records of a family of engineers-第15节

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ted；　unessayed；　and　even　now；　after　it　has　been　lighted　for　more　than　eighty　years；　it　is　still　an　exploit　that　has　never　been　repeated。　（1）　　My　grandfather　was；　besides；　but　a　young　man；　of　an　experience　comparatively　restricted；　and　a　reputation　confined　to　Scotland；　and　when　he　prepared　his　first　models；　and　exhibited　them　in　Merchants'　Hall；　he　can　hardly　be　acquitted　of　audacity。　　John　Clerk　of　Eldin　stood　his　friend　from　the　beginning；　kept　the　key　of　the　model　room；　to　which　he　carried　‘eminent　strangers；'　and　found　words　of　counsel　and　encouragement　beyond　price。　　‘Mr。　Clerk　had　been　personally　known　to　Smeaton；　and　used　occasionally　to　speak　of　him　to　me；'　says　my　grandfather；　and　again：　‘I　felt　regret　that　I　had　not　the　opportunity　of　a　greater　range　of　practice　to　fit　me　for　such　an　undertaking；　but　I　was　fortified　by　an　expression　of　my　friend　Mr。　Clerk　in　one　of　our　conversations。　〃This　work；〃　said　he；　〃is　unique；　and　can　be　little　forwarded　by　experience　of　ordinary　masonic　operations。　　In　this　case　Smeaton's　‘Narrative'　must　be　the　text…book；　and　energy　and　perseverance　the　pratique。〃　'

（1）　The　particular　event　which　concentrated　Mr。　Stevenson's　attention　on　the　problem　of　the　Bell　Rock　was　the　memorable　gale　of　December　1799；　when；　among　many　other　vessels；　H。M。S。　YORK；　a　seventy…four…gun　ship；　went　down　with　all　hands　on　board。　　Shortly　after　this　disaster　Mr。　Stevenson　made　a　careful　survey；　and　prepared　his　models　for　a　stone　tower；　the　idea　of　which　was　at　first　received　with　pretty　general　scepticism；　Smeaton's　Eddystone　tower　could　not　be　cited　as　affording　a　parallel；　for　there　the　rock　is　not　submerged　even　at　high…water；　while　the　problem　of　the　Bell　Rock　was　to　build　a　tower　of　masonry　on　a　sunken　reef　far　distant　from　land；　covered　at　every　tide　to　a　depth　of　twelve　feet　or　more；　and　having　thirty…two　fathoms'　depth　of　water　within　a　mile　of　its　eastern　edge。

A　Bill　for　the　work　was　introduced　into　Parliament　and　lost　in　the　Lords　in　1802…3。　　John　Rennie　was　afterwards；　at　my　grandfather's　suggestion；　called　in　council；　with　the　style　of　chief　engineer。　　The　precise　meaning　attached　to　these　words　by　any　of　the　parties　appears　irrecoverable。　　Chief　engineer　should　have　full　authority；　full　responsibility；　and　a　proper　share　of　the　emoluments；　and　there　were　none　of　these　for　Rennie。　　I　find　in　an　appendix　a　paper　which　resumes　the　controversy　on　this　subject；　and　it　will　be　enough　to　say　here　that　Rennie　did　not　design　the　Bell　Rock；　that　he　did　not　execute　it；　and　that　he　was　not　paid　for　it。　（1）　　From　so　much　of　the　correspondence　as　has　come　down　to　me；　the　acquaintance　of　this　man；　eleven　years　his　senior；　and　already　famous；　appears　to　have　been　both　useful　and　agreeable　to　Robert　Stevenson。　　It　is　amusing　to　find　my　grandfather　seeking　high　and　low　for　a　brace　of　pistols　which　his　colleague　had　lost　by　the　way　between　Aberdeen　and　Edinburgh；　and　writing　to　Messrs。　Dollond；　‘I　have　not　thought　it　necessary　to　trouble　Mr。　Rennie　with　this　order；　but　I　BEG　YOU　WILL　SEE　TO　GET　TWO　MINUTES　OF　HIM　AS　HE　PASSES　YOUR　DOOR'　…　a　proposal　calculated　rather　from　the　latitude　of　Edinburgh　than　from　London；　even　in　1807。　　It　is　pretty；　too；　to　observe　with　what　affectionate　regard　Smeaton　was　held　in　mind　by　his　immediate　successors。　‘Poor　old　fellow；'　writes　Rennie　to　Stevenson；　‘I　hope　he　will　now　and　then　take　a　peep　at　us；　and　inspire　you　with　fortitude　and　courage　to　brave　all　difficulties　and　dangers　to　accomplish　a　work　which　will；　if　successful；　immortalise　you　in　the　annals　of　fame。'　　The　style　might　be　bettered；　but　the　sentiment　is　charming。

