592 KEPOltT — 1884. 



light of its twenty-four tallow caudles was about sixty-seven candle units, 

 and its cost per hour at the current price of tallow candles would be nearly 

 identical with the average cost per hour of the pi'esent light, which is 

 about 2,380 times its intensity. 



The first landing at the rock was made in July 1878. Around the 

 foundation of the tower a strong coffer-dam of brick and quick-setting 

 Roman cement was built, as favourable opportunities of smooth water 

 and low tides occurred. The water was removed from this dam at each 

 tide by steam pumps worked on board the twin screw tender. 



The work of cutting out the foundations was much facilitated by the 

 use of rock drills driven by compressed air supplied from the tender. 

 For landing stone the tender was moored at about 30 fathoms from the 

 rock, and the stones, averaging 21, tons each, were landed by her 

 machinery. Thus every stone in the building, together with the required 

 cement, sand, water, &c, was lauded and hoisted to the summit of the 

 work at single hoists. This is probably the first application of floating 

 machinery to the actual erection of an exposed structure at sea. On 

 August 19, 1879, the foundation stone was laid by His Royal Highness 

 the Duke of Edinburgh, Master of the Trinity House, who was accom- 

 panied by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, an Elder Brother of 

 the Trinity House. On June 1, 1881, the last stone of the tower was 

 laid by His Royal Highness the Master, and on May 18, 1882, His Royal 

 Highness completed the undertaking by lighting the lamps and formally 

 opening the lighthouse. The work was thus accomplished within four 

 years of its commencement and one year under the time estimated. The 

 author's estimate for the lighthouse was 78,000?. Tenders for executing 

 the work were obtained by the Trinity House from six eminent contract- 

 ing firms experienced in the construction of sea structures ; but, as the 

 lowest offer was considerably in excess of the approved estimate, the 

 Trinity House determined on carrying out the work, as in previous 

 similar cases, by their own engineering staff. The lighthouse was thus 

 completed at a cost of 59.255L, being 23J 7 per cent, below the estimate. 

 The low cost was mainly due to the successful operation of the various 

 special mechanical appliances introduced for saving manual labour and 

 facilitating the progress of the work. On the completion of the new 

 lighthouse, the lantern and upjicr part of Smeaton's tower, comprising 

 the four rooms, were cai'efully taken down and removed to Plymouth, 

 where, by the public-spirited community of that town, the hope I ven- 

 tured to express at the Plymouth meeting of the British Association is 

 being realised. The lighthouse is being re-erected on a suitable site on 

 Plymouth Hoe as a beacon for the farther benefit of the mariner ; and 

 there, it is to be hoped, it will ever remain as a monument to the genius of 

 Smeaton. 



[The diagrams illustrative of the lighthouse have not been engraved.] 



