records of a family of engineers-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e；　with　which　they　were　laid　in　their　respective　places　on　the　building。　The　masons　immediately　thereafter　proceeded　to　bore　the　trenail…holes　into　the　course　below；　and　otherwise　to　complete　the　one　in　hand。　　When　the　first　stone　was　to　be　suspended　by　the　balance…crane；　the　bell　on　the　beacon　was　rung；　and　all　the　artificers　and　seamen　were　collected　on　the　building。　Three　hearty　cheers　were　given　while　it　was　lowered　into　its　place；　and　the　steward　served　round　a　glass　of　rum；　when　success　was　drunk　to　the　further　progress　of　the　building。

＇Sunday；　20th　May＇

The　wind　was　southerly　to…day；　but　there　was　much　less　sea　than　yesterday；　and　the　landing…master's　crew　were　enabled　to　discharge　and　land　twenty…three　pieces　of　stone　and　other　articles　for　the　work。　　The　artificers　had　completed　the　laying　of　the　twenty…seventh　or　first　course　of　the　staircase　this　morning；　and　in　the　evening　they　finished　the　boring；　trenailing；　wedging；　and　grouting　it　with　mortar。　　At　twelve　o'clock　noon　the　beacon…house　bell　was　rung；　and　all　hands　were　collected　on　the　top　of　the　building；　where　prayers　were　read　for　the　first　time　on　the　lighthouse；　which　forcibly　struck　every　one；　and　had；　upon　the　whole；　a　very　impressive　effect。

From　the　hazardous　situation　of　the　beacon…house　with　regard　to　fire；　being　composed　wholly　of　timber；　there　was　no　small　risk　from　accident：　and　on　this　account　one　of　the　most　steady　of　the　artificers　was　appointed　to　see　that　the　fire　of　the　cooking…house；　and　the　lights　in　general；　were　carefully　extinguished　at　stated　hours。

＇Monday；　4th　June＇

This　being　the　birthday　of　our　much…revered　Sovereign　King　George　III；　now　in　the　fiftieth　year　of　his　reign；　the　shipping　of　the　Lighthouse　service　were　this　morning　decorated　with　colours　according　to　the　taste　of　their　respective　captains。　　Flags　were　also　hoisted　upon　the　beacon…house　and　balance…crane　on　the　top　of　the　building。　　At　twelve　noon　a　salute　was　fired　from　the　tender；　when　the　King's　health　was　drunk；　with　all　the　honours；　both　on　the　rock　and　on　board　of　the　shipping。

＇Tuesday；　5th　June＇

As　the　lighthouse　advanced　in　height；　the　cubical　contents　of　the　stones　were　less；　but　they　had　to　be　raised　to　a　greater　height；　and　the　walls；　being　thinner；　were　less　commodious　for　the　necessary　machinery　and　the　artificers　employed；　which　considerably　retarded　the　work。　　Inconvenience　was　also　occasionally　experienced　from　the　men　dropping　their　coats；　hats；　mallets；　and　other　tools；　at　high…water；　which　were　carried　away　by　the　tide；　and　the　danger　to　the　people　themselves　was　now　greatly　increased。　　Had　any　of　them　fallen　from　the　beacon　or　building　at　high…water；　while　the　landing…　master's　crew　were　generally　engaged　with　the　craft　at　a　distance；　it　must　have　rendered　the　accident　doubly　painful　to　those　on　the　rock；　who　at　this　time　had　no　boat；　and　consequently　no　means　of　rendering　immediate　and　prompt　assistance。　　In　such　cases　it　would　have　been　too　late　to　have　got　a　boat　by　signal　from　the　tender。　　A　small　boat；　which　could　be　lowered　at　pleasure；　was　therefore　suspended　by　a　pair　of　davits　projected　from　the　cook…house；　the　keel　being　about　thirty　feet　from　the　rock。　　This　boat；　with　its　tackle　was　put　under　the　charge　of　James　Glen；　of　whose　exertions　on　the　beacon　mention　has　already　been　made；　and　who；　having　in　early　life　been　a　seaman；　was　also　very　expert　in　the　management　of　a　boat。　　A　life…buoy　was　likewise　suspended　from　the　bridge；　to　which　a　coil　of　line　two　hundred　fathoms　in　length　was　attached；　which　could　be　let　out　to　a　person　falling　into　the　water；　or　to　the　people　in　the　boat；　should　they　not　be　able　to　work　her　with　the　oars。

