Historic Scenes in Forfarshire Author:William Marshall General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1875 Original Publisher: Oliphant Subjects: Forfar (Scotland) Angus (Scotland) Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial... more » access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: The waves rushed in on every side ; The ship sinks fast beneath the tide, -- Down, down they sink in watery graves, The masts are hid beneath the waves 1 Sir Ralph, while waters rush around, Hears still an awful, dismal sound: For even in his dying fear That dreadful sound assails his ear, As if below, with the Inch-Capo bell, The devil rang his funeral knell." The Lighthouse Board for Scotland commenced a lighthouse on the Bell Rock in 1807, and finished it in 1810, at a cost of £61,331 9s 2d. Mr Robert Stevenson was engineer of the structure, which is in the form of a circular tower, 115 feet high, diminishing from a diameter of 42 feet at ihe base to 13 feet at the point where the lantern rests. It has suitable apartments for keepers, and every way serves most efficiently the purpose of its erection. It exhibits two lights, one very bright, and the other tinged with a red shade. They constantly revolve, so as to show alternately every two minutes, and in hazy weather two large bells are constantly tolled, the sound of which is heard at a considerable distance. The Bell Rock Lighthouse is occasionally visited by pleasure parties. These have every attention shown them by the keepers, who take their names in an album, and also any impromptus they may be disposed to inscribe in it. Sir Walter Scott honoured this Pharos of the Forfarshire coast with a visit, and in his fine impromptu he makes the Pharos speak thus: -- " Far on the bosom of the deep, O'er thosa wild shelves my watch I keep ; A ruddy gem o...« less