The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism Volume II Part 10

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE "INFLEXIBLE."]

As we have seen, the forms and proportions of ironclads have undergone enormous changes from the days when the success of the plated floating batteries at Kinburn called the special attention of Europe to the possibility of successfully protecting vessels in the same way. The shot of the enemy had no effect on these batteries. A special correspondent of the _Times_ said: "The b.a.l.l.s hopped back off their sides without leaving an impression, save such as a pistol-ball makes on the target of a shooting gallery. The shot could be heard distinctly striking the sides of the battery with a 'sharp smack,' and then could be seen flying back, splas.h.i.+ng the water at various angles according to the direction in which they came, till they dropped exhausted."

One of the greatest novelties is the _circular_ ironclad, proposed long ago by Mr. John Elder, in a paper read before the United Service Inst.i.tution, and carried out by Admiral Popoff, of the Russian navy, who designed one which was afterwards constructed and was christened the _Novgorod_. She was 100 feet in diameter, with curved deck, the highest point of which was only five or six feet above the water. She carried two 28-ton guns. Its model might be described as a floating saucer with a comparatively flat covering. It is even a.s.serted that a good speed is attainable with such vessels, and that they are steerable, if hydraulic machinery is employed. Mr. Elder's plan was as follows:-When a revolving pilot-house on the vessel turned, a jet of water was ejected in a backward line to the very course proposed to steer. The pilot or steersman-having a complete control of the movements of the pilot-house, and a clear look out a-head-only arranged to steer in a particular direction, and the water jet propelled the vessel to its destination. Such vessels are fit for nothing better than river or harbour protection.

The _Alexandra_, whose batteries we show on the opposite page, is one of the most efficient of our English armour-plated s.h.i.+ps. She was built at Chatham, and launched in 1875. She was specially built for speed, and carries the maximum weight of armour consistent with sea-going qualities.

She is armed with three guns of twenty-five tons each and nine of eighteen tons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SECTION OF THE "ALEXANDRA."]

A new form of ironclad, destined for coast duty, has also been introduced in Holland and France. These Governments consider that for the defence of a coast-line, fixed land batteries are not sufficient. They have, therefore, adopted a ponderous form of turreted ironclad, which the French term _garde-cotes_. They are not supposed to be adapted for long sea voyages, as they are veritable floating iron castles, carrying not merely heavy guns, but whole batteries of smaller guns. They have good engine power, and can, therefore, be moved to any part of the coast with ease.

The cost of ironclads to this country has been very serious. Mr. Reed puts it down at a million sterling a year since their inauguration.(46) For the eighteen years preceding 1876, they cost 16,738,935, and with the cost of wear and tear, repair, and maintenance, not less than 18,000,000.

300,000 was required for repairs and maintenance alone in one year, perhaps an exceptional case. The _Warrior_, built in the year 1860, cost, to 1876, for maintenance and repair, no less than 124,245, or about a third of her original cost. She is the earliest type of ironclad, and of small tonnage compared with several of her successors. What _they_ may cost to maintain is a still more serious problem. Single ironclads have cost the country half a million sterling; the _Inflexible_, 600,000.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PREPARING FOR TORPEDO EXPERIMENTS AT PORTSMOUTH.]

Connected intimately with the ironclad question is the torpedo movement.

From an early date schemes have been devised for injuring an enemy's vessel by submarine apparatus and otherwise than by guns. In the seventeenth century, we find the celebrated Marquis of Worcester describing such apparatus. The ninth of his "Century of Inventions"

describes a small engine, portable in one's pocket, which might be carried and fastened on the inside of the s.h.i.+p, and at any appointed time, days or weeks after, at the will of the operator, it should explode and sink that vessel.

In his tenth invention, the Marquis of Worcester describes "a way from a mile off to dive and fasten a like engine to any s.h.i.+p, so as it may punctually work the same effect, either for time or execution." The details of construction and working are left to the reader's imagination.

