Account of the Erection of the Bell Rock Lighthouse. 
quered with a cross accident, in the loss of a sailor from one 
of the stone-lighters. 
In the spring of the year 1809? the operations recommen- 
ced. Every thing was found to have withstood the effects of 
the winter^^s storm ; all the courses which had been laid, and 
the beacon itself, now in the third year from its erection, re- 
maining quite entire. The tried stability of the beacon-house 
rendered the artificers more confident and more impatient of 
the inconveniencies inseparable from landing and relanding 
from the attending ship ; and, before the beacon-house was fully 
fitted up as a barrack, they took possession of it throughout the 
day. On one of these occasions, however, they were overtaken 
by a sudden gale of wind, which prevented the boats from taking 
them off in the evening. Mr Peter Logan, and Mr Francis 
Watt, two of the overseers at the rock, with eleven of the artifi- 
cers, were necessarily left there for SO hours, while the waves oc- 
casionally washed over their yet imperfectly formed abode. On 
this occasion, the mortar-gallery immediately below them was 
carried away by the seas, and one of the cranes was broken to 
pieces by the violence of the waves. During the early part of 
this season, one division of the artificers was employed at com- 
pleting the railways upon the rock, while it was accessible ; and 
when it was covered by the tide, this squad was occupied in fit- 
ting up the beacon-house as barracks. Hitherto the operations 
of the builders were wholly confined to the low-water work. 
From the great exertions, however, made by the shipping, de- 
partment, in supplying materials this season, the builders now 
- made rapid progress. On some occasions, no fewer than 50 
blocks of stone were brought to the rock in the course of a tide ; 
SO of which, during the same period, were sometimes laid by 
the builders. 
In the month of June 1809, the work met with some check by 
the fall of a crane; on which occasion, one of the artificers was 
severely bruised, and several of them narrowly escaped. The 
building having now attained the height of the ninth course, 
the guy-ropes of the usual description of beam-crane became 
too upright, or taunt (to use the sailor’s phrase), and it was 
found necessary to resort to other measures. A new machine, 
called a Balance^crane^ was therefore put in preparation for the 