（1）　The　grounds　for　the　rejection　of　the　Bill　by　the　House　of　Lords　in　1802…3　had　been　that　the　extent　of　coast　over　which　dues　were　proposed　to　be　levied　would　be　too　great。　Before　going　to　Parliament　again；　the　Board　of　Northern　Lights；　desiring　to　obtain　support　and　corroboration　for　Mr。　Stevenson's　views；　consulted　first　Telford；　who　was　unable　to　give　the　matter　his　attention；　and　then　（on　Stevenson's　suggestion）　Rennie；　who　concurred　in　affirming　the　practicability　of　a　stone　tower；　and　supported　the　Bill　when　it　came　again　before　Parliament　in　1806。　　Rennie　was　afterwards　appointed　by　the　Commissioners　as　advising　engineer；　whom　Stevenson　might　consult　in　cases　of　emergency。　It　seems　certain　that　the　title　of　chief　engineer　had　in　this　instance　no　more　meaning　than　the　above。　　Rennie；　in　point　of　fact；　proposed　certain　modifications　in　Stevenson's　plans；　which　the　latter　did　not　accept；　nevertheless　Rennie　continued　to　take　a　kindly　interest　in　the　work；　and　the　two　engineers　remained　in　friendly　correspondence　during　its　progress。　　The　official　view　taken　by　the　Board　as　to　the　quarter　in　which　lay　both　the　merit　and　the　responsibility　of　the　work　may　be　gathered　from　a　minute　of　the　Commissioners　at　their　first　meeting　held　after　Stevenson　died；　in　which　they　record　their　regret　‘at　the　death　of　this　zealous；　faithful；　and　able　officer；　TO　WHOM　IS　DUE　THE　HONOUR　OF　CONCEIVING　AND　EXECUTING　THE　BELL　ROCK　LIGHTHOUSE。'　　The　matter　is　briefly　summed　up　in　the　LIFE　of　Robert　Stevenson　by　his　son　David　Stevenson　（A。　&　C。　Black；　1878）；　and　fully　discussed；　on　the　basis　of　official　facts　and　figures；　by　the　same　writer　in　a　letter　to　the　CIVIL　ENGINEERS'　AND　ARCHITECTS'　JOURNAL；　1862。

Smeaton　was；　indeed；　the　patron　saint　of　the　Bell　Rock。　Undeterred　by　the　sinister　fate　of　Winstanley；　he　had　tackled　and　solved　the　problem　of　the　Eddystone；　but　his　solution　had　not　been　in　all　respects　perfect。　　It　remained　for　my　grand…　father　to　outdo　him　in　daring；　by　applying　to　a　tidal　rock　those　principles　which　had　been　already　justified　by　the　success　of　the　Eddystone；　and　to　perfect　the　model　by　more　than　one　exemplary　departure。　　Smeaton　had　adopted　in　his　floors　the　principle　of　the　arch；　each　therefore　exercised　an　outward　thrust　upon　the　walls；　which　must　be　met　and　combated　by　embedded　chains。　　My　grandfather's　flooring…stones；　on　the　other　hand；　were　flat；　made　part　of　the　outer　wall；　and　were　keyed　and　dovetailed　into　a　central　stone；　so　as　to　bind　the　work　together　and　be　positive　elements　of　strength。　　In　1703　Winstanley　still　thought　it　possible　to　erect　his　strange　pagoda；　with　its　open　gallery；　its　florid　scrolls　and　candlesticks：　like　a　rich　man's　folly　for　an　ornamental　water　in　a　park。　　Smeaton　followed；　then　Stevenson　in　his　turn　corrected　such　flaws　as　were　left　in　Smeaton's　design；　and　with　his　improvements；　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　the　model　was　made　perfect。　　Smeaton　and　Stevenson　had　between　them　evolved　and　finished　the　sea…tower。　　No　subsequent　builder　has　departed　in　anything　essential　from　the　principles　of　their　design。　　It　remains；　and　it　seems　to　us　as　though　it　must　remain　for　ever；　an　ideal　attained。　　Every　stone　in　the　building；　it　may　interest　the　reader　to　know；　my　grandfather　had　himself　cut　out　in　the　model；　and　the　manner　in　which　the　courses　were　fitted；　joggled；　trenailed；　wedged；　and　the　bond　broken；　is　intricate　as　a　puzzle　and　beautiful　by　ingenuity。

In　1806　a　second　Bill　passed　both　Houses；　and　the　preliminary　works　were　at　once　begun。　　The　same　year　the　Navy　had　taken　a　great　harvest　of　prizes　in　the　North　Sea；　one　of　which；　a　Prussian　fishing　dogger；　flat…bottomed　and　rounded　at　the　stem　and　stern；　was　purchased　to　be　a　floating　lightship；　and　re…named　the　PHAROS。　　By　July　1807　she　was　overhauled；　rigged　for　her　new　purpose；　and　turned　into　the　lee　of　the　Isle　of　May。　　‘It　was　proposed　that　the　whole　party　should　meet　in　her　and　pass　the　night；　but　she　rolled　from　side　to　side　in　so　extraordinary　a　manner；　that　even　the　most　seahardy　fled。　　It　was　humorously　observed　of　this　vessel　that　she　was　in　danger　of　making　a　round　turn　and　appearing　with　her　keel　uppermost；　and　that　she　would　even　turn　a　half…penny　if　laid　upon　deck。'　　By　two　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　15th　July　this　purgatorial　vessel　was　moored　by　the　Bell　Rock。

A　sloop　of　forty　tons　had　been　in　the　meantime　built　at　Leith；　and　named　the　SMEATON；　by　the　7th　of　August　my　grandfather　set　sail　in　her　…

‘carrying　with　him　Mr。　Peter　Logan；　foreman　builder；　and　five　artificers　selected　from　their　having　been　somewhat　accustomed　to　the　sea；　the　writer　being　aware　of　the　distressing　trial　which　the　floating　light　would　necessarily　inflict　upon　landsmen　from　her　rolling　motion。　　Here　he　remained　till　the　10th；　and；　as　the　weather　was　favourable；　a　landing　was　effected　daily；　when　the　workmen　were　employed　in　cutting　the　large　seaweed　from　the　sites　of　the　lighthouse　and　beacon；　which　were　respectively　traced　with　pickaxes　upon　the　rock。　　In　the　meantime　the　crew　of　the　SMEATON　was　employed　in　laying　down　the　several　sets　of　moorings　within　about　half　a　mile　of　the　rock　for　the　convenience　of　vessels。　　The　artificers；　having；　fortunately；　experienced　moderate　weather；　returned　to　the　workyard　of　Arbroath　with　a　good　report　of　their　treatment　afloat；　when　their　comrades　ashore　began　to　feel　some　anxiety　to　see　a　place　of　which　they　had　heard　so　much；　and　to　change　the　constant　operations　with　the　iron　and　mallet　in　the　process　of　hewing　for　an　occasional　tide's　work　on　the　rock；　which　they　figured　to　themselves　as　a　state　of　comparative　ease　and　comfort。'

I　a