records of a family of engineers-第23部分

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　safety　of　the　smith's　forge　was　always　an　object　of　essential　regard。　The　ash…pan　of　the　hearth　or　fireplace；　with　its　weighty　cast…　iron　back；　had　been　washed　from　their　places　of　supposed　security；　the　chains　of　attachment　had　been　broken；　and　these　ponderous　articles　were　found　at　a　very　considerable　distance　in　a　hole　on　the　western　side　of　the　rock；　while　the　tools　and　picks　of　the　Aberdeen　masons　were　scattered　about　in　every　direction。　　It　is；　however；　remarkable　that　not　a　single　article　was　ultimately　lost。

This　being　the　night　on　which　the　floating　light　was　advertised　to　be　lighted；　it　was　accordingly　exhibited；　to　the　great　joy　of　every　one。

＇Wednesday；　16th　Sept。＇

The　writer　was　made　happy　to…day　by　the　return　of　the　Lighthouse　yacht　from　a　voyage　to　the　Northern　Lighthouses。　Having　immediately　removed　on　board　of　this　fine　vessel　of　eighty…one　tons　register；　the　artificers　gladly　followed；　for；　though　they　found　themselves　more　pinched　for　accommodation　on　board　of　the　yacht；　and　still　more　so　in　the　SMEATON；　yet　they　greatly　preferred　either　of　these　to　the　PHAROS；　or　floating　light；　on　account　of　her　rolling　motion；　though　in　all　respects　fitted　up　for　their　conveniency。

The　writer　called　them　to　the　quarter…deck　and　informed　them　that；　having　been　one　mouth　afloat；　in　terms　of　their　agreement　they　were　now　at　liberty　to　return　to　the　workyard　at　Arbroath　if　they　preferred　this　to　continuing　at　the　Bell　Rock。　　But　they　replied　that；　in　the　prospect　of　soon　getting　the　beacon　erected　upon　the　rock；　and　having　made　a　change　from　the　floating　light；　they　were　now　perfectly　reconciled　to　their　situation；　and　would　remain　afloat　till　the　end　of　the　working　season。

＇Thursday；　17th　Sept。＇

The　wind　was　at　N。E。　this　morning；　and　though　they　were　only　light　airs；　yet　there　was　a　pretty　heavy　swell　coming　ashore　upon　the　rock。　　The　boats　landed　at　half…past　seven　o'clock　a。m。；　at　the　creek　on　the　southern　side　of　the　rock；　marked　Port　Hamilton。　　But　as　one　of　the　boats　was　in　the　act　of　entering　this　creek；　the　seaman　at　the　bow…oar；　who　had　just　entered　the　service；　having　inadvertently　expressed　some　fear　from　a　heavy　sea　which　came　rolling　towards　the　boat；　and　one　of　the　artificers　having　at　the　same　time　looked　round　and　missed　a　stroke　with　his　oar；　such　a　preponderance　was　thus　given　to　the　rowers　upon　the　opposite　side　that　when　the　wave　struck　the　boat　it　threw　her　upon　a　ledge　of　shelving　rocks；　where　the　water　left　her；　and　she　having　KANTED　to　seaward；　the　next　wave　completely　filled　her　with　water。　　After　making　considerable　efforts　the　boat　was　again　got　afloat　in　the　proper　track　of　the　creek；　so　that　we　landed　without　any　other　accident　than　a　complete　ducking。　　There　being　no　possibility　of　getting　a　shift　of　clothes；　the　artificers　began　with　all　speed　to　work；　so　as　to　bring　themselves　into　heat；　while　the　writer　and　his　assistants　kept　as　much　as　possible　in　motion。　Having　remained　more　than　an　hour　upon　the　rock；　the　boats　left　it　at　half…past　nine；　and；　after　getting　on　board；　the　writer　recommended　to　the　artificers；　as　the　best　mode　of　getting　into　a　state　of　comfort；　to　strip　off　their　wet　clothes　and　go　to　bed　for　an　hour　or　two。　　No　further　inconveniency　was　felt；　and　no　one　seemed　to　complain　of　the　affection　called　‘catching　cold。'

＇Friday；　18th　Sept。＇

An　important　occurrence　connected　with　the　operations　of　this　season　was　the　arrival　of　the　SMEATON　at　four　p。m。；　having　in　tow　the　six　principal　beams　of　the　beacon…house；　together　with　all　the　stanchions　and　other　work　on　board　for　fixing　it　on　the　rock。　　The　mooring　of　the　floating　light　was　a　great　point　gained；　but　in　the　erection　of　the　beacon　at　this　late　period　of　the　season　new　difficulties　presented　themselves。　　The　success　of　such　an　undertaking　at　any　season　was　precarious；　because　a　single　day　of　bad　weather　occurring　before　the　necessary　fixtures　could　be　made　might　sweep　the　whole　apparatus　from　the　rock。　　Notwithstanding　these　difficulties；　the　writer　had　determined　to　make　the　trial；　although　he　could　almost　have　wished；　upon　looking　at　the　state　of　the　clouds　and　the　direction　of　the　wind；　that　the　apparatus　for　the　beacon　had　been　still　in　the　workyard。

