[Sidenote: Third year’s work at the Carr Rock.]
During the third year’s work, or 1815, the second course of the masonry was completed upon the Carr, and nine stones of the third course had been got laid by the 3d of October, when a heavy ground-swell obliged the artificers precipitately to leave the rock and take to their boats. This swell was immediately accompanied by a gale of easterly wind, and before the cement had taken bond or firmness, the surge of the sea washed it out; when the oaken trenails, used as a temporary fixture during the progress of the work, were wrenched off, and the stone-joggles broken asunder. The whole of the nine blocks of stone were thus swept off the rock and lost in deep water, though they had been completely dove-tailed, and fitted on the same principles as the masonry of the Bell Rock Light-house, where not a single stone was lost during the whole progress of the work.
In the year 1816, or fourth season, the work was continued till the month of November, when the building had attained the height of about 20 feet, or the 16th course, and still wanting 18 courses to complete the masonry. In this state, it was left till the following season, having been previously loaded with about four tons of lead, cast in suitable pieces, and suspended within the void or central hollow of the building. The operations of the fourth season had been also much retarded by several untoward accidents. In particular, a heavy gale overtook the workmen while they were laying the 7th course, which obliged them to leave the rock before the precautionary measures could be taken, for closing and completing the work immediately in hand; in consequence of which, the stones on the eastern, or weather-side of this course, were lifted off their bases, the oaken trenails broken, and five of the blocks of stone swept away. At another period, the Pozzolano mortar of the beds of two of the stones was washed out, and so much injured, that the stones required to be lifted and relaid. The works were this season intended to have been closed early in the month of October, when another unlucky gale sprung up, just as the sixteenth course had been laid, which lifted seven of the stones off their beds; but they were fortunately held by the oaken trenails, and in this state they remained for about three weeks, before a landing could possibly be effected, to replace them.