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By Rosemary
Dixon-Smith - 2 June 2005
On
10 April 1898 Head Lighthousekeeper at the Bluff, Frederick
STEPHENSON, wrote to Charles CROFTS, Engineer in Charge of
the Natal Harbour Works, to report "a serious accident
which happened about 4 p.m. yesterday whereby a man named
WILLS … fell from the top of the Lighthouse to the enclosure
below. He was immediately attended to by the Dr. of the Naval
Corps and removed to the hospital."
The 2nd
Lighthousekeeper, who was on duty at the time, had been asked
by four Naval Volunteers to conduct them on a tour of the
lighthouse and when entering the gate two civilians also came
running up and asked if they might be included. When in the
lightroom the civilians and some of the Natal Naval Volunteers
went outside on to the balcony, while the keeper was explaining
the workings of the light to one of the other men. There was
a sudden shout that a man had fallen over.
WILLS
had ascended the ladder leading to a small footway round the
lantern, used by the keepers when cleaning the glass of the
lantern, and fell from this to the ground, a distance of over
70 feet. He died in hospital at 9.30 the following evening.
Charles Crofts reported to the Minister of Land and Works
that WILLS had been employed in one of the shops owned by
Randles Bros & Hudson in Durban.
Picture
courtesy R Dixon-Smith
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The
Lighthouse and Signal Station on the Bluff, sometime
in 1890s.
<=
Click to view a desktop-sized enlargement of the picture.
(1024x768px.)
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From the
official Instructions to Lighthousekeepers, it would seem
that the keeper on duty had allowed six visitors to enter
the lighthouse at the same time, when three was the maximum
number laid down in the regulations - which were many and
detailed:
"The
lightkeepers are expected to conduct themselves with civility
to strangers by shewing the premises at such hours as are
convenient, and do not interfere with the proper duties of
their office, it being expressly understood that strangers
will not be admitted into the lighthouse after sunset and
before 10 a.m. No children under ten years of age to be admitted
into the lightroom at any time. No money or other gratuities
shall be taken from visitors on any pretence whatever. No
more than three visitors shall have access to the lightroom
at one and the same time. The lightkeeper must not on any
pretence whatever admit persons in a state of intoxication.
No visitors entering the lightroom shall be permitted to handle
any part of the Apparatus or make drawings thereof or to take
any dimensions unless he produce a written authority for so
doing from the Colonial Chief Engineer and on no account is
any visitor to be allowed to enter the lightroom or to remain
in it without one of the lightkeepers being present. No smoking
to be allowed by visitors within the lightroom, nor are they
to be permitted to bring food or liquor into the lighthouse
under any pretence. No dogs are to be allowed to enter the
lighthouse."
Whether
the unfortunate WILLS was "in a state of intoxication"
or merely succumbed to an attack of vertigo, history doesn't
relate.
The lightkeepers'
rules also mention that "a book shall be kept at the
lighthouse in which all visitors are to enter their names.
This book is to be under the charge of the Head Lightkeeper."
If that
visitors' book were to have survived, what a wealth of names,
from Durban and elsewhere, it would offer. Apart from this
volume, the Head Lightkeeper kept a daily journal, of which
a copy was sent to the Colonial Engineer every month, as well
as a report book in which remarks as to incidents which might
occur during the watch were noted as well as the times at
which the keepers came on and off duty. Sadly, none of these
records are still in existence.
Footnote:
for more on the history and daily running of the Bluff Lighthouse,
see my article "Keeper
of the Bluff Light"
©
Rosemary Dixon-Smith 2005
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