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
At 3 o’clock this morning, the bell was rung, as a signal for landing
at the rock. From the number of artificers, it required considerable
management and exertion on the part of the landing-master to get them
properly seated in the four boats belonging to the Tender, the Smeaton,
and Floating-light, which last attended the rock during the morning
tides, and assisted in all the operations of the landing-master’s
department. At 4 o’clock fifty-eight persons landed; but the tides
being extremely languid, the water only left the higher parts of the
rock, and no work could be done at the site of the building. A third
forge was, however, put in operation, during a short time, for the
greater conveniency of sharpening the picks and irons, and for purposes
connected with the preparations for fixing the railways on the rock.
[Sidenote: Advantage of a Bell as a signal at the Rock.]
The weather towards the evening became thick and foggy, and there was
hardly a breath of wind to ruffle the surface of the water; had it not
therefore been the noise from the anvils of the smiths who had been
left on the Beacon throughout the day, which afforded a guide for the
boats, a landing could not have been attempted this evening, especially
with such a company of artificers. This circumstance confirmed the
writer’s opinion with regard to the propriety of connecting large bells
to be rung with machinery in the light-house, to be tolled day and
night during the continuance of foggy weather, by which the mariner may
be forewarned of too near an approach to the Rock, while every distant
object is obscured in the mist.
The tides went so little back at the Rock to-day, that no work was done
excepting to the railways; it being impossible to pump the water out of
the foundation-pit, as the tide never left the south-eastern margin of
it. After remaining two hours, all hands returned towards the Tender,
where guns were occasionally fired, horns sounded, and the ship’s bell
tolled, as signals for the boats to find their way from the Rock to the
vessels; and, in this manner, the whole party got safely on board about
8 o’clock P. M.
[Sidenote: Wednesday, 22d.]
At 6 A. M. the artificers landed, but the foundation could only be
partially cleared of water, so as to enable a few hands, standing
ankle-deep in water, to work round the edges where the site of the
Light-house was highest. After two and a half hours’ work, the boats,
with the artificers, returned to their respective ships.
[Sidenote: Building materials landed for the first time this season.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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