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
The month of March set in with some pretty good weather, and eight
artificers landed upon the Rock on the 5th, at half-past 11 A. M.,
and remained till half-past 1, when they got the three large stones,
formerly mentioned as lying near the Beacon, broken, and reduced to
such a size as to admit of their removal. Several of the fixtures of
the Railways had got loose, and were again secured; and two lengths of
the waggon-tracks were broken to pieces by the movement of the above
mentioned stones, which, in their progress across the rock, had made
indelible ruts upon it. The bracing-chains of the Beacon still required
to be screwed up; but the essential parts of this fabric were in the
most entire and perfect state; although all the joisting of the lower
platform, excepting three pieces, had been carried away. The deals of
this floor had been lifted at the end of the working season, being only
about 30 feet above the Rock, but the joisting presented so little
resistance to the waves, that it had been allowed to remain, being only
fixed in a slender manner, that both the floor and the joisting might
lift with the force of the sea, without endangering the safety of the
Beacon.
[Sidenote: A vessel in danger of being wrecked on the Bell Rock.]
On this occasion, the people of the Floating-light informed the landing
party, that they had just been spoken to by the crew of a large brig
from Gottenburgh, bound for Liverpool. This vessel having got out of
her reckoning, had been lying-to in the entrance of the Firth for
three days, not knowing the land. But having been directed as to their
situation, the strangers now shaped their course for the Orkneys. Had
it not been for these instructions, this vessel, in all probability,
might have been wrecked on the Bell Rock; and, therefore, looking
prospectively to the completion of this work, we may see its extensive
and important advantages to shipping.
[Sidenote: Fourteenth course laid on the platform, and further progress
of the Work.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account