Bishop Wilkins, in a curious work on "Mathematical Magick," published in 1648, describes a possible submarine vessel, or "ark," as he terms it. He says that it "may be effected beyond all question, because one Cornelius Dreble hath already experimented on it here in England." Of Dreble very little is known; but it is on record that he constructed a subaqueous boat, which he exhibited before James I., which carried twelve rowers and some pa.s.sengers, and further, that that monarch was so pleased with it that he sent a duplicate as a present to the grand Duke of Muscovy (Russia). The bishop discusses the matter very fully. The boat is, of course, to be watertight, all openings being sealed for the nonce by leather bags, with two sets of fastenings. The oars were to project also through leather bags, giving freedom of motion and yet excluding the water. A serious difficulty-the lack of fresh air on board-is partially slurred over; but he considers that the sailors, "by long use and custome," will practically get used to it. The raising or lowering of the vessel is to be accomplished by the lifting or depression of an enormous stone hung to its keel. He considered that the steering would be easier than on the surface, there being no contrary winds or atmospheric disturbances to interfere. The vessel is to be well manned by artisans, and children are to be born in the "ark:" one of the points specially mentioned being their inevitable astonishment when they for the first time behold the light of day at the surface, and are landed on _terra firma_!

The log is not merely to be written but is to be printed on board. "Among the many conveniences of such a contrivance, it may be of very great advantage against a navy of enemies, who, by this means, may be undermined in the water and blown up."

Another old writer, Schott, in a rare and curious work, ent.i.tled "Mirabilia Mechanica," offers several schemes for submarine vessels, and gives a drawing of one with a paddle-wheel as the propelling power. The wheel, worked by men, was to work in a watertight box in the centre of the vessel, the paddles projecting below the keel. A Frenchman built a vessel of this description at Rotterdam in 1653, and publicly exhibited it.

Pepys, in his "Diary," writes, on the 14th of March, 1662: "This afternoon came the German Dr. Knuffler, to discourse with us about his engine to blow up s.h.i.+ps. We doubted not the matter of fact-it being tried in Cromwell's time-but the safety of carrying them in s.h.i.+ps; but he do tell us that when he comes to tell the King his secret (for none but kings successively, and their heirs, must know it) it will appear of no danger at all." We have before described Fulton's submarine boat, the _Nautilus_, and his torpedo experiments in France and England; let us now follow him to the New World.

Fulton arrived in America in December, 1806, and so far from being discouraged by the apathy displayed towards his inventions in Europe, inaugurated fresh experiments, under Government sanction, a certain expenditure being authorised. An amusing account of one of his semi-public exhibitions is given by his biographer:(47)-"In the meantime, anxious to prepossess his countrymen with a good opinion of his project, he invited the magistracy of New York and a number of citizens to Governor's Island, where were the torpedoes and the machinery with which his experiments were to be made; these, with the manner in which they were to be used and were expected to operate, he explained very fully. While he was lecturing on his blank torpedoes, which were large empty copper cylinders, his numerous auditors crowded round him. At length he turned to a copper case of the same description, which was placed under the gateway of the fort, and to which was attached a clockwork lock. This, by drawing out a peg, he set in motion, and then said to his attentive audience, 'Gentlemen, this is a charged torpedo, with which, precisely in its present state, I mean to blow up a vessel; it contains one hundred and seventy pounds of gunpowder, and if I were to suffer the clockwork to run fifteen minutes, I have no doubt but that it would blow this fortification to atoms!' The circle round Mr. Fulton was very soon much enlarged, and before five of the fifteen minutes were out there were but two or three persons remaining under the gateway; some, indeed, lost no time in getting at the greatest possible distance from the torpedo with their best speed, and did not again appear on the ground till they were a.s.sured it was lodged in the magazine." Fulton, of course, displayed the utmost coolness, knowing that his torpedo could not explode till the clockwork had run its allotted time, and of course taking care that it should be stopped long before the expiration of the fifteen minutes.

