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 Sir Joseph Banks Tender, having been fitted out for sea, sailed on
the 20th of April, with the Hedderwick praam-boat in tow, to attend
the works at the Bell Rock. She had also on board 15 artificers,
consisting of mill-wrights, joiners, smiths and masons, to be employed
in extending the Railways, and fitting up the Beacon-house as a place
of residence for the workmen. Having left the harbour of Arbroath
at 5 A. M., the Floating-light was hailed at 8, when her boat came
alongside with Captain Wilson, the landing-master, who was now to
leave his charge on board of the Floating-light for a time, and attend
as landing-master at the Bell Rock, while Mr John Reid, mariner, and
principal light-keeper, took charge as master of the Floating-light,
acting in these capacities with much credit to himself and advantage to
the service.
[Sidenote: Two sets of Moorings laid down.]
The first attention of the landing-master was to lay down a
mushroom-anchor, weighing 18 cwt. 1 qr. with 32 fathoms of ⅞th inch
chain, in 13 fathoms water, as the future moorings of the Tender; the
Beacon on the Bell Rock bearing E. by S. distant ¼ mile. A set of
moorings were also laid down about 300 fathoms to the eastward of this
for the praam-boat, with a mushroom-anchor, weighing 15 cwt. 24 lb.,
with 25 fathoms of chain, in 11 fathoms water. The artificers, having
left the Tender in two boats, landed on the Rock at 9 A.M. and returned
on board again at half-past 12 noon. But, in the afternoon, the
weather becoming more coarse, with the wind from the NE., accompanied
with showers of snow, a landing was not attempted in the evening.
[Sidenote: Friday, 21st.]
[Sidenote: Tender slips her moorings.]
The wind to-day being still from the NE., a heavy sea set upon the
Rock. The artificers, notwithstanding, left the Tender in two boats, at
10 A. M., but, after various attempts to land at the western creek, it
was found impracticable, and the boats returned to the vessel at half
past 11; when the Tender was found to ride so heavily at her moorings,
that it was judged advisable to slip her hawser; when she set sail, and
at 5 P. M. anchored in the bay of Arbroath; but, in the course of the
night, she again returned to her moorings off the Bell Rock.
[Sidenote: Saturday, 22d.]
[Sidenote: Other three sets of Moorings laid down.]
The wind having come round to the south to-day, the weather had
moderated; and at 10 A. M. the artificers landed, their number having
been augmented by nine additional men from Leith, so that they now
counted twenty-five. The latter part of this day was employed in laying
down three sets of moorings with mushroom-anchors, weighing from 15 to
23 cwt., for the use of the Stone-Lighters, and other craft employed at
the work. The positions of these, as nearly as may be, will be seen in
Plate V.
[Sidenote: Sunday, 23d.]
[Sidenote: Artificers cannot land.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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