78 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



I Mascb, 



In alluding' to jMr. Stevenson's design, IMr. Rennie proceeds in 

 his Report as follows: — 



"He has made a model for a stone lighthouse nearly resembling that of 

 the Eddj-stone, in which he has proposed various ingenious methods of con- 

 structing the work by %vay of facilitating the operations. I own, however, 

 after considering tliese in the fullest manner I have been able, and comparing 

 them with the construction of Mr. Smeaton's — I mean in the building — and 

 also that there are undoubted proofs of the stability of the Eddystone, I am 

 inclined to give it the preference. No doubt, some methods ditferent from 

 the Eddystone will require to be put in practice for the foundation j but its 

 general construction, in my opinion, renders it as strong as can well be con- 

 ceived." 



He (Mr. Rennie) therefore goes on to lecommend that the total 

 Iieight should not be less than 80 to 85 feet from tlie basement on 

 the rock to the balcony, and the height to the top of the cupola 

 above 100 feet ; the solid part of the lighthouse to be 50 feet high. 

 He then recommends that reflectoi-s should be used for the light- 

 house, and the question as to whether they should revolve or not 

 should be left open for further consideration. He says, great care 

 will be necessary in clioosing the lime, and recommends Dundee 

 granite stone for the exterior; and estimates the cost at 42,000/. 



Fortified by, and in a great measure depending upon, Mr. Ren- 

 nie's opinion, in April 180(), the Northern Lighthouse Commission- 

 ers applied to parliament for an Act to enable them to borrow 

 25,000/., in order to erect a lighthouse upon the Bell Rock. Mr. 

 Stevenson and Mr. Rennie were examined before the committee of 

 jiarliament, as to the cost and general practicability of the work, 

 but no design was decided upon. The bill received the royal 

 assent on the lOth July following (1806). 



On the 3rd of December of the same year, a meeting was held 

 by the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses in Edinburgh, at 

 which Mr. Rennie attended (but it does not appear that Mr. Ste- 

 venson was there), when the following resolution was passed: — 



Northern Lights. 

 Extract from a Minute of a Meeting of the Commissioners of the Northern 



LighOiouses held at Edinburgh, ird December, 1806. 

 Present — 



The Lord Provost of Edinburgh ; 

 Thomas Henderson, Esq., 1st Bailie of Edinburgh ; 

 William Rae, Esq., Sheriff-Deputy of Orkney ; 

 Kobert Hamilton, Esq., Sheriff Deputy of Lanark ; 

 D. Moneypenny, Esq., SheritF-Deputy of Fife; 

 James Clark, Esq., Sheriff-Deputy of Edinburgh. 

 John Rennie, Esq., Civil Engineer. 

 " This meeting having been called for the special purpose of taking the 

 preliminary steps for carrying into effect the power vested in the Commis- 

 sioners by act of parliament, for erecting a lighthouse on the Cape or Bell 

 Rock ; and different Reports on the subject, and particularly on the kind of 

 building to be adopted, having been duly considered, and Mr. Rennie having 

 verbally delivered his opinion on the subject — 



" Resolved unanimously, ' That the budding to be erected for the purpose of 

 a lighthouse on the Bell or Cape Rock shall be of stone, and that the same 

 ehall be erected under t/ie directions of John Rennie, Esq., civil engineer, 

 whom they hereby appoint chief engineer for conducting the work.' 



"Mr. Rennie having stated to the meeting in general terms his opinion as to 

 the form of the building, and the particular sort of materials to be used, &c., 

 he was requested to furnish the Commissioners with plans, and as to the kind 

 of stone. As he was about to proceed to Perth, he was requested to visit 

 the Dundee quarry, and also to inspect the Aberdeen granite, and report 

 upon the subject. Mr. Stevenson was authorised to proceed along with Mr. 

 Rennie, and endeavour to procure a yard, and the necessary accommodation, 

 at Arbroath." Extracted by C, Cuningliam, Esq. 



By the above resolution, Mr. Rennie was reciuestcd to prepare a 

 design for a stone lighthouse, and was appointed cliicf engineer to 

 carry it into effect, and to examine the Dundee and Aberdeen quar- 

 ries, and report his opinion. Mr. Stevenson was authorised to ac- 

 company Mr. Rennie, and endeavour to procure a yard at Arbroath 

 for the works. On the 2Gth December following, Mr. Rennie re- 

 turned, and attended another meeting of the Board at Edinburgh, 

 and presented a Report signed by himself and Mr. Stevenson (see 

 p. 458), describing the different kinds of stone, and the various 

 machinery, tools, and implements, and other preliminary operations 

 which were necessary previous to commencing the work. At the 

 meeting, Mr. Rennie proposed that Mr. Stevenson should be ap- 

 pointed assistant-engineer, to execute the work under his superin- 

 tendence, and the following resolution was passed: — 



Northern Lights. 

 Extract from a Minute of a Meeting of tlie Commissioners of the Northern 



Lighthouses lield at Edinburgh, 26t/i December, 1806. 

