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Engineers have uncovered a 132-year-old message in a bottle hidden within the walls of a lighthouse in southern Scotland. The discovery was made at Corsewall Lighthouse, located at the northernmost tip of the Rhins of Galloway, the BBC reported.
This “once-in-a-lifetime” find is believed to be the first message in a bottle ever discovered inside a Scottish lighthouse. Written in quill and ink, the note, dated September 4, 1892, lists the names of three engineers who installed a new type of light in the 100-foot (30-meter) tower, along with the names of the lighthouse’s three keepers.
Ross Russell, a mechanical engineer with the Northern Lighthouse Board, found the 8-inch (20 cm) bottle while inspecting the lighthouse. It was wedged behind panels in a cupboard and out of reach. The team used a makeshift tool- a rope attached to a broom handle- to retrieve it. They waited for Barry Miller, the retained lighthouse keeper, to arrive before opening the bottle.
“My goodness, am I grateful for them doing that,” Miller said.
The bottle, made of coarse glass filled with tiny air bubbles, features a distinctive convex base that prevents it from standing upright. It is thought to have once contained oil. The cork stopper had expanded over time, adhering to the glass, while the securing wire had rusted away. To access the message, the team carefully cut and drilled through the cork.
Extracting the note proved challenging as it initially appeared too large to fit through the bottle’s narrow neck. Using a custom tool crafted from two pieces of cable, the team gently twisted the message free.
Dr. Miller, 77, recounted the moment he opened the bottle to BBC Scotland News, admitting his hands were trembling with excitement.
Corsewall Light & Fog Signal Station, Sept 4th 1892.
This lantern was erected by James Wells Engineer, John Westwood Millwright, James Brodie Engineer, David Scott Labourer, of the firm of James Milne & Son Engineers, Milton House Works, Edinburgh, during the months from May to September and relighted on Thursday night 15th Sept 1892.
The following are keepers at the station at this time, John Wilson Principal, John B Henderson 1st assistant, John Lockhart 2nd assistant.
The lens and machine were supplied by James Dove &Co Engineers Greenside Edinburgh and erected by William Burness, John Harrower, and James Dods. Engineers with the above firm.
The bottle was found by Ross Russell, Morgan Dennison and Neil Armstrong.
“The note was just sensational, I was just in utter amazement,” Ross said.
“Being the first person to touch the bottle after 132 years was just mind blowing.
“It’s a once in a lifetime find.”
