The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and
Instruction, No. 333, by Various

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Title: The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, No. 333
Vol. 12, Issue 333, September 27, 1828

Author: Various

Release Date: February 17, 2005 [EBook #15087]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE MIRROR OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

VOL. XII, NO. 333.] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1828. [PRICE 2d.

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FIRE TOWER

[Illustration: FIRE TOWER]

Throughout Scotland and Ireland there are scattered great numbers of
_round towers_, which have puzzled all antiquarians. They have of
late obtained the general name of _Fire Towers_, and our engraving
represents the view of one of them, at Brechin, in Scotland. It consists
of sixty regular courses of hewn stone, of a brighter colour than the
adjoining church. It is 85 feet high to the cornice, whence rises a low,
spiral-pointed roof of stone, with three or four windows, and on the top
a vane, making 15 feet more, in all 100 feet from the ground, and
measuring 48 feet in external circumference.

Many of these towers in Ireland vary from 35 to 100 feet. One at Ardmore
has fasciae at the several stories, which all the rest both in Ireland
and Scotland, seem to want, as well as stairs, having only abutments,
whereon to rest timbers and ladders. Some have windows regularly
disposed, others only at the top. Their situation with respect to the
churches also varies. Some in Ireland stand 25 to 125 feet from the west
end of the church. The tower at Brechin is included in the S.W. angle of
the ancient cathedral, to which it communicates by a door.

There have been numerous discussions respecting the purposes for which
these towers were built; they are generally adjoining to churches,
whence they seem to be of a religious nature. Mr. Vallencey considers
it as a settled point, that they were an append