I have found another possibly interesting document in the
National Archives. The trouble is that search results have but a very brief
description of content. My latest find is dated 1912 and states :-
“Board of
Trade Harbour Department: Correspondence
and Papers. Lights.
Sanction for expenditure by the Commissioners of Irish
Lights for the provision of portable fire extinguishers at each lighthouse and lightship
under their jurisdiction.”
The document is 29 pages long, costs £29 to copy and may
contain only a mention of Cormorant as one of the many lightships and
lighthouses to receive a portable fire extinguisher. However, the last two
batches have been absolute gems, so I am taking a risk and ordering this
one. I suppose the best way to proceed
in an ideal world would be to go to the National Archives and examine what is
on offer, but Kew is over 200 miles away.
I think that will be all paper-wise until I can get over to the Public
Record Office in Belfast to have a look at the Masters’ Logs and Crew Lists for
Cormorant. At least I know what I am going to see.
I am on the trail of a contemporary Diaphone fog-horn,
but unfortunately, even if I get it, the working parts are missing. If anyone
knows where I might find some ……….
Two other small artefacts are still in situ – the side
door in the superstructure has a brass handle matching the little porthole I
mentioned in an earlier post ... (Photo)
...and the bow companionway door has a quaint little handle
which must date from at least the 1943 refurbishment. (Photo)
Meanwhile Simon is painting the kitchen a very nice shade
of grey. He was about to reinstate the skylight (Photos) but a sheet of
toughened glass turned out to be not so tough!
I know he’s my son, but I have
to say he has been very resilient in the face of some pretty low blows from
Fate!
David
No comments:
Post a Comment