On the 20th of July, 1807, he attempted to blow up with torpedoes, in the harbour of New York, a large hulk brig which had been provided for the purpose. Several unsuccessful attempts were made at first, owing to some derangements connected with the locks of the exploding apparatus. At length, however, the explosion took place, and was a thorough success. He has left a full account of it in his own work.(48) Nothing was left of the brig; all that was seen in her place was a high column of water, smoke, and fragments. It showed, as Fulton always believed, that the torpedo should, if possible, be exploded _under_ the vessel to be blown up. In his cool but yet enthusiastic way he says: "Should a s.h.i.+p of the line containing five hundred men contend with ten good row-boats, each with a torpedo and ten men, she would risk total annihilation, while the boats, under the cover of the night and quick movements, would risk only a few men out of one hundred."

Fulton, after this, lectured frequently before the members of Congress, and so favourably impressed them that a sum of 5,000 dollars was voted in aid of his experiments. One of the plans he proposed was to couple by a line two torpedoes, then letting them drift on the bow of the vessel to be destroyed, the line would catch on the cable or bows, and the torpedoes would drift towards the vessel on either side. He also proposed "block s.h.i.+ps" of 50 or 100 tons, with cannon-proof sides and musket-proof decks (_i.e._, virtually ironclads), to be propelled by machinery, _which was to be worked by the crew_. "On each quarter and bow she was to be armed with a torpedo fastened to a long spar, the interior end of which was to be supported and braced by ropes from the yards.... By means of these spars the torpedoes were to be thrust under the bottom of the vessel to be destroyed." Half the many plans proposed for torpedo warfare may be traced back to Robert Fulton at the end of the last and beginning of the present century. Among his inventions was a "cable-cutting machine," a description of which would occupy an undue amount of s.p.a.ce in a popular work. Suffice it to say that by its means he succeeded in cutting, several feet below the surface of the water, the cable-a 14-inch one-of a vessel lying at anchor.

One of the most important experiments made at this time was his attempt, under sanction of Government, to blow up the sloop-of-war _Argus_, and the case demonstrates very clearly the ingenuity of the _defence_, and the means taken to foil the a.s.sailing torpedo. We have heard quite recently of propositions to defend a vessel by means of a kind of "crinoline," as it has been termed, a strong network, &c., surrounding the whole or a part of the vessel at some distance from it, which should prevent the torpedo from exploding near the hull. Such was actually the means devised by Commodore Rodgers, of the United States Navy, in the year 1809, and which proved entirely successful in foiling Fulton's torpedo. Colden says:-"She had a strong netting suspended from her spritsail-yard, which was anch.o.r.ed at the bottom; she was surrounded by spars lashed together, which floated on the surface of the water, so as to place her completely in a pen; she had grappling-irons and heavy pieces of the same metal suspended from her yards and rigging, ready to be plunged in any boat that came beneath them; she had great swords, or scythes, fastened to the ends of long spars, moving like sweeps, which unquestionably would have mowed off as many heads as came within their reach."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE OLD STYLE AND THE NEW (A THREE-DECKER AND A TORPEDO BOAT).]

By these devices the torpedo-boat was unable to get near the _Argus_, while the netting, anch.o.r.ed to the bottom of the harbour, prevented any probability of the torpedo being fired under the vessel. The Government had practically said to Fulton, "Do your best, and we'll do our best to defeat you." The experiment was not one-sided, as are so many. Fulton, far from complaining, thus wrote: "I will do justice to the talents of Commodore Rodgers. The nets, booms, kentledge, and grapnels which he arranged around the _Argus_ made a formidable appearance against one torpedo-boat and eight bad oarsmen. I was taken unawares. I had explained to the officers of the navy my means of attack; they did not inform me of their means of defence. The nets were put down to the ground, otherwise I should have sent the torpedoes under them. In this situation, the means with which I was provided being imperfect, insignificant, and inadequate to the effect to be produced, I might be compared to what the inventor of gunpowder would have appeared had he lived in the time of Julius Caesar, and presented himself before the gates of Rome with a four-pounder, and had endeavoured to convince the Roman people that by means of such machines he could batter down their walls. They would have told him that a few catapultas casting arrows and stones upon his men would cause them to retreat; that a shower of rain would destroy his ill-guarded powder; and the Roman centurions, who would have been unable to conceive the various modes in which gunpowder has since been used to destroy the then art of war, would very naturally conclude that it was a useless invention; while the manufacturers of catapultas, bows, arrows, and s.h.i.+elds would be the most vehement against further experiments."

