William Douglass
The Douglasses were an old Scottish border family which settled in
Northumberland in the 13th century. William's father,
Nicholas
Douglass, was born in Blaydon, Northumberland, and served his
engineering apprenticeship under a Mr Burnett of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Nicholas joined Trinity House in 1839 as a Construction
Engineer, advancing to Superintendent Engineer. Nicholas was a man
of iron nerve and tireless energy. He carried out several dangerous
engineering operations entrusted to him, with remarkable immunity
from serious accident.
Nicholas was presented to the Duke of
Wellington with the remark 'Here is a man who has fought as many
battles as your Grace but he has not lost a single life'.
'I
wish I could say the same' was the Duke's reply.
William
Douglass was born in London in 1831. Apprenticed to Robert
Stephenson & Co, Newcastle-on-Tyne, he studied under Robert, the son
of George Stephenson. In 1852 he replaced his brother
James as
Assistant Engineer to his father on the construction of Bishop Rock
Lighthouse.
In 1858 William was appointed Trinity House
Construction Engineer on the building of Les Hanois Rock Lighthouse,
Guernsey, which was completed in 1862. The design and construction
experience which William acquired on this project was to prove
invaluable forty years later when, as Engineer to the Commissioners
of Irish Lights, the onerous task fell on him to design a
replacement structure for the original Fastnet cast iron lighthouse.
Many similar design and construction details are to be found in both
structures.
On the Les Hanois project William's father
Nicholas invented the construction method of bedding and side
dovetailing each masonry block. When the blocks are laid and set in
a Portland cement mix the bonding effect is nearly as homogeneous as
solid masonry.
It was against this background of both working
in the severest of site conditions and the exposure to inventive
design and construction methods that William, as a 21 year old,
acquired his formative lighthouse engineering training and character
building. Both were to serve him well in later years.
In 1862
James was appointed Engineer-in-Chief of Trinity House. William
replaced his brother as Construction Engineer in the building of the
lighthouse on the Wolf Rock which is situated about half way between
Land's End and the Scilly Isles. The base station for the
construction of the lighthouse was at Penzance, Cornwall.
The
Wolf Rock is submerged during half tide and had long been a terror
to mariners in all weathers. Exposed to the full force of the
Atlantic, it took three years to prepare the foundation before the
first stone could be laid. To prevent the workmen from being washed
away it was necessary to tether each of them to heavy iron
stanchions sunk into the rock. Landing on and leaving the rock
invariably required one to be hauled through the surf on a line. To
effect this procedure William, being a strong swimmer, was the first
to land and last to leave. The building of the lighthouse took eight
years to complete.
While working at Penzance William met and
married Jane, daughter of Henry Hodge of St Levan, in 1868. They had
four children, two sons and two daughters.
In 1869 William
was appointed Executive Engineer on the construction of the
lighthouse on the Great Basses Reef, eighty miles eastwards of Point
de Galle, Ceylon. The granite lighthouse was designed by his brother
James. On its completion in 1873 both brothers played similar roles
in the erection of a lighthouse on Little Basses Reef, built in a
more exposed location a further 20 miles from Point de Galle.
On completion of the Little Basses Reef Lighthouse in 1878
William was appointed Engineer to the Commissioners of Irish Lights,
succeeding John H. Morant. Thus, the Douglass brothers achieved the
unique distinction of serving simultaneously as Engineer-in-Chief to
two lighthouse authorities. Both made their distinctive contribution
to their respective organisation. James introduced electricity as a
lighthouse illuminant while William perfected the efficiency of oil
and gas as illuminants.
Over the next 22 years William's
engineering design and administration output in the service of Irish
Lights was equally as dynamic as the 26 years he spent in the
construction of lighthouses for Trinity House. His tenure as the
Commissioners' Engineer ended a relatively dormant engineering
period in Irish Lights.
Being qualified and experienced in
both civil and mechanical engineering, William was instrumental in
the introduction of long overdue new technology and a revived
construction programme. Major projects carried out under his
supervision are listed below.
In 1894 sanction was given to
appoint Charles W. Scott as Assistant Engineer. Notwithstanding
Scott's capable assistance the ever increasing works programme,
coupled with age and building difficulties on the Fastnet, took its
toll on William's health. From 1898 onwards ill health became an
increasing drain on his strength.
Still William persisted in
taking overall responsibility for work on the Fastnet. Continuous
foul seas and inclement weather disrupted progress to such an extent
that by spring 1899 the foundation preparation work had all but
ceased-not a single masonry block had been laid. In May William went
to the rock to bring his vast construction experience personally to
the work. On leaving the rock in early July the fourth foundation
course had been laid. By August the work had progressed to being
able to receive the first full solid course.
