Hastings Chronicle

On Wednesday 26 February “an important ceremony was carried out in connection with the Lift, now in course of construction on the West Hill, Hastings. It was the placing in the keystone in the first arch of the tunnel now being made at the entrance from George Street, the ceremony being performed by Mr E Smith, chairman of the West Hill Lift Company. The lift, in all, will be 500 feet long, and that portion which is to be carried by a tunnel under the hill, will be 350 feet, the tunnel being 20 feet wide and 16 feet high. Originally, it was intended that the cars should be worked by hydraulic weight, or water-balance, but owing to the length of the lift having been increased, it is intended to use winding gear of solid steel worm driven by gas power.” The lift had been lengthened because an inspector had said the summit of the lift instead of being approached down a flight of steps should come out above ground. To complete the tunnel, 15,000 yards of earth would have to be removed and three quarters of a million bricks installed. The preliminary heading was already 90 feet into the sandstone rock from George Street and the brickwork had started on top of the hill. The designer were Messrs Plowman, of Hastings, and the contractors Messrs Holme and King, of Liverpool and London. The ceremony was followed by a dinner at the Royal Albion Hotel, across George Street.