Report for Portage Lake Ship Canals Pierhead (Michigan) - 1910

General
District: 9th
Inspector: Olivar G. Brown
Location: On the end of the West pier at the entrance to Portage Lake Ship Canals, Mich. NW'ly shore of Keweenaw Peninsula.
Date of Report: 07/31/1910
Latitude: 47° 13' 51"
Longitude: 88° 37' 45"
Premises
Site: Originally leased site from Canal Co., Now pier is controlled by War Department.
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed:
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease: 08/22/1878
Area of the Entire Site:
Area Inclosed:
Character of Soil:
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark:
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence:
Wharf or Landing on Premises:
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance:
Means to Reach Light Station:
Distance to Nearest Road:
Distance to Post Office:
Distance to Village:
Facilities for Public Conveyance:
Facilities for Private Conveyance:
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Tower.
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established: 1879
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: 1895
Condition at This Date: Good.
Shape of Tower in Plan: Square
Form of Tower: Pyramidal.
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: 40'
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: 41'
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Wooded.
Color of Tower: White
Color of Tower/ How Produced: Paint
Tower Connection: By elevated walk way from dwelling through fog signal building.
Object of Navigation: Harbor light & guide into canal.
Building Materials: Skeleton wooden frame with upper part enclosed.
General Description:
Wall Thickness at Base: 8" x 8" posts with 6 x 8 braces.
Wall Thickness at Parapet: Upper part enclosed & shingled.
Diameter at Base: 14' square.
Diameter at Parapet: 10' square.
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Wooden strips.
Number of Landings:
Size of Glass:
Number of Windows and Size of Sash:
Number of Doors:
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: Tower rests on pier.
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse:
Soil Susceptibility:
Miscellaneous Remarks:
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: 4th
Shape of Lantern: Polygonal.
Diameter to Glass: 7' 1/2"
Diameter in the Clear:
Number of Sides: 8
Type of Bars: Vertical
Thickness of Bars:
Height Glazed: 3' 0"
Number of Plates in Height: 1
Number of Plates Each Side: 1
Thickness of Plates: 1/4"
Size of Plates: 2' 10" x 3' 0"
Number of Storm Panes: None.
Unglazed Side of Lantern: All sides glazed.
What Bearings:
Construction Material Lantern: Lower part cast iron. upper part wrought iron. Inside of lower part lined with iron ploates.
Construction Material Roof / Cowl: 8 sided pyramidal dome of cast iorn. Inside lined with sheet zinc. No lens protector.
Ventilator / Cowl: Cast iron.
Lightning Spindle: Copper with platinum tip.
Description of Lightning Rod: A 2" x 1/8" copper strip is fastened to balcony floor & runs down outside of tower into water below.
Balustrade: 2 rails are 1 3/4" iron pipe. Vertical stanchions of same material. Floor is cast iron & square in plan.
Lantern Doors: A 2 fold iron door leads from parapet to outside gallery.
Floor of Lantern: Cast iron. Has iron trap door that leads to wooden stairs below.
Watchroom Doors: No watch room
Parapet Diameter: 6' 7"
Ventilators
Location / Number: 4 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: U.S.L.H. Depot, Long Island, N.Y.
Year Made: Not given.
Marks and Number: None.
Order of Apparatus: 6th
Inside Diameter: 12"
Light Characteristic: Fixed red.
Time of Revolution: Not movable.
Flash Interval: No flashes.
Duration of Flash:
Arc of Each Fixed Part:
Number of Panels: 4 panels 1 of which is a brass reflector.
Number of Flash Panels:
Arc of Each:
Number of Elements in Central Drum: Only 1 centeral drum of 7 elements.
Number of Prisms Above Center Drum:
Number of Prisms Below Center Drum:
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 pedestal bolted to lantern floor.
Service Table: No service table.
Draft Tube Description: No damper flue.
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: By red chimney on lamp.
Red Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description: 6th order.
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps:
Number of Spare Burners:
Candle Power:


Vapor Oil Lamp
Number of Wicks or Mantels: 1 flat wick.
Diameter of Outside Wick: 1"
Diameter of Mantel:
Diameter of Circum Circle:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: 1 small cupboard in service room used for cleaning rags, etc.
Oil House Description: See description of Portage Lake Ship Canals Main light.
Oil House Inside Dimension:
Oil House Construction Material:
Oil House Capacity:
Other (Describe):
Suitability:
Fog Signal General
Fog Signal Kind: 10" steam whistle.
Time to Start: 35 minutes.
How Long Will Pressure Last:
Manufacturer: Whistle installed by B.A. Todt in 1895.
Year of Manufacture:
Characteristic: 3 sec. balst, 17 sec. silent, 3 sec. balst, 17 sec. silent.
Duplication: All parts.
Timing Device:
If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: Whistle at 75#
Height Above Water:
Compass Direction:
Location: Located on end of west pier & guide to entrance to canals.
Distance and Direction:
Water Supply: From lake to well 2' sq. plank curb to 2' below water. Tank 4.5' x 5', 600 gals.
Reached from Lighthouse:
Description of Fog Signal Building: Frame house 18' x 40', 12' to plates, Built ton 12'x12' substructure. Elevated walk through upper part. Building is covered with corrugated iron outside & lined with sheet iron insode. Roof is corrugated iron.
Pressure And Recording Gauge:
Steam Signal
Steam Boiler: Open bottom marine boiler.
Kind:
Tube: Flue tube.
Dimensions: 7'5" high.
Length: 6' 6.75"
Diameter: 4' 9.75"
Tube Description: 102 tubes 4' 9.5" long.
Steam Tube Diameter: 2.5"
Steam Furnace Kind: Internal
Furnace Length: 6' 0"
Furnace Width: 4' 3"
Furnace Height: 19"
Steam Heat Surface: 406 sq. feet.
Steam Grate Surface: 21.5 sq. feet.
Number of Grate Bars: 18
Kind of Grate Bars: Bouble bars, 5 ft. long.
Steam Fuel: Bituminous coal.
Steam Safety Valve: Lever, 2.5" single side outlet.
Steam Maximum Pressure: 150#
Steam Working Pressure: 75#
Steam Diameter of Smokestack: 20"
Smokestack Height: 33.5 foot iron stack.
Drum Dimension: 3' 9" long.
Steam Drum Diameter: 36"
Steam Covering: Compound.
Steam Boiler Condition: Good.
Steam Boiler Built: 1895
Where Built: Dayton, Ohio.
Manufacturer: Miami Boiler co.
Steam Heater: False
Kind:
Size:
Heater Time Affect:
Steam Engine Kind: Crosby automatic apparatus used in place of engine
Steam Engine Revolutions:
Steam Engine Cyl. Diameter:
Steam Engine Piston Stroke:
Steam Engine Pipe Size:
Steam Engine When Built:
Steam Engine Where Built:
Manufacturer: General L.H. Depot, Tompkinsville, NY.
Water
How Procured: Water supply for fog signal obtained by pumps & injectors from harbor.
Quality: Good.
Quantity: Ample.
Injury Possible: No.
Purity Precaution:
Tank Capacity:
Tank Material:
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description:
Well Diameter:
Well Lining:
Pump or Bucket:
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling: