records of a family of engineers-第24节

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a　stop；　when　three　hearty　cheers　were　given；　which　were　returned　with　equal　goodwill　by　those　upon　the　beacon；　from　the　personal　interest　which　every　one　felt　in　the　prosperity　of　this　work；　so　intimately　connected　with　his　safety。

All　hands　having　returned　to　their　respective　ships；　they　got　a　shift　of　dry　clothes　and　some　refreshment。　　Being　Sunday；　they　were　afterwards　convened　by　signal　on　board　of　the　Lighthouse　yacht；　when　prayers　were　read；　for　every　heart　upon　this　occasion　felt　gladness；　and　every　mind　was　disposed　to　be　thankful　for　the　happy　and　successful　termination　of　the　operations　of　this　day。

＇Monday；　21st　Sept。＇

The　remaining　two　principal　beams　were　erected　in　the　course　of　this　tide；　which；　with　the　assistance　of　those　set　up　yesterday；　was　found　to　be　a　very　simple　operation。

The　six　principal　beams　of　the　beacon　were　thus　secured；　at　least　in　a　temporary　manner；　in　the　course　of　two　tides；　or　in　the　short　space　of　about　eleven　hours　and　a　half。　　Such　is　the　progress　that　may　be　made　when　active　hands　and　willing　minds　set　properly　to　work　in　operations　of　this　kind。

＇Tuesday　22nd；　Sept。＇

Having　now　got　the　weighty　part　of　this　work　over；　and　being　thereby　relieved　of　the　difficulty　both　of　landing　and　victualling　such　a　number　of　men；　the　SMEATON　could　now　be　spared；　and　she　was　accordingly　despatched　to　Arbroath　for　a　supply　of　water　and　provisions；　and　carried　with　her　six　of　the　artificers　who　could　best　be　spared。

＇Wednesday；　23rd　Sept。＇

In　going　out　of　the　eastern　harbour；　the　boat　which　the　writer　steered　shipped　a　sea；　that　filled　her　about　one…third　with　water。　　She　had　also　been　hid　for　a　short　time；　by　the　waves　breaking　upon　the　rock；　from　the　sight　of　the　crew　of　the　preceding　boat；　who　were　much　alarmed　for　our　safety；　imagining　for　a　time　that　she　had　gone　down。

The　SMEATON　returned　from　Arbroath　this　afternoon；　but　there　was　so　much　sea　that　she　could　not　be　made　fast　to　her　moorings；　and　the　vessel　was　obliged　to　return　to　Arbroath　without　being　able　either　to　deliver　the　provisions　or　take　the　artificers　on　board。　　The　Lighthouse　yacht　was　also　soon　obliged　to　follow　her　example；　as　the　sea　was　breaking　heavily　over　her　bows。　　After　getting　two　reefs　in　the　mainsail；　and　the　third　or　storm…jib　set；　the　wind　being　S。W。；　she　bent　to　windward；　though　blowing　a　hard　gale；　and　got　into　St。　Andrews　Bay；　where　we　passed　the　night　under　the　lee　of　Fifeness。

＇Thursday；　24th　Sept。＇

At　two　o'clock　this　morning　we　were　in　St。　Andrews　Bay；　standing　off　and　on　shore；　with　strong　gales　of　wind　at　S。W。；　at　seven　we　were　off　the　entrance　of　the　Tay；　at　eight　stood　towards　the　rock；　and　at　ten　passed　to　leeward　of　it；　but　could　not　attempt　a　landing。　　The　beacon；　however；　appeared　to　remain　in　good　order；　and　by　six　p。m。　the　vessel　had　again　beaten　up　to　St。　Andrews　Bay；　and　got　into　somewhat　smoother　water　for　the　night。

＇Friday；　25th　Sept。＇

At　seven　o'clock　bore　away　for　the　Bell　Rock；　but　finding　a　heavy　sea　running　on　it　were　unable　to　land。　　The　writer；　however；　had　the　satisfaction　to　observe；　with　his　telescope；　that　everything　about　the　beacon　appeared　entire：　and　although　the　sea　had　a　most　frightful　appearance；　yet　it　was　the　opinion　of　every　one　that；　since　the　erection　of　the　beacon；　the　Bell　Rock　was　divested　of　many　of　its　terrors；　and　had　it　been　possible　to　have　got　the　boats　hoisted　out　and　manned；　it　might　have　even　been　found　practicable　to　land。　　At　six　it　blew　so　hard　that　it　was　found　necessary　to　strike　the　topmast　and　take　in　a　third　reef　of　the　mainsail；　and　under　this　low　canvas　we　soon　reached　St。　Andrews　Bay；　and　got　again　under　the　lee　of　the　land　for　the　night。　　The　artificers；　being　sea…　hardy；　were　quite　reconciled　to　their　quarters　on　board　of　the　Lighthouse　yacht；　but　it　is　believed　that　hardly　any　consideration　would　have　induced　them　again　to　take　up　their　abode　in　the　floating　light。

＇Saturday；　26th　Sept。＇

At　daylight　the　yacht　steered　towards　the　Bell　Rock；　and　at　eight　a。m。　made　fast　to　her　moorings；　at　ten；　all　hands；　to　the　amount　of　thirty；　landed；　when　the　writer　had　the　happiness　to　find　that　the　beacon　had　withstood　the　violence　of　the　gale　and　the　heavy　breach　of　sea；　everything　being　found　in　the　same　state　in　which　it　had　been　left　on　the　21st。　The　artificers　were　now　enabled　to　work　upon　the　rock　throughout　the　whole　day；　both　at　low　and　high　water；　but　it　required　the　strictest　attention　to　the　state　of　the　weather；　in　case　of　their　being　overtaken　with　a　gale；　which　might　prevent　the　possibility　of　getting　them　off　the　rock。

Two　somewhat　memorable　circumstances　in　the　annals　of　the　Bell　Rock　attended　the　operations　of　this　day：　one　was　the　removal　of　Mr。　James　Dove；　the　foreman　smith；　with　his　apparatus；　from　the　rock　to　the　upper　part　of　the　beacon；　where　the　forge　was　now　erected　on　a　temporary　platform；　laid　on　the　cross　beams　or　upper　framing。　　The　other　was　the　artificers　having　dined　for　the　first　time　upon　the　rock；　their　dinner　being　cooked　on　board　of　the　yacht；　and　sent　to　them　by　one　of　the　boats。　　But　what　afforded　the　greatest　happiness　and　relief　was　the　removal　of　the　large　bellows；　which　had　all　along　been　a　source　of　much　trouble　and　perplexity；　by　their　hampering　and　incommoding　the　boat　which　carried　the　smiths　and　their　apparatus。

＇Saturday；　3rd　Oct。＇

The　wind　being　west　to…day；　the　weather　was　very　favourable　for　operations　at　the　rock；　and　during　the　morning　and　evening　tides；　with　the　aid　of　torchlight；　the　masons　had　seven　hours'　work　upon　the　site　of　the　building。　　The　smiths　and　joiners；　who　landed　at　half…past　six　a。m。；　did　not　leave　the　rock　till　a　quarter…past　eleven　p。m。；　having　been　at　work；　with　little　intermission；　for　sixteen　hours　and　three…　quarters。　　When　the　water　left　the　rock；　they　were　employed　at　the　lower　parts　of　the　beacon；　and　as　the　tide　rose　or　fell；　they　shifted　the　place　of　their　operations。　　From　these　exertions；　the　fixing　and　securing　of　the　beacon　made　rapid　advancement；　as　the　men　were　now　landed　in　the　morning　and　remained　throughout　the　day。　　But；　as　a　sudden　change　of　weather　might　have　prevented　their　being　taken　off　at　the　proper　time　of　tide；　a　quantity　of　bread　and　water　was　always　kept　on　the　beacon。

During　this　period　of　working　at　the　beacon　all　the　day；　and　often　a　great　part　of　the　night；　the　writer　was　much　on　board　of　the　tender；　but；　while　the　masons　could　work　on　the　rock；　and　frequently　also　while　it　was　covered　by　the　tide；　he　remained　on　the　beacon；　especially　during　the　night；　as　he　made　a　point　of　being　on　the　rock　to　the　latest　hour；　and　was　generally　the　last　person　who　stepped　into　the　boat。　　He　had　laid　this　down　as　part　of　his　plan　of　procedure；　and　in　this　way　had　acquired；　in　the　course　of　the　first　season；　a　pretty　complete　knowledge　and　experience　of　what　could　actually　be　done　at　the　Bell　Rock；　under　all　circumstances　of　the　weather。　By　this　means　also　his　assistants；　and　the　artificers　and　mariners；　got　into　a　systematic　habit　of　proceeding　at　the　commencement　of　the　work；　which；　it　is　believed；　continued　throughout　the　whole　of　the　operations。

＇Sunday；　4th　Oct。＇

The　external　part　of　the　beacon　was　now　finished；　with　its　supports　and　bracing…chains；　and　whatever　else　was　considered　necessary　for　its　stability　in　so　far　as　the　season　would　permit；　and　although　much　was　still　wanting　to　complete　this　fabric；　yet　it　was　in　such　a　state　that　it　could　be　left　without　much　fear　of　the　consequences　of　a　storm。　　The　painting　of　the　upper　part　was　nearly　finished　this　afternoon；　and　the　SMEATON　had　brought　off　a　quantity　of　brushwood　and　other　articles；　for　the　purpose　of　heating　or　charring　the　lower　part　of　the　principal　beams；　before　being　laid　over　with　successive　coats　of　boiling　pitch；　to　the　height　of　from　eight　to　twelve　feet；　or　as　high　as　the　rise　of　spring…tides。　　A　small　flagstaff　having　also　been　erected　to…day；　a　flag　was　displayed　for　the　first　time　from　the　beacon；　by　which　its　perspective　effect　was　greatly　improved。　　On　this；　as　on　all　like　occasions　at　the　Bell　Rock；　three　hearty　cheers　were　given；　and　the　steward　served　out　a　dram　of　rum　to　all　hands；　while　the　Lighthouse　yacht；　SMEATON；　and　floating　light；　hoisted　their　colours　in　compliment　to　the　erection。

＇Monday；　5th　Oct。＇

In　the　afternoon；　and　just　as　the　tide's　work　was　over；　Mr。　John　Rennie；　engineer；　accompanied　by　his　son　Mr。　George；　on　their　way　to　the　harbour　works　of　Fraserburgh；　in　Aberdeenshire；　paid　a　visit　to　the　Bell　Rock；　in　a　boat　from　Arbroath。　　It　being　then　too　late　in　the　tide　for　landing；　they　remained　on　board　of　the　Lighthouse　yacht　all　night；　when　the　writer；　who　had　now　been　secluded　from　society　for　several　weeks；　enjoyed　much　of　Mr。　Rennie's　interesting　conversation；　both　on　general　topics；　and　professionally　upon　the　progress　of　the　Bell　Rock　works；　on　which　he　was　consulted　as　chief　engineer。

＇Tuesday；　6th　Oct。＇

The　artificers　landed　this　morning　at　nine；　after　which　one　of　the　boats　returned　to　the　ship　for　the　writer　and　Messrs。　Rennie；　who；　upon　landing；　were　saluted　with　a　display　of　the　colours　from　the　beacon　and　by　three　cheers　from　the　workmen。　　Everything　was　now　in　a　prepared　state　for　leaving　the　rock；　an