＇Tuesday；　7th　June＇

To…day　twelve　stones　were　landed　on　the　rock；　being　the　remainder　of　the　PATRIOT'S　cargo；　and　the　artificers　built　the　thirty…ninth　course；　consisting　of　fourteen　stones。　　The　Bell　Rock　works　had　now　a　very　busy　appearance；　as　the　lighthouse　was　daily　getting　more　into　form。　　Besides　the　artificers　and　their　cook；　the　writer　and　his　servant　were　also　lodged　on　the　beacon；　counting　in　all　twenty…nine；　and　at　low…water　the　landing…master's　crew；　consisting　of　from　twelve　to　fifteen　seamen；　were　employed　in　transporting　the　building　materials；　working　the　landing　apparatus　on　the　rock；　and　dragging　the　stone　waggons　along　the　railways。

＇Friday；　8th　June＇

In　the　course　of　this　day　the　weather　varied　much。　　In　the　morning　it　was　calm；　in　the　middle　part　of　the　day　there　were　light　airs　of　wind　from　the　south；　and　in　the　evening　fresh　breezes　from　the　east。　　The　barometer　in　the　writer's　cabin　in　the　beacon…house　oscillated　from　30　inches　to　30。42；　and　the　weather　was　extremely　pleasant。　　This；　in　any　situation；　forms　one　of　the　chief　comforts　of　life；　but；　as　may　easily　be　conceived；　it　was　doubly　so　to　people　stuck；　as　it　were；　upon　a　pinnacle　in　the　middle　of　the　ocean。

＇Sunday；　10th　June＇

One　of　the　praam…boats　had　been　brought　to　the　rock　with　eleven　stones；　notwithstanding　the　perplexity　which　attended　the　getting　of　those　formerly　landed　taken　up　to　the　building。　Mr。　Peter　Logan；　the　foreman　builder；　interposed；　and　prevented　this　cargo　from　being　delivered；　but　the　landing…　master's　crew　were　exceedingly　averse　to　this　arrangement；　from　an　idea　that　〃ill　luck〃　would　in　future　attend　the　praam；　her　cargo；　and　those　who　navigated　her；　from　thus　reversing　her　voyage。　　It　may　be　noticed　that　this　was　the　first　instance　of　a　praam…boat　having　been　sent　from　the　Bell　Rock　with　any　part　of　her　cargo　on　board；　and　was　considered　so　uncommon　an　occurrence　that　it　became　a　topic　of　conversation　among　the　seamen　and　artificers。

＇Tuesday；　12th　June＇

To…day　the　stones　formerly　sent　from　the　rock　were　safely　landed；　notwithstanding　the　augury　of　the　seamen　in　consequence　of　their　being　sent　away　two　days　before。

＇Thursday；　14th　June＇

To…day　twenty…seven　stones　and　eleven　joggle…pieces　were　landed；　part　of　which　consisted　of　the　forty…seventh　course；　forming　the　storeroom　floor。　　The　builders　were　at　work　this　morning　by　four　o'clock；　in　the　hopes　of　being　able　to　accomplish　the　laying　of　the　eighteen　stones　of　this　course。　But　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening　they　had　still　two　to　lay；　and　as　the　stones　of　this　course　were　very　unwieldy；　being　six　feet　in　length；　they　required　much　precaution　and　care　both　in　lifting　and　laying　them。　　It　was　only　on　the　writer's　suggestion　to　Mr。　Logan　that　the　artificers　were　induced　to　leave　off；　as　they　had　intended　to　complete　this　floor　before　going　to　bed。　　The　two　remaining　stones　were；　however；　laid　in　their　places　without　mortar　when　the　bell　on　the　beacon　was　rung；　and；　all　hands　being　collected　on　the　top　of　the　building；　three　hearty　cheers　were　given　on　covering　the　first　apartment。　　The　steward　then　served　out　a　dram　to　each；　when　the　whole　retired　to　their　barrack　much　fatigued；　but　with　the　anticipation　of　the　most　perfect　repose　even　in　the　〃hurricane…house；〃　amidst　the　dashing　seas　on　the　Bell　Rock。

While　the　workmen　were　at　breakfast　and　dinner　it　was　the　writer's　usual　practice　to　spend　his　time　on　the　walls　of　the　building；　which；　notwithstanding　the　narrowness　of　the　track；　nevertheless　formed　his　principal　walk　when　the　rock　was　under　water。　　But　this　afternoon　he　had　his　writing…desk　set　upon　the　storeroom　floor；　when　he　wrote　to　Mrs。　Stevenson　…　certainly　the　first　letter　dated　from　the　Bell　Rock　LIGHTHOUSE　…　giving　a　detail　of　the　fortunate　progress　of　the　work　with　an　assurance　that　the　lighthouse　would　soon　be　completed　at　the　rate　at　which　it　now　proceeded；　and；　the　PATRIOT　having　sailed　for　Arbroath　in　the　evening；　he　felt　no　small　degree　of　pleasure　in　despatching　this　communication　to　his　family。

