Mr. Smeaton being at Austhorpe, walking in his garden, on the 16th of September, 1792, was struck with the palsy, and died the 28th of October. " In his illness," says Mr. Holmes, " I had several letters from him, signed with his name, but written and signed by ano ther's pen ; the diction of them showed that the strength of his mind had not left him. In one written the 26th of September, after minutely describing his health and feelings, he says, In con sequence of the foregoing, I conclude myself , nine-tenths dead ; and the great est favour the Almighty can do me, as I think, will be to complete the other part; but as it is likely to be a lingering illness, it is only in his power to say when that is likely to happen"' Mr. Smeaton had a warmth of expres sion, that might appear to those who did not know him well to border on harsh ness; but those more intimately ac quainted with him knew that it arose from the intense application of his mind, which was always in the pursuit of truth, or engaged in investigating difficult sub jects. He would sometimes break out hastily, when any thing was said that did not tally with his ideas ; and he would not give up any thing he argued for, till his mind was convinced by sound reason ing. In all the social duties of life he was exemplary ; he was a most affectionate husband, a good father, a warm, zealous, and sincere friend, always ready to assist those he respected, and often before it was pointed out to him in what way he could serve them. He was a lover and encourager of merit wherever he found it ; and many men are in a great measure indebted to his assistance and advice for their present situation. As a companion, he was always entertaining and instruc tive; and none could spend any time in his presence without improvement.
As a civil engineer, he was perhaps unrivalled, certainly not excelled by any one, either of the present or former times. His building the Eddystone light house, were there no other monument of his fame, would establish his character. The Eddystone rocks have obtained their name from the great variety of con trary sets of the title or current in their vicinity. They are situated nearly S S.W. from the middle of Plymouth Sound. Their distance from the port of Ply mouth is about 14 miles. They are al
most in the line which joins the Start and the Lizard Points ; and as they lie near. ly in the direction of vessels coasting up and down the channel, they were una voidably, before the establishment of a light-house there, very dangerous, and often fatal to ships. Their situation with regard to the Bay of Biscay and the At. lantic is such, that they lie open to the swells of the bay and ocean, from all the south-western points of the compass ; so that all the heavy seas from the south west quarter come uncontrolled upon the Eddystone rocks, and break upon them with the utmost fury. Sometimes, when the sea is to all appearance smooth and even, and its surface unruffled by the slighted breeze, the ground swell meeting the slope of the rocks, the sea beats upon them in a frightful manner, so as not only to obstruct any work be ing done on the rock, or even landing upon it, when, figuratively speaking, you might go to sea in a walnut-shell. That a circumstance fraught with danger sur rounding it should excite mariners to wish for a light-house, is not wonderful but the danger attending the erection leads us to wonder that any one could be found hardy enough to undertake it. Such a man was first found in the person of Mr. H. Winatanley, who, in the year 1696, was furnished by the Trinity House with the necessary powers. In 1700 it was finished; but in the great storm of November, 1703, it was destroyed, and the projector perished in the ruins. In 1709, another, upon a different construc tion, was erected by a Mr. Rudyerd, which, in 1755, was unfortunately con sumed by fire. The next building was, as we have seen, under the direction of Mr. Smeaton, who, having considered the errors of the former constructions, has judiciously guarded against them, and erected a building, the demolition of which seems little to be dreaded, unless the rock on which it is erected should perish with it. Of his works, in construct ing bridges, harbours, mills, engines, &c. &c. it were endless to speak. Of his in ventions and improvements of philosophi cal instruments, as of the air-pump, the pyrometer, hygrometer, &c. &c. some idea may be formed from the list of his writings. See Hutton's Dict.