Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
not going to inform Mackenzie that the signal was being shown so as not to forewarn
him,toallowafairertestofthesystem.OnceMackenziehadseenthesignalofhisown
accord, the new system and why it was being done that way, it would give him a better
understandingofthenewprocedure.Muirheaddidnotfeelthatitwasbeingparticularly
unfair to Mackenzie either, as basically what the signal was requesting was for the ves-
sel to come out just before its appointed time, bringing the relief keeper and returning
the other keeper to shore for his leave.
Itwasperhapsinevitablethatthedifficultiesinherentinmanualsignallingpushedthe
NLBintohavingtheFlannansbecomeawirelesssignalling stationoperatedbyLloyds.
An agreement was reached on the terms for such a station in November 1901 and ap-
provedbytheCommissioners inDecember1901.Itisdoubtfulwhetherthepresenceof
signalling/telegraph equipment would have made any difference to what happened on
the15December1900butatleastwithbettercommunications, thesinificance ofalack
of communication may have meant that the disaster may have been noted sooner.
The other issue that was occuring before, during and after the disaster in December
wastheproblemoftheNLBreachinganaccommodationoverfinalpaymenttothecon-
tractor, George Lawson of Glasgow, for the building work on the station on Eilean Mor
andtheshorestationatBreasclete.AlthoughworkfinishedinOctober1900,tenmonths
after the lighthouse became operational, the nature of the work and the difficulties of
bringing materials and men out to the island had led George Lawson to make a serious
underestimate in the calculations on which he based his estimate for the tender which
thathimthecontractforbuildingthestation.OnthedaythatMuirheadproducedhisre-
portonthedisaster(8January1901),DavidAlanStevensonwasalsowritingamemo
24
fortheCommissionersinwhichhestatedthatoutofatotalsumof£14,88911
s
Lawson
was asking for consideration of the sum of £2,517 1
s
8
d
(a sum adjusted by Steven-
sonfromthetotalrequestedbyLawsonof£4,08511
s
).Amongstothermiscalculations,
Lawsonhadseriouslyunderestimatedthefreightforcarryingmaterialsouttotheisland.
He had allowed a total of £300 against an eventual cost of £1,740 for the four seasons.
Another error made in tendering by Lawson was his assumption that fresh water, sand
andstonewouldbeavailableforthebuildingworkontheisland.Thiswasafterhisfirst
visit there in May 1896, but in the event,he had to arrange to carry all these items over
from Lewis, thereby massively increasing the cost and time taken. Masons had had to
be brought from hard stone districts including Aberdeen and Peebles, with their pas-
sages paid both ways. Stevenson stated that the miscalculations were understandable as
the Flannan Isles work was the most difficult undertaken of all the stations so far and
hefelt that calculating suchcostswasextremely difficult, recommending that theCom-
missioners at least have a meeting with Lawson to hear him put his case. Despite the
Commissioners looking to make a part payment of £1,000 to Lawson in recognition of