[Ill.u.s.tration: LIEUT. CUs.h.i.+NG'S ATTACK ON THE "ALBEMARLE."]

Torpedoes were used extensively during the civil war in America, but almost entirely for rivers or harbour defence. One of the most prominent examples was the following:-The ironclad ram _Albemarle_(49) had been carrying all before it, till Lieutenant Cus.h.i.+ng, a brave young officer, scarcely twenty-one years of age, took a steam-launch, equipped as a torpedo-boat, on the night of October, 1864, up the Roanoake River. He had with him thirteen men. The launch was steered directly for the ironclad, which lay at one of the wharfs of Plymouth, protected by a raft of logs extending thirty feet. The enemy's fire was at once very severe, but the torpedo-boat went bravely on, and succeeded in pressing in the logs a few feet. Cus.h.i.+ng, in his despatch, says-"The torpedo was exploded at the same time that the _Albemarle's_ gun was fired. A shot seemed to go cras.h.i.+ng through my boat, and a dense ma.s.s of water rushed in from the torpedo, filling and completely disabling her. The enemy then continued to fire at fifteen feet range, and demanded our surrender, which I twice refused."

Cus.h.i.+ng leaped into the water and, with one of his party, made good his escape. The rest of the little crew were either captured, killed, or wounded. The object of the attack was, however, successful, and the _Albemarle_ was found to be a complete wreck. Torpedoes were also employed with great effect by the Paraguayans in their war against the Brazilians in 1866.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PARAGUAYAN TORPEDO BLOWING UP A BRAZILIAN IRONCLAD.]

Great are the varieties of torpedoes invented at various times in late years, and a technical description of them, which would be wearying to the reader, would fill a large volume. An ingenious kind, known as the "Lay"

torpedo, after the name of its inventor, comes from the New World. It is of cylindrical form, with conical ends, the forward cone calculated to hold a hundred pounds of some explosive substance-dynamite,(50) probably, being used. A forward section of the main cylinder holds a powerful gas, condensed into _liquid_ form, and used as the motive power, and connected with the machinery by a valve operated by electricity. The torpedo has a cable coiled as harpoon-ropes are arranged in whaling-vessels, which may be of any length, the wires connected with the battery following its course. This instrument of destruction is entirely under the control of the operator, who may be stationed with his small portable battery on the sh.o.r.e or on a vessel. It is said that they have been sent out half a mile and brought back to the starting-point at a rate of twelve miles an hour, and that the rapidity and precision with which the machine obeyed the operator demonstrated them to be among the most formidable weapons ever invented for naval warfare.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Porter Torpedo Boat. Fulton's Torpedo Boat._ _ Spar Torpedo. (Front and Side Views.) Lay Torpedo._ DIFFERENT FORMS OF TORPEDOES.]

These subaqueous weapons have never been used in an engagement between fleets. In an interesting essay(51) on the subject by Commander Noel, R.N., he recommends or proposes that four torpedo vessels should accompany a fleet, and describes their probable operations as follows:-

[Ill.u.s.tration: TORPEDO EXPERIMENTS AT PORTSMOUTH, WITH THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.]

"Let us imagine ourselves, then, on board a rakish little craft, fitted for Harvey torpedo work; we can steam sixteen knots; we tow a torpedo on each quarter; and we are so admirably fitted with steel-protecting mantelets that neither officer nor man is exposed either to view or to rifle fire. Our instructions are that on the approach of a hostile force we and our three consorts are to hold ourselves in readiness to charge the enemy's line, pa.s.sing through at full speed, and doing all the damage that lies in our power: these orders to be carried into effect in obedience to a preconcerted signal. The enemy is observed approaching, and apparently moving at about ten knots' speed. The torpedo vessels are let loose, and, choosing the centre of the enemy's fleet, rush on, steering for a flag-s.h.i.+p leading a column in line ahead. Heavy guns are fired at us as we near, but we are so small and rapid in our movements that no shot takes effect; we are reducing our distance at the rate of a mile in two and a half minutes; soon comes the time of suspense; in a second or two we are pa.s.sing the flag-s.h.i.+p; the port torpedo is dipped-will it strike her?

Suddenly a tug on the wire towing-rope, and it parts. Her bow has been protected, and our torpedo is torn away harmless. However, another mine tows on the opposite quarter, still in working order; we are in the midst of the enemy's fleet, rus.h.i.+ng past one after another at half-minute intervals; our only chance of using our other torpedo is in breaking through the line; our commander is eminent for his skill, courage, and confidence. Little choice is given us, but he observes a rather great interval astern of the fourth s.h.i.+p. 'Starboard' is the order, and we break through under her stern; our starboard torpedo is at the same time dipped, and pa.s.ses under the fifth s.h.i.+p. Owing to a combination of luck and good management, the torpedo takes effect and the enemy is blown up. The other torpedo vessels have thrown the enemy into considerable disorder, but none have succeeded in using their torpedoes with effect. One of them has been struck by a heavy sh.e.l.l and totally disabled, but the whole fleet has pa.s.sed on without finding it possible to capture or sink her without losing their position in station and being left behind; the thought foremost in every captain's mind also being that the enemy's fleet is almost in contact with them, and that the moment to act has arrived.

"This is an example of an attack with 'Harvey' torpedoes from ahead and across the bow.... In my opinion, it would invariably be rendered fruitless if the bows of the s.h.i.+ps attacked were protected by an iron framework of the simplest description.

"But let us return to our little craft, in which we have already run the gauntlet of the hostile fleet. Having cleared the enemy with little or no damage, we look back and see our fleet of ironclads breaking through their lines, which have been so shaken by our a.s.sault. When through, our fleet re-forms and wheels for the next charge. We must be at work again; our torpedoes are replaced, and everything is in working order. This time we follow our ironclads to the charge. We are, if anything, more hopeful of success. The enemy will not see us till we are at them; our blood is warming to the work, and we feel that we have gained experience and confidence by the first charge. Pressing on, we observe the second charge of the fleet, amidst smoke, confusion, and thundering of cannon. The enemy is prepared, and it is a case of 'Greek meeting Greek.' Our vessel is put at full speed, and, with our consorts (now reduced to two), we go at the enemy. However, in the charge that is made only one of us succeeds in exploding a torpedo, and that without much damage to the enemy; one of our consorts is run down and sunk, and we pa.s.s through, only dipping one torpedo, and that too late to take effect. The enemy are not in the steady line they were in before, and consequently we have not such an opportunity of creating disorder, and have more difficulty in manuvring to use our weapon. Pa.s.sing on, fortune still favours us. We come across an enemy disabled, stern on to us with her ensign flying. 'At her!' is the order.

Another moment and we are close to her, our torpedo in beautiful position, and the enemy helpless. Down comes her ensign, just in time; we are able to let go the torpedo so as to clear her-now a lawful prize.

"So it is that I believe a torpedo vessel will be handled in an action. It will be ticklish work; and all I can say is that the men who undertake it should be gifted with coolness and courage above their fellows, as well as with the utmost proficiency in handling their vessels."

