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
that you are strangers in a strange land.--It becomes us to remember,
that all the affairs of men are dependent on Providence. We may exert
talents and industry, but GOD only can bless our exertions with
success. Let our trust be in him. Let us humbly hope that he will bless
this day and this undertaking. Through his aid, may there arise from
this spot, a tower of safety and protection to the mariner of every
tongue and nation.”
The whole of this scene was very impressive; and the plain, decent, and
respectable appearance of the people collected on the occasion, was
none of the least interesting parts of it.
[Sidenote: Beacon Completed.]
Having now got the works at the Start Point of Sanday fairly commenced,
and some progress made in opening the quarries, the author left
the Orkney Islands, and continued his voyage westward to the other
Light-houses on the coast. Every thing having succeeded well at the
Start Point, the Beacon was finished in the month of September. It
was terminated at the height of 100 feet above the medium level of
the sea, with a circular ball of masonry measuring fifteen feet in
circumference.--But this tower having been afterwards converted into
a light-house, it seems to be unnecessary here to enter into a more
particular specification of the building.
_Inchkeith Light-house._
[Sidenote: ~1803.~]
Much inconveniency had been experienced, and many fatal accidents had
occurred, in the Firth of Forth, from the want of a light to direct
ships past the island of Inchkeith into the Roads of Leith. In the
course of the winter of 1801, from this cause, a very severe misfortune
happened at the rocks lying off Kinghornness, on the Fifeshire coast,
by the loss of the smack Aberdeen, Freeman, master, one of the traders
bound from Aberdeen to London. This vessel had been put up the Firth in
a storm, loaded with a general cargo, which was valued at upwards of L.
10,000, and had on board 13 passengers, besides the ship’s crew, all
of whom perished, excepting the master, the mate, and a lady. So very
distressing an accident, with other instances of a similar nature,
produced a strong sensation with the public. It was also found, that
vessels which, by the direction of the light of May, had entered the
Firth of Forth in the course of a long winter night, could not yet
venture to hold on their course, up the Firth , owing to the difficulty
of passing the island of Inchkeith, and the foul and rocky ground in
its neighbourhood. The mariner was thus obliged to _lie off and on_
in this narrow sea, without being able to run for the anchorage of
Leith Roads till day-light: but, before morning, the wind perhaps
had shifted; and, instead of being in a safe anchorage, he was too
often driven to sea. The author has, indeed, known of a ship in this
situation, which drifted before the wind even to the coast of Norway.
[Sidenote: Inchkeith Light-house resolved on.]
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account