.
[Sidenote: Precautions taken for rendering them water-tight and
buoyant.]
These lighters were built of uncommonly strong materials, both in
their timbers, outward planks, and ceiling or lining, which last was
caulked and secured in a manner similar to that described for the
Floating-light, so that although the outward skin were damaged, by
striking or rubbing on the rock, there would still be an additional
defence against sinking. Such, however, was the presentiment of danger
attached to the landing-department, that besides the precaution of a
water-tight lining, each praam was provided with twelve strong empty
casks, which were stowed in the hold, and were sufficient to float and
render her buoyant, in case of accident. The praams, therefore, became
so many life-boats moored in the neighbourhood of the rock.
[Sidenote: Method of mooring the Praam-boats.]
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