Perhaps the most formidable _ocean-going_ torpedo vessel yet constructed is the American despatch-vessel _Alarm_, designed by Admiral David Porter, of the United States Navy. It is 172 feet long, including a ram of twenty-seven feet in length. One of her special qualities is the power of launching torpedoes from almost any point, from cylinders specially constructed for the purpose, that at the bow being thirty-two feet in length. A torpedo-boat, built by the Messrs. Yarrow, of Poplar, for the Russian Government during the late war, appears to have special merits. It is built of light steel, with what is called a "whale-back"-a semi-circular covering, which resists any ordinary shot and throws off any sea whatever. The funnel is not in the centre, but towards the side, in order not to interfere with the steersman's view nor with the torpedo boom. It has a boom which can be lowered in the water, the torpedo being submerged ten feet before it is started off on its deadly errand. And, finally, it can be projected from the stern, which gives it a splendid chance of leaving before the final explosion.

In the late Turko-Russian war torpedoes were often attached to logs of wood or clumps of brushwood, and floated into the stream of the Danube.

These often attracted little attention; and when they came into contact with any obstacle the mine exploded by means of percussion, the blow being delivered by a projecting arm or other contrivance driven back upon some detonating substance within. The Harvey torpedo, one of the leading types, consists of a stout wooden casing, strengthened on the outside with iron straps, and containing a metal sh.e.l.l, which holds the powder charge. The largest size of this weapon measures 4 feet 6 inches in length by 2 feet in depth, and 2 feet 6 inches in width, and carries 100 lbs. of dynamite.

The torpedo is fired by being brought into hugging contact with an enemy's s.h.i.+p, when one or other of two projecting levers acts upon an exploding bolt causing the ignition of the charge. The exploding apparatus consists of a tube containing a chemical agent and a bulb holding another. The nature of these chemicals is such that when they combine violent combustion ensues, which explodes the charge. These torpedoes are towed at the end of a long hawser, connected to a spar, so arranged that the torpedo itself, instead of following immediately in the wake or trail of the vessel towing it, diverges in the same manner that an otter float does: from which device Captain Harvey took his idea. Attached to the torpedo are two large buoys, for the purpose of supporting it when the vessel is not moving through the water, or when the towing-line is slackened. Another variety is fired by electricity.

The Whitehead, or "fish" torpedo, is a cigar-shaped steel cylinder 14 to 19 feet in length, and from 14 to 16 inches in diameter. It is sent off, requiring no crew, against the s.h.i.+p to be destroyed; and if one torpedo fails to deal the death-blow it can be followed up by another, or yet a third. It consists of three compartments. The head contains the explosive-say 360 lbs. of gun-cotton; the centre holds the machinery; and the tail the highly-condensed air which works the engine. The engine is about thirty-five pounds weight, and can be worked to forty horse power!

The explanation of this is simply that the working pressure of the condensed air is 1,000 lbs. per square inch. The tail holds compressed air sufficient to propel the torpedo 200 yards, at a rate of twenty-five miles an hour, or 1,000 yards at the rate of seventeen miles.

The "battle of the guns" has not yet been fought; but how about the rams?

They have been proved the deadliest weapons of destruction in modern times. The lessons of Lissa have been already cited in these pages; so have the lessons taught by the loss of the _Vanguard_ and the _Grosser Kurfurst_. In the latter cases it was friends that struck the blow. Some of our greatest authorities consider that nothing can exceed the power of the ram of a modern ironclad, properly applied. Admiral Touchard, of the French Navy, says: "The 'beak' (_i.e._ 'ram') is now the princ.i.p.al weapon in naval combats-the _ultima ratio_ of maritime war." Captain Colomb, a distinguished English authority, says: "Let us just recall the fact that the serious part of a future naval attack does not appear to be the guns, but the rams." Yet again another authority, Captain Pellew, says: "Rams are the arm of naval warfare to which I attach the chief importance. In my opinion, the aim of all manuvring and preliminary practice with the guns should be to get a fair opportunity for ramming."

CHAPTER X.

THE LIGHTHOUSE AND ITS HISTORY.

