Inchkeith Light-house
1803.
Much inconveniency had been experienced, and many fatal accidents had occurred, in the Firth of Forth, from the want of a light to direct ships past the island of Inchkeith into the Roads of Leith. In the course of the winter of 1801, from this cause, a very severe misfortune happened at the rocks lying off Kinghornness, on the Fifeshire coast, by the loss of the smack Aberdeen, Freeman, master, one of the traders bound from Aberdeen to London. This vessel had been put up the Firth in a storm, loaded with a general cargo, which was valued at upwards of L. 10,000, and had on board 13 passengers, besides the ship’s crew, all of whom perished, excepting the master, the mate, and a lady. So very distressing an accident, with other instances of a similar nature, produced a strong sensation with the public. It was also found, that vessels which, by the direction of the light of May, had entered the Firth of Forth in the course of a long winter night, could not yet venture to hold on their course, up the Firth, owing to the difficulty of passing the island of Inchkeith, and the foul and rocky ground in its neighbourhood. The mariner was thus obliged to lie off and on in this narrow sea, without being able to run for the anchorage of Leith Roads till day-light: but, before morning, the wind perhaps had shifted; and, instead of being in a safe anchorage, he was too often driven to sea. The author has, indeed, known of a ship in this situation, which drifted before the wind even to the coast of Norway.
Inchkeith Light-house resolved on.
It was from considerations of this kind that an application was brought forward by the Corporation of the Trinity House of Leith, for the erection of a light-house upon Inchkeith; and the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses, also viewing Leith Roads as a naval station and rendezvous for his Majesty’s ships on the North Sea station, resolved upon the propriety and expediency of this measure in the year 1802. Various difficulties occurred about procuring the ground necessary for this establishment, not indeed with the noble proprietor of the island, the Duke of Buccleuch, who forthwith ordered every facility to be given to the work; but time was lost in arranging matters with his Grace’s agent. It was not, therefore, till the summer of the year 1803, that the building on Inchkeith commenced, and the masonry of the light-house was not ready for the light-room till the following year, when the light was exhibited on the 1st day of September 1804. Its position is described as follows:
Description of Inchkeith Light-house.
“The Light-house erected on the island of Inchkeith, situate in the Firth of Forth and county of Mid-Lothian, in North Lat. 56° 2´, and Long. 3° 8´. west of London, is elevated 220 feet above the medium level of the sea, of which height the building forms 45 feet. The light is from oil with reflectors, and will be seen from every point of the compass as a Stationary light” (since altered to a Revolving light, as shall be afterwards noticed). “From the light-house Ely-ness bears, by compass, E. NE., distant 16 miles; Light of May E. ½ N., distant 23 miles; Fidra Island E. by S., distant 14 miles; Craig Waugh Rock SE. by S. ½ S., distant 4¾ miles; Leith-Harbour Light SW. ¼ S., distant 3½ miles; Gunnet Rock W., distant 1½ mile; Ox-Scares W. by N. ½ N., distant 4½ miles; Inchcolm W. NW. ¼ N., distant 6½ miles; Pettycur Light N. NW. ¼ N., distant 2½ miles; Kinghorn-ness N. NW. ¾ N. distant 2¼ miles.”
Originally proposed to be a Leading light.
This light-house was originally proposed to have been made a double or leading light, to guide ships up the Firth, and especially past the dangerous rock called the Ox-Scares, to the anchorage above Queensferry; but it was thought advisable to erect a light, in the first instance, upon the top of the island, and to defer the erection of a lower or western light till the effect of a single light should be tried. Such, however, appears to have been the benefit of the light on the top of the island, together with a cast-iron Beacon, which, at this time, was erected on the Ox-Scares, that the want of a second light-house on Inchkeith does not seem to have been much felt.
Light duty for Inchkeith modified.
By the existing acts of Parliament, the light-house Board is entitled to take the full duties of three halfpence per ton, from the local trade of the Firth of Forth, for the light of Inchkeith, instead of which, only one halfpenny per ton is exacted from such vessels as are not liable to the duty, in consequence of passing some other of the Northern Light-houses. The great utility of this light-house, and the equitable and liberal manner in which these duties are exacted, gave much satisfaction to the maritime and commercial interests of the country.
Accommodation of Light-keepers’ houses extended.
It may here be proper to observe, that the erection of Inchkeith Light-house, forms a new era in the works of the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses; which, as formerly observed, had been necessarily executed on the smallest, plainest and most simple plan that could be devised, and with such materials as could be easily transported, and most speedily erected, so as to meet the urgent calls of shipping, and answer the very limited state of the funds. But from the thriving condition of the trade of the country, the yearly duties which, in 1790, amounted only to L. 1477:5:1; in the year 1802 encreased to L. 4386:7:5. It was, therefore, considered advisable, from its being ultimately more economical, to erect and finish the several works of the light-house Board in the most substantial manner, and more like the buildings of a permanent National Establishment.
Houses covered with leaden roofs.
From the vicinity of Inchkeith to sandstone quarries, the buildings there were executed of aislar masonry. A platform roof covered with lead, and defended by a parapet wall, was adopted for the light-keepers’ house, instead of a slated roof, with garrets of the common construction; a slated roof being not only more liable to be injured by high winds, but when the attic apartments of such houses are occupied, the premises became more exposed to accident from fire.
