Several plans for the erection of this had for a considerable time been in contempla tion, and were submitted for consideration of the Light-House Commissioners. Captain Brodie of the Navy constructed a very ingenious model of a cast iron lighthouse to stolid upon pillars ; and Mr Murdoch Downie, author of several marine sur veys, brought forward a plan of a light-house, to stand upon pillars of stone. Mr Telford, the engi. neer,was likewise employed in some preliminary steps, connected with Mr Downie's inquiries. In the year 1800, Mr Stevenson, engineer for the Commission ers of the Northern Light-houses, modelled a design applicable to this situation ; and having, by their directions, made a survey and report relative to the situation of the Bell Rock, which was published by the Board, along with a letter from Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, when he commanded his Majesty's ship Hynd, upon the Leith station, in 1793, recommending the erection of a light-house on this Rock ; these, with other documents, were af terwards submitted to Parliament, in a memorial from the Commissioners, drawn up by Robert Ha milton, Esq. advocate, vne of their number ; when application was made for a loan from Odvernment. So different, however, were 'the views taken of the subject, and so various and 'doubtful were the opi nions of the public about the kind and description of building best suited to the peculiar situation of the Rock, and even with regard to the practicability of a work so much under The suriirce of the water, and where so large a sum of money was necessa rily to be expended, that the Commissioners thought it advisable to submit the matter to the opinion and advice of Mr Rennie. This eminent engineer coincided with Mr Stevenson in preferring a build ing of stone upon the principles of the Eddystone light-house, which being approved of and adopted, the execution of the work was finally committed to these gentlemen.
The bill having passed late in the session of 1806, in the following summer a vessel was fitted out as a floating-light, for which the act of Parliament made provision, and she was accordingly moored of the Bell Rock in the month of July 1807. During the first season of the operations, this vessel was used as a Tender, to which the artificers retired while the Rock was covered with waters Her station was about a mile and a half north-east from the Bell Rock, and her moorings consisted of a encihroom anchor, weighing 33 cwt. and a weighty chain laid down in 22 fathoms water, and at these moorings she rode by a strong hempen cable, measuring 14 inches in cir cumference, without accident, during the four years in which the light-house was building. This vessel was rigged with three masts, each of which carried a lantern, which, in a curious manner, was made to embrace the masts ; and, by this means, the use of cumbrous yards and spars over head were avoided ; and as each mast passed through the centre of its respective lantern, on which it traversed, the light was not obscured on any side. Each. of these lan terns contained ten lamps, with as many small silver plated, reflectors ; and thus, by the appearance of Wee distinct lights (the centre one being the high e ), the Bell Rock floating-light formed a triangular light, sod was easily distinguishable from the double and single lights upon the coast, and rendered imme diate and essential service to the trade and shipping of the coast.
Early is the spring of 1807, stones were collect ed: from the granite quarries of Rubeslaw in Aber deenshire, for the outside teeing of the first SO feet, or lesser part of tha building ; those of sandstone for she beading,. or intoner of the solid, and also for the higher parts of the. building, were. got from Mylne field quarry, near Dundee. For the conveniency of the web, the cornice and parapet-wall of the light nom were hewn and prepared at Edinburgh, and the stones for these parts were accordingly taken from the quarry of Craigleith. At Arbroath, the
nark contiguous harbour to the Bell Rock, a piece at ground for a work-yard was procured on a lease seven years, the supposed period for the duration. of the works:; and here the works were conducted ; materiels were laid down, and workmen collected ; Shades were also constructed, and a barrack erected far the eseemmodetion of about 100 artificers when they landed from the Rock, that they might be at a call, by night or day, when required to sail for the works at the Rock. These previous steps being takes ashore, the operations at the Rock itself com menced is the mouth of August 1807.
'Rhe first attention at the Bell Rock was to erect a place of refuge for the artificers, in the event of an amide's befalling any of the attending-boats,—a cir cumstance which, if unpvertided for, might not only blades the safety of every paten employed at the out-works, but prose a serious cheek to the future progress of the uadeatakirig, which could only be proceeded is a& low water of spring-tides, when tins and a half or three hours were consideoed, good tide's. work. From this circumstance, it became necessary to embrace every opportunity of favours bye weather, as well in the day. tides as under night by torch-light, and upon. Suoday& In the early stages of the baldness, the Rood-tide no sooner be gan to cover the exterior parts of the Rock, than the workmen were obliged to collect their tools and apparatus, and betake themselves to the attending boats, before the water burst in upon them. These boats were rowed often with the utmost fatigue and difficulty to the floating-light, where the work men remained air the Rock began to make its ap pearance again. at next ebb-tide. Happily no ac cident occurred, during this perilous part of the work, to check the animas of the artificers, nor to retard their progress, and by the latter end of Octo ber, the beacon, consisting of twelve large beam, of fir-timber, was erected, having a common base of so feet, and rising to the height of 50 feet above the surface of the Rock., These spars were of fir-tim ber, strongly framed with oak-knees, connected to the Rock with iron-bats of a particular construc tion,. set into holes, cut about 18 inches in depth„ and wedged into their places, first with slips of fir, then with slips of oak, and, lastly, with pieces of iron. The upper part of this beacon was afterwards fitted up, and occupied as a place of residence dur ing the working mouths. The lower floor was em ployed as a smith's forge, and also for preparing mortar for the building. The cook-house was im mediately over this; the next floor was occupied by the cabins of the engineer and foremen, and over all was the barracks for the artificers, whose hammocks were ranged in tiers of five in height. The dwelling or lodging part of this temporary residence was above the reach of the sea in moderate weather, but the lower floor was often lifted by the waves, when the lime casks, and even the smith's anvil and appa ratus, were frequently washed away. The beacon house, so construct was erected near" the site of the light-house, and in the more advanced state of the work, was connected with it by a wooden bridge; which was also of the greatest utility as a stage is raising the, materials from the Rock to the building. A little reflection upon the singular position and cir cumstances of the Bell Rock, will show the great and indispensable use of this beacon-house in facilitating: the operations. Unless some expedient of this kind had been resorted to at a work so much under wa ter, the possibility of erecting a light-house here is • extremely doubtful: at any rate, it must have requir ed a much longer period for its accomplishment, and, in all probability, many lives would have been lost in the progress of the operationa.