The　weather　still　continuing　favourable　for　the　operations　at　the　rock；　the　work　proceeded　with　much　energy；　through　the　exertions　both　of　the　seamen　and　artificers。　　For　the　more　speedy　and　effectual　working　of　the　several　tackles　in　raising　the　materials　as　the　building　advanced　in　height；　and　there　being　a　great　extent　of　railway　to　attend　to；　which　required　constant　repairs；　two　additional　millwrights　were　added　to　the　complement　on　the　rock；　which；　including　the　writer；　now　counted　thirty…one　in　all。　　So　crowded　was　the　men's　barrack　that　the　beds　were　ranged　five　tier　in　height；　allowing　only　about　one　foot　eight　inches　for　each　bed。　　The　artificers　commenced　this　morning　at　five　o'clock；　and；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　they　laid　the　forty…eighth　and　forty…ninth　courses；　consisting　each　of　sixteen　blocks。　　From　the　favourable　state　of　the　weather；　and　the　regular　manner　in　which　the　work　now　proceeded；　the　artificers　had　generally　from　four　to　seven　extra　hours'　work；　which；　including　their　stated　wages　of　3s。　4d。；　yielded　them　from　5s。　4d。　to　about　6s。　10d。　per　day　besides　their　board；　even　the　postage　of　their　letters　was　paid　while　they　were　at　the　Bell　Rock。　　In　these　advantages　the　foremen　also　shared；　having　about　double　the　pay　and　amount　of　premiums　of　the　artificers。　　The　seamen　being　less　out　of　their　element　in　the　Bell　Rock　operations　than　the　landsmen；　their　premiums　consisted　in　a　slump　sum　payable　at　the　end　of　the　season；　which　extended　from　three　to　ten　guineas。

As　the　laying　of　the　floors　was　somewhat　tedious；　the　landing…master　and　his　crew　had　got　considerably　beforehand　with　the　building　artificers　in　bringing　materials　faster　to　the　rock　than　they　could　be　built。　　The　seamen　having；　therefore；　some　spare　time；　were　occasionally　employed　during　fine　weather　in　dredging　or　grappling　for　the　several　mushroom　anchors　and　mooring…chains　which　had　been　lost　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Bell　Rock　during　the　progress　of　the　work　by　the　breaking　loose　and　drifting　of　the　floating　buoys。　　To　encourage　their　exertions　in　this　search；　five　guineas　were　offered　as　a　premium　for　each　set　they　should　find；　and；　after　much　patient　application；　they　succeeded　to…day　in　hooking　one　of　these　lost　anchors　with　its　chain。

It　was　a　general　remark　at　the　Bell　Rock；　as　before　noticed；　that　fish　were　never　plenty　in　its　neighbourhood　excepting　in　good　weather。　　Indeed；　the　seamen　used　to　speculate　about　the　state　of　the　weather　from　their　success　in　fishing。　　When　the　fish　disappeared　at　the　rock；　it　was　considered　a　sure　indication　that　a　gale　was　not　far　off；　as　the　fish　seemed　to　seek　shelter　in　deeper　water　from　the　roughness　of　the　sea　during　these　changes　in　the　weather。　　At　this　time　the　rock；　at　high…water；　was　completely　covered　with　podlies；　or　the　fry　of　the　coal…fish；　about　six　or　eight　inches　in　length。　　The　artificers　sometimes　occupied　half　an　hour　after　breakfast　and　dinner　in　catching　these　little　fishes；　but　were　more　frequently　supplied　from　the　boats　of　the　tender。

＇Saturday；　16th　June＇

The　landing…master　having　this　day　discharged　the　SMEATON　and　loaded　the　HEDDERWICK　AND　DICKIE　praam…boats　with　nineteen　stones；　they　were　towed　to　their　respective　moorings；　when　Captain　Wilson；　in　consequence　of　the　heavy　swell　of　sea；　came　in　his　boat　to　the　beacon…house　to　consult　with　the　writer　as　to　the　propriety　of　venturing　the　loaded　praam…boats　with　their　cargoes　to　the　rock　while　so　much　sea　was　running。　After　some　dubiety　expressed　on　the　subject；　in　which　the　ardent　mind　of　the　landing…mas