Disadvantage of slated roofs.
The slated roof, with iron nails, is also subject to decay, owing to the saline particles with which the air is impregnated, and the sprays of the sea, which, even in such situations as Inchkeith, are often blown over the island, though the site of the light-house is about 175 feet in height. Indeed, at all the original light-house stations in the north, the nails were soon rusted, and the slates getting loose, were often blown off in great numbers, so that in the very depth of Winter, the light-keepers have been obliged to make such a requisition as the following: “A slater is much wanted here, to repair the roof of the house, as upwards of 50 slates have been blown away during the late gales.” Instead, also, of a dwelling-house consisting of only two small apartments as formerly, the house at Inchkeith has four rooms, with other conveniencies, laid out for the accommodation of the families of a principal light-keeper and an assistant, who are now appointed to the charge of each of the Northern Light-houses.
Construction of Light rooms improved.
An entire change also took place at this period upon the construction of the Light-rooms and the reflecting apparatus, as well as in the extension and enlargement of the accommodation for the light-keepers. The early light-rooms were constructed wholly of timber, excepting the window-sash frames, which were made of cast-iron. The outside of the wooden cupola, covered with sheet copper, and the ceiling and floor with fire-proof plates of tinned iron. But it soon appeared that this construction was liable to great objections, particularly to the risk of accidental fire. The timber roof being also unavoidably shut up from the air, and exposed to a degree of heat sufficient to dry it to the state of tinder, its strength and fibrous qualities were soon lost, and the buildings in danger of being destroyed by the storms of winter.
Rendered Fire-proof.
At Inchkeith, on the contrary, the roof is framed of iron, and covered with copper, and the floor is laid with flag-stones; while the window-frames, and all the materials exposed to the immediate action of the weather, are made of copper; the windows are glazed with plates of polished glass, measuring 29 inches by 18 inches, and ¼ of an inch in thickness, instead of sash panes of crown-glass, measuring only 12 inches by 8 inches, by which so many astragals were unavoidably introduced into the windows, that much of the light was obstructed and lost.
Reflectors of Silvered Mirror-glass.
The reflectors of the first of the Northern Light-houses were formed to the parabolic curve, upon principles susceptible of considerable accuracy; their powers were, however, small from their reflecting surfaces being composed of facets of silvered mirror-glass, and one point only of each facet coinciding with the curve of the parabola. As many of the rays are thus lost or weakened by transmission through the glass of the reflector, the light is much less brilliant than when reflected from a metallic speculum of a uniform parabolic figure, of a more white and dense body, such as silver. Another objection to mirror-glass reflectors, is the great number of interstices or subdivisions between the pieces of glass, which unavoidably induces a want of cleanliness and uniformity in the reflecting surface as a whole.
Reflectors of Copper, plated with Silver.
The improvement upon this part of the reflecting apparatus, as more recently fitted up, consists in employing sheets of copper, plated or coated with silver, which, with much labour and great nicety of workmanship, are formed as nearly as may be into the parabolic curve,—a subject to which we shall again recur, in treating of the reflectors for the Bell Rock Light-house.
The use of Argand lamps and Spermaceti Oil introduced.
Instead, also, of whale oil, and the use of the Common lamp, spermaceti oil, and the Argand lamp, were introduced at Inchkeith. Upon these principles, all the new erections of the Northern Light-houses are constructed; and such of the original light-houses, as require considerable repairs, are directed by the Board to be altered to the improved construction. But the erection of such a light-house as that of Inchkeith, in place of requiring an expenditure of only about L. 1000 like the original establishments, cost upwards of L. 5000.
Inscription on Inchkeith Light-house.
The light-house of Inchkeith having been erected before the late Mr Smith, the author’s predecessor, had retired from the situation of Engineer for the Northern Light-houses, and being the first of the light-houses erected upon the coast of Scotland on the recently improved principles, it is thought proper to give a plan and elevation of the house and offices, in one of the plates of this work, as a specimen of what is considered a very complete light-house establishment. It may also be noticed here, that the elevation of the light-house tower bears a tablet with the following inscription:—“For the direction of Mariners, and for the benefit of Commerce, this Light-house was erected by order of the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses. It was founded on the 18th day of May, in the year 1803, and lighted on the 1st of September 1804. Thomas Smith, Engineer.”
Pilots and Shipwrecked Seamen receive shelter.
As part of the establishment at Inchkeith, a guard-room is provided for pilots. In the event also of shipwreck upon the coast, in the neighbourhood of any of the light-house stations, from the more extended state of the buildings, the unfortunate seamen are not only directed to be lodged in the best manner that the circumstances of the case will admit, but, in necessitous cases, ship-wrecked mariners have even been allowed a sum of money by the Light-house Board, to clothe and carry them to their respective homes. In this way, it has not unfrequently fallen to the lot of the keepers of the Northern Light-houses, to save the lives of perishing seamen, to succour many poor fishermen and pilots, as well as the half starved and unlucky individuals of water parties, when driven by stress of weather to these lone places of abode, for safety and shelter. In these varied forms, it will not be too much to suppose, that the practice of protecting the navigator in distress, which is said to have formed a chief part of the design of the Fire Towers and Nautical Colleges of the ancients, is thus in some measure restored.