The Lighthouse-Our most noted one in Danger-The Eddystone Undermined-The Ancient History of Lighthouses-The Pharos of Alexandria-Roman Light Towers at Boulogne and Dover-Fire-beacons and Pitch-pots-The Tower of Cordouan-The First Eddystone Lighthouse-Winstanley and his Eccentricities-Difficulties of Building his Wooden Structure-Resembles a PaG.o.da-The Structure Swept Away with its Inventor-Another Silk Mercer in the Field-Rudyerd's Lighthouse-Built of Wood-Stood for Fifty Years-Creditable Action of Louis XIV.-Lighthouse Keeper alone with a Corpse-The Horrors of a Month-Rudyerd's Tower destroyed by Fire-Smeaton's Early History-Employed to Build the Present Eddystone-Resolves on a Stone Tower-Employment of "Dove-tailing"

in Masonry-Difficulties of Landing on the Rock-Peril incurred by the Workmen-The First Season's Work-Smeaton always in the Post of Danger-Watching the Rock from Plymouth Hoe-The Last Season-Vibrations of the Tower in a Storm-Has Stood for 120 Years-Joy of the Mariner when "The Eddystone's in Sight!"-Lights in the English Channel.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Round the history of s.h.i.+ps and s.h.i.+pping interests innumerable subjects intertwine. But for the good s.h.i.+p, we should not need coast fortifications, grand breakwaters, and artificial harbours, lighthouses, lifeboats, and coast-guard organisations. Just as England stands pre-eminent on the sea, so in all subsidiary points connected therewith she is fully represented. To the lighthouse and its history attention is now invited.

Not long since many an anxious eye was turned Channelwards from Plymouth Hoe towards that group of rocks, on one of which the famous Eddystone Light stood-and happily, still stands-for the light that should have illumined the stormy waters was apparently quenched. Not till morning dawn had nearly come was a re-a.s.suring glimmer noted in the lantern of that famed Pharos of our coasts. And there was good reason for anxiety, although the immediate occasion was a mere temporary derangement of the lighting apparatus: for the report had spread that Smeaton's greatest architectural triumph had collapsed before the power of the sea. One trembles to think what that might have meant, not merely to its few inhabitants, but to scores of sailors and owners. "Happily," said one of our leading journals, "the Eddystone is still safe, despite the terrible effects of winds and waves, and the serious weakness of its own foundations, which was discovered a few years ago. For the tower which lights the way of the sailor into Plymouth Sound is, after all, not so secure a structure as could be desired. Built of solid masonry and with immense skill, by the clever architect from Hull who designed and carried out the work, it had yet to trust for its foundation to the rock upon which it stood. Should that give way the stone-work of the edifice might be strong enough, and yet some day fall into hopeless ruin. Strange to say, this very weakness has been self-revealed. The rock upon which the lighthouse stands, and which, of the twenty-three that comprise the group, is most exposed to the action of the sea, has been so violently attacked by what Ovid calls the 'insane waters' as to have become very seriously undermined. Gradually the waves have cut away the foundations of the stone, rising now and then against the lighthouse, and pressing against the structure with such force as to make the building itself serve the turn of a crowbar, and so, little by little, creating fissures in the foundations, and gradually preparing the way to the end." Many attempts have been made to obviate these evils by the removal of rock which it was supposed acted as a lever to the water, and by other means: but in vain.

At length the Board of Trinity House finding their efforts futile, determined to erect another lighthouse. Meantime, a light-s.h.i.+p has been provided, which, in case of accident to Smeaton's tower, will be moored in the neighbourhood. A larger building is now in course of erection on an adjacent rock, which affords a more durable foundation and is less exposed to the merciless waves. It will be nearly double the height of the older structure, which was seventy-two feet high, and is being built on a principle of dovetailing, which, it is hoped and believed, will secure it against the worst fury of the sea. Think what that fury is sometimes, gentle reader! At the Skerryvore Rock they have an apparatus for registering the power of the waves per square foot surface; once recently it registered _three tons_ to the foot!