William Douglass (engineer)

Fastnet Lighthouse

William Tregarthen Douglass (1857–1913) was the Chief Engineer for the Commissioners of Irish Lights in the late-nineteenth- and early twentieth-century. He is responsible for a number of their designs of lighthouses and associated structures. He was a consulting engineer for lighthouse construction for several governments around the world.^[1] His father was Sir James Nicholas Douglass, and his uncle William and his grandfather Nicholas were also famous in lighthouse construction. William T. Douglass was Assistant Engineer to Thomas Edmond in the construction of the fourth Eddystone Lighthouse and then superintendent of work after Edmond was called to other work. William T. Douglass supervised the whole work of fitting up the internal arrangements of the new Eddystone LIghthouse, as well as dismantling and removing the upper portion of Smeaton's Tower, leaving the foundation intact.^[2] One of William Douglass's most impressive achievements was his supervision of the renovation and reinforcement of the Bishop Rock Lighthouse.^[3][4] He designed the second Fastnet Rock Lighthouse.

Works

• Fastnet Rock Lighthouse, County Cork (1897–1904)
• Blackhead Lighthouse Complex, McCrea’s Brae, built by William Campbell & Sons contractors between 1899 and 1902 to aid shipping in Belfast Lough, complementing a lighthouse at Mew Island (Copeland Islands), opened in 1884. Blackhead opened 1 April 1902 and was automated in 1975.
  • Blackhead Lighthouse, Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
  • Blackhead Lighthouse Superintendent House, which since automation is rented out to the general public.^[5][6]
• Round Island Light, Isles of Scilly

References

1. "DOUGLASS, William Tregarthen". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. p. 502.
2. Douglass, William Tregarthen (1884). "The New Eddystone Lighthouse, with Discussion". Minutes of proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. vol. 75, part 1. London: Institution of Civil Engineers. pp. 20–60.
3. Nicholson, Christopher P. (1995). Rock lighthouses of Britain: the end of an era?. Latheronwheel, Caithness, Scotland: Whittles Publishing. pp. 113–126. ISBN 1-870325-41-9.
4. Douglass, William Tregarthen (1892). "The Bishop Rock Light Houses". Minutes of proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. vol. 108, part 2. London: Institution of Civil Engineers. pp. 207–220.
5. Commissioners of Irish Lights webpage.
6. F. Pelly, “William Douglass – Designer of Fastnet Lighthouse” in Beam: Journal of the Irish Lighthouse Service. Vol. 33 (2004–05).

External links

• Works written by or about William Tregarthen Douglass at Wikisource