On returning to
Dublin, having overtaxed his strength, William was compelled to take
sick leave. He returned to the office in September 1899 but again
overtaxed himself. Two further attempts to resume full-time duty
failed. Eventually, ill health finally forced him to retire in
September 1900.
William Douglass retired to Stella, Penzance,
Cornwall. He died on 10 March 1923, aged 92 years. He was interred
in Penzance cemetery on 14 March 1923.
Legacy
Contemporary
reports record that William was quiet and reserved in speech.
Privately a man of strong religious beliefs, practising more than he
professed, he showed his faith by his works. Fearless of his own
well-being, however mindful of the wellbeing of others, he was
greatly respected by those he had charge of.
A study of the
archival records of his tenure in Irish Lights and an analysis of
the structures built reveal a period where 'a passion for
excellence' by all involved was sought as a mark of personal honour.
A hundred years on sufficient examples survive, either in-situ, on
the coast, or in the Baily Museum.
Under William's leadership
Irish Lights experienced a renaissance in lighthouse architecture
and improved construction methods, detailing, and interior fitting
out. New mechanical technology and methods of illumination
continuously underwent critical examination both for quality of
construction and efficiency.
Fastnet is the quintessential
tower lighthouse. In its creation, William Douglass brought the art
of masonry design and construction to a pinnacle of perfection.
However impressive photography can try to do it justice, its awesome
radiant spiritual beauty, the overwhelming wonderment of its
construction, can only truly be experienced when viewed from the
rock's shoreline. A hundred years of continuous Atlantic seas and
storms have failed to blemish the inspired architecture of its
designer or the craftsmanship of its builders.
A considerable
number of other buildings, both domestic and industrial, from the
Douglass era are still intact. Each contains architectural gems and
construction excellence which are worthy of wider appraisal and
increased public awareness. The depth of the detailing illustrated
in the drawings prepared for these works set the standard for the
builder and craftsman. The painstaking attention given to the
draughtsmanship ensured that after the drawings had fulfilled their
original intended function they would survive as engineering works
of art from the period.
In 1880 William Douglass was Engineer
to the Commissioners of Irish Lights and in that capacity produced a
detailed specification for the iron lantern masts on lightships.
Such masts were installed on Cormorant, Puffin and Torch.
Major works carried out under
the direction of William Douglass
1878
Superintended the
completion of works started by his predecessors John H. Morant and
John S. Sloane:
Tuskar: installation of a rocket fog signal;
Baily: replacement of the Daboll Steam Horn with a siren driven by a
Crossley Otto gas engine;
Straw Island: completion of a new
lighthouse station;
Coningbeg Lightship: installation of a siren
driven by Caloric engines;
Poer Head: completion of the steam
siren fog signal;
Galley Head: erection of the quadriform 1st
order gas light (new station, designed by J.S. Sloane, completed
1879).
1879
Installed sirens driven by Caloric engines on
two further lightships.
Commenced a programme of changing
lighthouse burners from colza oil to mineral oil, using Trinity
House pattern burners-programme completed in 1898.
Tuskar:
replaced the fog bell with an explosive fog signal.
Wicklow Head:
constructed road to a new route.
Walter Rock: Proposed erection
of a beacon.
1880
Established a lightship on the Barrels
Rock with a new lantern and rotation equipment.
Recommended and
prepared design proposals for replacing Copeland Island station with
a new installation on Mew Island; extensive upgrading of Tory
Island, Fanad Head, and Tuskar; and establishing a beacon on Muglins
Rock.
1881
Built the beacon on Muglins Rock.
New
lightship Torch built.
Calf Rock station demolished by a
storm-erected a temporary light on Dursey Head.
1881-89
Bull Rock: established a new station in place of Calf Rock
comprising tower with a biform hyperradial apparatus complete with
10-ring Douglass oil gas burners supplied by a Pintsch oil gas
plant, explosive fog signal, Keepers' and Workmen's accommodation,
and shore dwellings.
c.1882
Galley Head: constructed
additional dwelling and enclosure of link corridor.
Installed a
siren fog signal, engine room etc. on Shamrock Lightship.
1882-84
Mew Island: established a new station in place of
Copeland Island, comprising dwellings (rock and shore), tower, gas
works, and fog signal.
1882-83
Inishtearaght Rock:
replaced the single flashing light with a double flashing 1st order
apparatus.
Rathlin O'Birne: replaced the catoptric light with the
single flashing apparatus ex Inishtearaght.
1882-88
Installed enlarged gasometers at Mine Head, Hook, Wicklow, Baily, St
John's Down, Rockabill.
c.1883
Valentia Island: constructed
leading beacons.
Hook: constructed Principal Keeper's dwelling
and enclosure of gas yard.
