d. Although there was much, _very_ much, of risk, exposure,
danger, and trial connected with the erection of that building, there
was, in the good providence of God, very little of severe accident or
death. Yet that little must be told,--at least touched upon,--else
will our picture remain incomplete as well as untrue.

Now, do not imagine, with a shudder, that these remarks are the
prelude to something that will harrow up your feelings. Not so. They
are merely the apology, if apology be needed, for the introduction of
another "accident".

Well, then. One morning the artificers landed on the rock at a
quarter-past six, and as all hands were required for a piece of
special work that day, they breakfasted on the beacon, instead of
returning to the tender, and spent the day on the rock.

The special work referred to was the raising of the crane from the
eighth to the ninth course--an operation which required all the
strength that could be mustered for working the guy-tackles. This, be
it remarked, was before the balance crane, already described, had
been set up; and as the top of the crane stood at the time about
thirty-five feet above the rock, it became much more unmanageable
than heretofore.

At the proper hour all hands were called, and detailed to their
several posts on the tower, and about the rock. In order to give
additional purchase or power in tightening the tackle, one of the
blocks of stone was suspended at the end of the movable beam of the
crane, which, by adding greatly to the weight, tended to slacken the
guys or supporting-ropes in the direction to which the beam with the
stone was pointed, and thereby enabled the men more easily to brace
them one after another.

While the beam was thus loaded, and in the act of swinging round from
one guy to another, a great strain was suddenly brought upon the
opposite tackle, with the end of which the men had very improperly
neglected to take a turn round some stationary object, which would
have given them the complete command of the tackle.

Owing to this simple omission, the crane, with the large stone at the
end of the beam, got a preponderancy to one side, and, the tackle
alluded to having rent, it fell upon the building with a terrible
crash.

The men fled right and left to get out of its way; but one of them,
Michael Wishart, a mason, stumbled over an uncut trenail and rolled
on his back, and the ponderous crane fell upon him. Fortunately it
fell so that