＇Saturday；　19th　Sept。＇

The　main　beams　of　the　beacon　were　made　up　in　two　separate　rafts；　fixed　with　bars　and　bolts　of　iron。　　One　of　these　rafts；　not　being　immediately　wanted；　was　left　astern　of　the　floating　light；　and　the　other　was　kept　in　tow　by　the　SMEATON；　at　the　buoy　nearest　to　the　rock。　　The　Lighthouse　yacht　rode　at　another　buoy　with　all　hands　on　board　that　could　possibly　be　spared　out　of　the　floating　light。　　The　party　of　artificers　and　seamen　which　landed　on　the　rock　counted　altogether　forty　in　number。　　At　half…past　eight　o'clock　a　derrick；　or　mast　of　thirty　feet　in　height；　was　erected　and　properly　supported　with　guy…ropes；　for　suspending　the　block　for　raising　the　first　principal　beam　of　the　beacon；　and　a　winch　machine　was　also　bolted　down　to　the　rock　for　working　the　purchase…tackle。

Upon　raising　the　derrick；　all　hands　on　the　rock　spontaneously　gave　three　hearty　cheers；　as　a　favourable　omen　of　our　future　exertions　in　pointing　out　more　permanently　the　position　of　the　rock。　　Even　to　this　single　spar　of　timber；　could　it　be　preserved；　a　drowning　man　might　lay　hold。　　When　the　SMEATON　drifted　on　the　2nd　of　this　month　such　a　spar　would　have　been　sufficient　to　save　us　till　she　could　have　come　to　our　relief。

＇Sunday；　20th　Sept。＇

The　wind　this　morning　was　variable；　but　the　weather　continued　extremely　favourable　for　the　operations　throughout　the　whole　day。　　At　six　a。m。　the　boats　were　in　motion；　and　the　raft；　consisting　of　four　of　the　six　principal　beams　of　the　beacon…house；　each　measuring　about　sixteen　inches　square；　and　fifty　feet　in　length；　was　towed　to　the　rock；　where　it　was　anchored；　that　it　might　ground　upon　it　as　the　water　ebbed。　The　sailors　and　artificers；　including　all　hands；　to…day　counted　no　fewer　than　fifty…two；　being　perhaps　the　greatest　number　of　persons　ever　collected　upon　the　Bell　Rock。　　It　was　early　in　the　tide　when　the　boats　reached　the　rock；　and　the　men　worked　a　considerable　time　up　to　their　middle　in　water；　every　one　being　more　eager　than　his　neighbour　to　be　useful。　　Even　the　four　artificers　who　had　hitherto　declined　working　on　Sunday　were　to…day　most　zealous　in　their　exertions。　　They　had　indeed　become　so　convinced　of　the　precarious　nature　and　necessity　of　the　work　that　they　never　afterwards　absented　themselves　from　the　rock　on　Sunday　when　a　landing　was　practicable。

Having　made　fast　a　piece　of　very　good　new　line；　at　about　two…thirds　from　the　lower　end　of　one　of　the　beams；　the　purchase…tackle　of　the　derrick　was　hooked　into　the　turns　of　the　line；　and　it　was　speedily　raised　by　the　number　of　men　on　the　rock　and　the　power　of　the　winch　tackle。　　When　this　log　was　lifted　to　a　sufficient　height；　its　foot；　or　lower　end；　was　STEPPED　into　the　spot　which　had　been　previously　prepared　for　it。　　Two　of　the　great　iron　stanchions　were　then　set　in　their　respective　holes　on　each　side　of　the　beam；　when　a　rope　was　passed　round　them　and　the　beam；　to　prevent　it　from　slipping　till　it　could　be　more　permanently　fixed。　　The　derrick；　or　upright　spar　used　for　carrying　the　tackle　to　raise　the　first　beam；　was　placed　in　such　a　position　as　to　become　useful　for　supporting　the　upper　end　of　it；　which　now　became；　in　its　turn；　the　prop　of　the　tackle　for　raising　the　second　beam。　　The　whole　difficulty　of　this　operation　was　in　the　raising　and　propping　of　the　first　beam；　which　became　a　convenient　derrick　for　raising　the　second；　these　again　a　pair　of　shears　for　lifting　the　third；　and　the　shears　a　triangle　for　raising　the　fourth。　Having　thus　got　four　of　the　six　principal　beams　set　on　end；　it　required　a　considerable　degree　of　trouble　to　get　their　upper　ends　to　fit。　　Here　they　formed　the　apex　of　a　cone；　and　were　all　together　mortised　into　a　large　piece　of　beechwood；　and　secured；　for　the　present；　with　ropes；　in　a　temporary　manner。　During　the　short　period　of　one　tide　all　that　could　further　be　done　for　their　security　was　to　put　a　single　screw…bolt　through　the　great　kneed　bats　or　stanchions　on　each　side　of　the　beams；　and　screw　the　nut　home。

In　this　manner　these　four　principal　beams　were　erected；　and　left　in　a　pretty　secure　state。　　The　men　had　commenced　while　there　was　about　two　or　three　feet　of　water　upon　the　side　of　the　beacon；　and　as　the　sea　was　smooth　they　continued　the　work　equally　long　during　flood…tide。　　Two　of　the　boats　being　left　at　the　rock　to　take　off　the　joiners；　who　were　busily　employed　on　the　upper　parts　till　two　o'clock　p。m。；　this　tide's　work　may　be　said　to　have　continued　for　about　seven　hours；　which　was　the　longest　that　had　hitherto　been　got　upon　the　rock　by　at　least　three　hours。

When　the　first　boats　left　the　rock　with　the　artificers　employed　on　the　lower　part　of　the　work　during　the　flood…tide；　the　beacon　had　quite　a　novel　appearance。　　The　beams　erected　formed　a　common　base　of　about　thirty…three　feet；　meeting　at　the　top；　which　was　about　forty…five　feet　above　the　rock；　and　here　half　a　dozen　of　the　artificers　were　still　at　work。　　After　clearing　the　rock　the　boats　made　a　stop；　when　three　hearty　cheers　were　given；　which　were　returned　with　equal　goodwill　by　those　upon　t