Eagle Island: constructed new landing
and derrick
1883-89
Tory Island: built two new dwellings
and rebuilt the tower with a triform hyperradial apparatus complete
with gas works and 128-jet Wigham gas burners; also a fog siren
driven by Crossley gas engines.
c.1884
District Stores
(Dun Laoghaire): erected a buoy maintenance shed, jetty, and
extension to stores. 1885
Copeland Island: dismantled lantern and
tower.
Clare Island: constructed a new landing, road and bridge.
1885-88
Fanad Head: rebuilt the tower to accommodate a 2nd
order occulting oil light.
1885-90
Tuskar Rock: adapted
the tower to receive a new enlarged lantern to accommodate a biform
1st order oil light. Replaced the rocket fog signal with a cotton
powder explosive signal fired from a jib. Built four shore dwellings
at Rosslare.
c.1886
Blackrock Sligo: constructed
additional Assistant Keeper's dwelling on Oyster Island.
Dundalk:
constructed Keeper's dwellings.
Highland Rock: erected perch.
Pladdy Lug: erected beacon.
1886-87
New lightship Puffin
built.
1887
Carlingford Leading Lights: built shore
dwellings at Greencastle Co. Down.
1890
Blackrock Mayo:
built four shore dwellings at Blacksod.
Rathlin O'Birne: light
changed to revolving.
Baily: built two dwellings (Baily
Cottages).
1890-91
Rockabill: constructed new retort house
and additional gasometer.
1891
Poer Head: installed a
siren fog signal driven by a pair of Priestman oil engines and air
compressors. Constructed additional dwelling and engine house.
Blackrock Mayo: improvements to south-east landing.
1891-92
Collaborated with the Engineers to Trinity House and Northern Lights
in a series of elaborate experiments to ascertain the exact
intensity of every type of burner and optic apparatus used in the
three Services expressed by a Pyre of one thousand candles).
Resulting from these trials the Admiralty List of Lights was
henceforth able to list the power of each light.
1891-93
St John's Point Down: increased the height of the tower to 106 feet
to accommodate a triform 1st order revolving optic complete with
Douglass gas burners. Enlarged the gas plant. Installed a siren fog
signal driven by Crossley gas engines. Built two additional
dwellings.
1892
Blackrock Sligo: replaced the catoptric
light with a 4th order fixed optic complete with oil wick. Oyster
Island: disestablished the south station and demolished the tower;
demolished the north tower and re-erected it further north.
1893
Kinsale: constructed an additional dwelling.
1893-94
Baily: constructed additional gasometer, new gas works and plant.
Two new lightships Shearwater and Guillimot built.
1894
Hook: constructed additional dwelling.
1894-95
Tuskar:
installed a submarine cable operated by the GPO to enhance shipping
notification and life saving response.
Eagle Island Lower station
wrecked in a storm necessitating demolition.
Eagle Island Upper
station converted from a catoptric light to a 1st order occulting
light.
1895
Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) East: raised the
tower, re-erected the lantern, and installed a double flashing 3rd
order optic with four-wick Douglass oil burner.
Kingstown West:
installed a new lantern to house a 6th order fixed optic with
one-wick oil burner.
1895-96
Loophead: constructed an
additional dwelling.
1896
Roches Point: installed a new
siren fog signal; constructed an additional dwelling and engine
house, air receiver etc.
Slyne Head: disestablished and
dismantled the south station. Installed a new lantern to accommodate
a biform optic incorporating condensing prisms (the only Irish
Lights example) at the north station.
Fastnet: design work and
site preparation to replace the cast iron structures commenced.
Crookhaven: constructed an additional dwelling and base works
station for the Fastnet project.
1897-98
New lightship
Kittiwake built.
1898
Inishowen: installed a new siren fog
signal. Constructed an additional dwelling, engine house, and
increased height of tower, air receivers etc.
Mew Island: moved
the fog siren to balcony level, increased the capacity of the gas
installation and replaced the siren fog signal plant with more
powerful Crossley gas engines.
1898
Chaine Tower: light
installed and converted to lighthouse status.
Loophead -
additional storey added to the double dwelling block, explosive fog
signal established.
1899
Bull Rock: replaced the explosive
fog signal with a siren driven by Campbell gas engines; constructed
an engine house and siren house, air receivers etc.
Blackhead
Antrim: established a new lighthouse station comprising a tower
containing a 1st order optic with six-wick burners, a cotton powder
explosive fog signal, and three dwellings.
Eagle Island: built
four Keepers' shore dwellings at Corclough, Belmullet.
Valentia
Island: built eight shore dwellings at Knightstown for Skelligs and
Inishtearaght Keepers.
1900
Wicklow: constructed an
additional dwelling.
Poer Head: constructed an additional
dwelling.
1900-01
New lightship Seagull built.
See also:
Douglass Brothers Limited, Globe Iron Works, Blaydon
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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