The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-28 00:00:00

THE NEW EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.

The visit of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of
Edinburgh to Plymouth for the purpose of participa-
ting in the laying of the foundation stone of the new
Eddystone Lighthouse on Saturday in last week has
ended in a postponement of the ceremony. On Friday
the waves broke over the reef in such a manner that
the workmen found it impossible to make the neces-
sary preparations, and the violence of the wind
continuing during Saturday morning, the idea
of making even a trip around the Eddystone,
recommended as a sufficient ceremonial under
the circumstances, was abandoned. Their Royal
Highnesses, however, were so deeply interested in
the matter that they preferred waiting for another
and more favourable opportunity for laying the stone
itself, and promised to fix a day in August next for
discharging the deferred duty. Arrangements had
been made for a flotilla of yachts and steamers to
accompany the Trinity boats, and undoubtedly, had
the weather proved favourable, there would have been
witnessed one of the most charming spectacles ever
seen in the vicinity of the tempest-beaten Eddystone
reef. Thousands of persons had collected at various
points for the purpose of observing the departure of
the many gaily-decked craft that studded the mouth
of the Hamoaza.

Their Royal Highnesses, disappointed in their pro-
mised trip to sea, took the opportunity of going to
Oreston to inspect the works, where blocks of stone
used in the construetion of the new lighthouse are
being prepared, and for the purpose of examining the
plans of the new tower.— The Times gives the following
interesting particulars of the visit of their Royal
Highneases to these works:—
"At a quarter to one precisely their Royal Highnesses
left, both appearing in uniform—the Prince of Wales
in an undress military costume and the Duke of
Edinburgh in the uniform of an admiral of the Royal
Navy. Their Royal Highnesses were accompanied
by the two young Princes, Albert Victor and George
Frederick, in cadets' uniform, and Admiral A.
Farquhar, Commander-in-Chief at Devonport • Ad•
ixiiral Sir Illenry Keppel, Admiral Sir Richard &Wil-
son, deputy-master of the Trinity Corporation; Captain
Fairfax, H. M.S. Britannia; Captain Stevenson, R.N.,
Equerry to the Prince of Wales; Lieutenants the Hon.
A. Curzon Howe, Equerry to the Duke of Edinburgh,
and Francis Cecil, Flag-Lieutenant at Devonport. All
the officers wore service mourning for the late Prince
Imperial. On the arrival at the trial platform at
Oreston it was explained that the stones seen there
were parts of the fourth and fifth courses of masonry,
which were all fitted together as they wii lbe at the
rock. The Prince appeared to be deeply interested in
the manner in which the dovetailing was effected. The
illustration of what is known as the Lewis' mode of
lifting the stones absorbed a deal of the time of the
distinguished party. This is the method always
adopted during the progress of fitting. The operation
consists of boring a deep hole in the stone, and then
there are introduced three large wedges, which are
driven tightly in. In the tops of the wedges are large
rings, to which a loop may be attached, and the stone
is in this way swung by means of a crane. The whole
system was illustrated by one of the largest of the
stones, and, to the satisfaction of each member of the
party, before the stone was hoisted the young princes
stepped upon it, were swung round, and then let down
with it to the bottom of the platform. This experience
they evidently enjoyed, The Prince of Wales remarked
as to the arrangement in dealing with such heavy
stones, 'lt is simplicity itself.'
"After some little time had been spent in the vicinity
of the trial platform, the party were taken to witness
experiments with the rock drill. Its utility is mani-
fold, for, besides the boriug of stone for lewising,' a
number of holes can be drilled in a line for the purpose
of making the operation of splitting the stone easier.
Its action was fully explained, and as nothing is so
satisfactory as ocular demonstration, a very large stone
was drilled in several places. The block chosen was
a piece of granite several tons in weight. In a very
few minutes sufficient holes were bored, and the ordi-
nary cleaving gear was then applied and fitted to the
holes, and the granite was immediately cloven in the
presence of the Royal party. Considerable surprise
was excited at the marvellous rapidity with which the
work was accomplished, and admiration of the pro-
cess was expressed, not only by their Royal High-
nesses, but by a crowd of spectators.
"The party were then conducted to the end of the
pier, where another very important invention was ex-
plained. Without suction hose it would be almost im-
possible to proceed with the work. This hose is em-
ployed in pumping the water from the dam constructed
at the reef for the purpose of facilitating the work,
and its mode of operation was graphically shown. One
of the most interesting pieces of mechanical skill re-
mained, the cement tester,' which is in great re-
quisition, and by means of which the character of the
work and the strength or weakness of every point are
accurately gauged. It may be imagined that this is
regarded as a crucial item in the construction of an
edifice the stability of which must be of the most
unquestionable kind. Toe machine is not a
large one, and when exhibited it was placed at
the innermost end of the quarry, to which the
Royal party for the second time proceeded.
Stationed on a large granite block was a very simple-
looking machine, and around this all the party gathered
while it was in motion. The young Princes were more
interested in it than in anything that had previously
been shown them. A piece of Portland cementl inch
thic4 was placed in the achine and a handle turned.
The number of pounds pressure on a square inch could
then be accurately ascertained, the amount being in-
dicated by a gauge. For some time the handle was
turned alternately by one of the young Princes, and
When either stopped the number of pounds pressure
was declared. As the pressure increased the handle
was talren ky 34r. izinaonds to prevent the
pcsaibility of an accident to one of the Princes,
who then watched the gauge, with keen interest. It
might seem almost incredible that cement should
bear so great a strain, but there was no crack
'until the prerssure had reached 1,120 pound% and the
-party we then Wormed that i similar piece of cement
bad brii4en on the p,Tevions day after a strain of only
1,100 pounds. The Royal party were also shown the
entire plans of the building, together with the gap,dol
with the dam 4 that have been
of the basernent;
bnilt thesis!
"After the experiments were concluded their Royal
Highnesses once more boarded the Galatea yacht,
steamed round the Agincourt, and made for Mount
Wise, where they landed, accompanied by Admiral
Keppel and Captain Vairfax they then took a special
trrtin for Dartmouth, where they remained the gnests
of Captain Vairfax. fa the evening the Galatea left
for Partknotlth to att.nd on their Royal Highnesses,'

Despite the oontinueci heavy weather In the Channel
on Monday, the Trinity engineers with a party of
workmen left Plymouth for the Eddystone Reef, and
=ringed to land through the surf and get some work
done. They found that, although the waves of Satur-
day dashed as high as the lantern gallery of the pkesent
lighthouse and swept ceseiassiy over the znasonry at
the new stricture, nothing was disturbod. The work
will be pushed forward with all energy, but that por-
tion where the foundation stone is eventually to be laid
by the Duke of Edinburgh some time in Augv,st, vill
Ile left vaca,nti

In noticing the postponement of the ceremony of laying
the foundation stone Tiae Times, in a leader, gives the
following interesting account of the existing structure and
of the two preceding ones, which have occupied the gday-
Ron° sees
We may regret that an interesting ceremony has
thus been frustrated, or at 4east postponed, but there
ip almest a grim appropriateness in the protest of the
elements themselyee against the eaort to replace the
great work of Sznpatan, itself the unsurpassable
model for ell subsequent structures of the kind, and
bnilt, as its designer declared, "not for an age or
two, but for a possible perpetuity." It is no dis-
credit to Smeaton, indeed, that it has been found
necessary to build a new lighthouse, gG t 3 is
aiios as round as wh9n it as finished a hundred
arid tiveotyyeao ego, anct if its rocky base were as
rth i
there. sno reason why it should not still stand
for centuries to come. Unfortunately; however, the
liqese WO is undermined, and there is reasop to fear
that the oonlnne4 aotion o,f wave, perpetually
rushing to and fro, at tin* with the utmost violence
and carrying with then' shingle, stone's, sand, and
other materials Wbose impaa &actually wears away
the hardest rock, may finally endanger the lighthouse
by rendering its foundation insecure. This source
of danger was discerned, soon after the lightbotlse
was built, by Smeaton himrplf 4; T9pgitO'Vdat
there was a &fern In the rock which fOrird tle base
of the tower, and that if neeessiirY it cold be filled
up by properly-cemented masonry at a cost of £250.
The work was never undertaken, and the rsck has
eirwe had tu sustain the but-feta the -wav'esand their
iheck on a tower so firmly rooted to it that it almost
forms a portion of its own structure. Hence the result
which Smeaton foresaw, and would - have provi494
egignet. The gouge T.?_0;; i pco,fmutiped tO laeno
lenge& ROCUid, and the 114htlionse placed upon it is c,on-
sequently in jeopardy. A.coordingly it has 'been de-
ter mined to build an entirely new lighthouse on another
portien of the reef, about a hundred feet to the south-
east of the present structure. The new tower will
be much larger than that of Smeatou, and its
will no rio.isyd 447-ole 4c3i ;,ighe.‘, 04'044 it a
much 'wider 'range, and placing its extrude litsits*ell
within the 'circuit cofianatide4 by neared adjacent
light to the Weitivard it the Lizard'. Mins Smeaton's
mat Work Will it last be superseded, though certainlT
toroiigh o fel* of Ms. Put ne,roE kind mvoory
*ill %till be 'peipetuited thei'ite*lighendusg. Wet
only Will 'its'fOrni felloW his Model 'with htit slight
alterations, but the pYincipleioritrUcture determined
by him both iv Ooting the Nafer te ta r.?ch, as it
were, by sonetructing ttie lowet coins& of 'masiohry in
benehinge oi'stePiCut out from the living rock, and
in &detailing all pads of. the tirtifiCial, atincture
together, so as to Five them the strep 4 sp4 tO,p,kclty
of a golid TO his Iftitjifulif ' -Thus
the rilaceii who were on SittirdaY to have laid' the
first'stcne of new Mhthouse On the South Reef
did no leis homage to Sineaton by visiting the works
in
,whletti. tis ideal arm still bein carricd a-4'i with all
the -applialio6 of mollern•mechirenici tWan ft they had
been able to gd'to'the'tiatual'idtel of hili labours. It is
not the banded tower' on the House Itosk which
anxious goon An pip 4cP or r9;ll.J2olnt have seen
braving tho hOYl234l!iszis for 'tent a ear that makes
the true glory of Ifleason. i le fact that Wher-
ever it has been necessary to build a lighthouse on a
illitsmt rocs,: rind mode of qtructure
have been 'uniformly 'followed, ad aIWaY4 With'
peso.
The Eddystone Rock, as it is commonly called, is in
reality a dangerous reef lying about fourteen miles
south-west of Plymouth Breakwater, and almost in a
line between the Lizard and the Start. Thus before
it was --larlrod by a light it, was a soTiact ot eonitarit
tellier to mariners navigating the Channel. The first
attempt to fi . a light On it was made tost'ards the`close
of the 17th century by a Mr. Win stanley, a Private gen-
tleman with an ingenious turn for mechanics. Winst
ley seems to iiave been a eort of I,lnglish aueansoc,
Who tortured his friends with Mechanical practical
jokes, such as an arin-chair which Clasped its occupant
g
' pair4' of invisible
isibolneawaramress i
, 'onroanthaerbraouidrdlien•
of
a b
canal. He built -two toworg of vidod on Eddy-
lCt4den a
w4ic
stone, the latter polygonal lit shapei'and 100 feet high,
with a stone fixed into the rock with
iron stanchions. WinstanleY's tower, which was cer-
tainly not wanting in elegance and just proportion,