 Present — 



The Lord Provost of Edinburgh; 



Thomas Henderson, Esq., 1st Bailie of Edinburgh ; 



Robert Hamilton, Esq., Sheriff- Deputy of Lanark; 

 Edward McCormick, Esq., Sheriff-Deputy of Ayr; 

 James Clark, Esq., Sheriff-Deputy of Edinburgh, 

 John Kennie, Esq., Civil Engineer, 



" Messrs. Rennie and Stevenson having in the terms of the last minute 

 proceeded to Dundee and Aberdeen, and examined the different quarries, 

 they presented a joint Report in the following terms : — 



[Here follows the Report and the various orders made thereon.] 



"Mr. Kennie proposed to the meeting that Mr. Stevenson should be ap- 

 pointed assist ant -engineer, to execute ttte ^cork under his superintendence, 

 and mentioiied to the Commissioners that the mode of recompensing him 

 for his trouble and the risk attending the business, which was customary ia 

 similar undertakings, and what he knew would be most agreeable to the 

 Board of Treasury, would be to allow him a certain per centage upon a 

 limited sum of expenditure, with such a sum at the conclusion of the work 

 as they may choose to fix ; and the Commissioners agree as to the appoint- 

 ment of Mr. Stevenson to be assistant-engineer under Mr, Rennie, but they 

 delay taking into consideration the recompense to be made to him, both as 

 to the amount and the manner of doing it, until next meeting." 



Extracted by C. Cuntngham, Esq, 



From the above it will be seen that the Commissioners agreed to 

 the appointment of Mr. Stevenson to be assistant-engineer under 

 Mr. Rennie ; and Mr. Stevenson made a Report previous to this 

 — viz. the 15th November, 1806, pointing out what he considered 

 necessary for commencing the work. 



From what has been stated above, it appears that ever since the 

 15th August, 1805, Mr. Rennie was, in fact, the chief professional 

 authority upon which the Commissioners confided for the erection 

 of the Bell Rock Lighthouse; and as soon as the Act passed, they 

 appointed him chiej' engineer, leaving the whole subject in his 

 hands. It does not ajjpear from Mr. Stevenson's book that hence 

 forward he (Mr. Stevenson) made separate Reports to the Com- 

 missioners during the construction of the lighthouse; but Mr. 

 Rennie inspected the works, and reported his opinion upon every 

 detail to the Commissioners. On the 29th October, 1807, jMr. 

 Rennie made a Report describing his visit to the works of the 

 lighthouse (p. 463), the progress of the works on the rock, the 

 proper mode of constructing the workshops, the state of the quar- 

 ries, the arrivals of stone, the means to be taken for ensuring a 

 better supply, the vessels required for the accommodation of the 

 works, that the cofferdam (recommended by Mr. Stevenson) was 

 not necessary, the cement, the tools — in fact, concerning all the 

 details required. With regard to the liglithouse he says — 



" I submitted a plan for your consideration in February last : according to 

 this ptan the wortcs are proceeding ; plans of eactt course of stone have been 

 made; the whole is dovetailed, but somewhat different from the mode pur- 

 sued at the Eddystone, — they are less in length on the outside, but deeper in 

 the direction of the radius of the lighthouse, which will render the struc- 

 tuie on the whole stronger than the Eddystone plan. The extension of the 

 base of the building is also much greater, and the base is considerably dif- 

 ferent: by this means, not only will the impulse of the waves be less, but 

 their action on the part of the rock adjoining the foundation will be much 

 easier. The rock is softer than that on which the Eddystone is built, but it 

 is harder than I imagined when last there. On the whole, I feel confident 

 that the work will be brought to a successful termination within a reason- 

 able period." 



On the 12th December, 1808, Mr. Rennie made another Report 

 of his having again visited the rock, in which he describes the pro- 

 gress made, together with remarks upon everytliing connected with 

 it, and points out what is necessary for the future. 



On the 2iid October, 1809, after having again visited the work, 

 Mr. Rennie made another Report, in a similarly detailed manner 

 to the former ones, and in alluding to the construction of the solid 

 part of the tower, thus proceeds, — 



"The manner of dovetailing the solid part of the tower is nearly the same 

 as that of the Eddystone, and this plan will be followed to the top of the 

 staircase. I have, however, to recommend a mode somewhat different for 

 the hollow part of the surrounding walls, which should be dovetailed in a 

 manner 1 have already drawn out. The stone floors in the Eddystone were 

 formed by an arch in the form of a dome springing from the surrounding 

 walls, to strengthen which chain-bars were laid into the wall. 1 propose 

 that these should be done with large stones radiated from a circular blocli 

 in the middle, to which the interior ends are to be dovetailed as well as the 

 radiated joints, and then connected to the surrounding walls by means of a 

 circular dowell : by this means the lateral pressure from the walls will be 

 removed, and the whole will be connected as one mass, and no chain-bars 

 will be wanted except under the cornice ; — thus the whole will be like a 

 solid block of stone excavated for the residence of the light-keepers." 



Mr. Rennie continued to give his directions, make reports, and 

 carried on various correspondence upon the subject with the Com- 

 missioners, Mr. Stevenson, and others connected with the work, 

 until the final completion of the lighthouse, 17th October, 1810 



