Report for Portage Lake Ship Canals (Michigan) - 1910

General
District: 9th
Inspector: Oliver G. Brown
Location: Portage Lake Ship Canals Light Station on the W'ly side of the cut to the Portage Lake Ship Canal. NW'ly shore of Keweenaw Peninsula.
Date of Report: 07/31/1910
Latitude: 47° 13' 41"
Longitude: 88° 37' 38"
Premises
Site: Purchase
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed: 03/16/1874
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease:
Area of the Entire Site: .91 acres
Area Inclosed: All
Character of Soil: Sandy
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark:
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: Premises entirely enclosed by white board fence.
Wharf or Landing on Premises: The revetment along W'ly side of ship canals used as a boat landing.
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: No road to landing.
Means to Reach Light Station: In summer by regular passenger boat from Houghton, Mich. or at all times by public road from Houghton, Mich.
Distance to Nearest Road: Public road runs in front of dwelling, 12 miles to RR sta. at Houghton, Mich.
Distance to Post Office: 5 miles to Oskar, Mich.
Distance to Village: 12 miles to Houghton, Mich.
Facilities for Public Conveyance: None except in summer.
Facilities for Private Conveyance: 12 miles by righ from Houghton, Mich.
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Tower.
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established: 1874
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: 1896
Condition at This Date: Good.
Shape of Tower in Plan: Square.
Form of Tower: Square Prism.
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: 49' 0"
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: 66'
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Wooded.
Color of Tower: Buff.
Color of Tower/ How Produced: Paint.
Tower Connection: Rises from dwelling.
Object of Navigation: Coast light & guide to W'ly entrance to Ship Canals.
Building Materials: Brick outside. Inside circular in plan. Plasted & whitewashed.
General Description:
Wall Thickness at Base: 12" solid brick-inner wall circ. & 4" thick.
Wall Thickness at Parapet: 12" solid brick-inner wall circ. & 4" thick.
Diameter at Base: 8' 6" square
Diameter at Parapet: 8' 6" square
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Circular cast iron stairs; pipe rail.
Number of Landings: None, just service room.
Size of Glass: 10" x 12"
Number of Windows and Size of Sash: 2 windows in service room. Each sash, 2'4" x 1'1.75"
Number of Doors: 1 wooden door leads from top of stairs into service room.
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface:
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: All sandy.
Soil Susceptibility: Some sand grass & trees grow here.
Miscellaneous Remarks: Tower & premises are in good condition.
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: 4th
Shape of Lantern: Polygonal
Diameter to Glass: 7' 0"
Diameter in the Clear:
Number of Sides: 10
Type of Bars: Vertical
Thickness of Bars:
Height Glazed: 3' 3"
Number of Plates in Height: 1
Number of Plates Each Side: 1
Thickness of Plates: 1/4"
Size of Plates: 27" x 40"
Number of Storm Panes: None.
Unglazed Side of Lantern: All sides glazed.
What Bearings:
Construction Material Lantern: Upper & lower parts of cast iorn, lower part lined inside with vert. wood ceiling.
Construction Material Roof / Cowl: 10 sided pyramidal dome of cast iron. Inside lined with sheet zinc. No lens protector.
Ventilator / Cowl: Cast iorn.
Lightning Spindle: Copper with platinum point.
Description of Lightning Rod: 2" x 1/8" copper strip is fastened to floor of gallery, leads thence down outside of tower into ground below.
Balustrade: Balustrade of 2 iron rails. Lower rail is 2.5" x 3/8"; upper is 2" x 5/8"; 1.25" stanchions with ball tops. Gallery floor of cast iron & square in plan.
Lantern Doors: Single fold cast iron door leads from parapet to outside gallery.
Floor of Lantern: Floor of cast iron. Has an iron trap door that leaads down into service room.
Watchroom Doors: No watch room
Parapet Diameter: 6' 7" inscribed.
Ventilators
Location / Number: 5 ventilators in parapet.
Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: None.
Curtain Hooks / Hanger: Hooks screwed to soffit.


Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: None.
How is Relief Called:
Where is Call System Led:
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus:
Intensity in Candles:
Name of Maker: Henry Lepautte, Paris.
Year Made: Not given
Marks and Number: None.
Order of Apparatus: 3 1/2 order.
Inside Diameter: 1' 1.75" from center to inside of central drum.
Light Characteristic: Fixed white.
Time of Revolution: Not movable.
Flash Interval: No flashes.
Duration of Flash:
Arc of Each Fixed Part:
Number of Panels: 4; opening 10" wide for door.
Number of Flash Panels:
Arc of Each:
Number of Elements in Central Drum: 7
Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: 8
Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: 3
Does Apparatus Revolve?: False
Is There a Revolving Belt?: False
Revolving Panels:
How Flash is Produced:
Number of Vertical Elements Panel:
Fixed Lens Covered:
Pedestal: Cast iron pedenstal bolted to lantern floor.
Service Table: No service table.
Draft Tube Description: A damper flue of Russia iron 2-1/8" diam. leads from top of chimney of lamp up through top of lens.
Revolving Machinery: Not revolving.
Standby and Description:
Chariot Float or Balls:
Chariot Description:
Length of Drop Tube:
Clock Weight:
Length of Winding Time:
Drive During Rewind:
Machinery Protection:
Regulated:
Lens Protection:
How Color is Produced:
Red Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description: Funck
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps: 1
Number of Spare Burners: 3
Candle Power:


Vapor Oil Lamp
Number of Wicks or Mantels:
Diameter of Outside Wick: 1 13/16"
Diameter of Mantel:
Diameter of Circum Circle:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: No closets in tower except small cupboaord in service room.
Oil House Description: About 75 feet W'ly from dwelling
Oil House Inside Dimension: 7' 2' x 5' 1"
Oil House Construction Material: Brick
Oil House Capacity:
Other (Describe): 4 closets in keeper's dwelling. 2 in Asst. Keeper's. Cellar under each dwelling. Barn also used as a store house.
Suitability: Dry & suitable.
Fog Signal General
Fog Signal Kind: No fog signal.
Time to Start:
How Long Will Pressure Last:
Manufacturer:
Year of Manufacture:
Characteristic:
Duplication:
Timing Device:
If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown:
Height Above Water:
Compass Direction:
Location:
Distance and Direction:
Water Supply:
Reached from Lighthouse:
Description of Fog Signal Building:
Pressure And Recording Gauge:
Dwelling
Location: Tower rises from double dwelling.
Coloring: Buff
Construction Materials: 1st story is brick; second story is frame & shingeled.
Number of Rooms: Double dwelling; 6 room in each.
Number of Dwellings:
Heating Plant: Steam heat. 2-22 S Ideal Arco Cast iron boilers. 3 colum radiators.
Number of Keepers: 1 keeper & family to each dwelling.
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses: Oil house, 1 privy, barn & boat-house.
Outhouse Coloring: All buff.
Paths and Walks: Board walks around dwelling & to all outhouses.
Area Inclosed: Entire property enclosed with board fence, whitewashed.
Area of Garden: None.
Area Timber or Shrubbery: None.
Cultivation Area Available: None.
Area Cultivated: None.
Character of Surroundings: All sandy.
Stove, Maker:
Stove, Size:
Sink, Maker:
Sink, Size:
Pump, Maker:
Pump, Size:
Lamps:
Water
How Procured: From well north of house.
Quality: Good.
Quantity: Yes.
Injury Possible: No.
Purity Precaution: Cistern under each dwelling with brick filter.
Tank Capacity:
Tank Material: Brick cisterns lined with cement.
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description: Brick lined well 20' deep.
Well Diameter: About 3'
Well Lining: Lined with brick.
Pump or Bucket: Bucket.
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling: 10 feet from keeper's dwelling.
Healthfulness
General Opinion: Healthfulness-excellent.
Diseases: None.
Prevalency:
Local Causes:
Recommended Improvements:
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Whole length of canal in front of premises used as a landing. Boat house sets on revetment & is 16' x 36' in plan. An opening in revetment froms the boat way. Road to lighthouse is public road to HOughton, Mich. & is aloways open & in fair condition.
Distance and Direction: Boat house & landing is on W'ly side of canal & on WE'ly side of dwelling.
Miscellaneous Remarks: