Report for Robinson Point (Washington) - 1910

General
District: 13th
Inspector: Maj. J. F. McIndoe, Corps of Engineers
Location: On E'ly extremity of Robinson Point, E'ly point of Maury Island, WA.
Date of Report: 02/28/1910
Latitude: 47° 23' 20"
Longitude: 122° 22' 20"
Premises
Site: Purchased
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed: 01/29/1884
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease:
Area of the Entire Site: 23.61 acres
Area Inclosed:
Character of Soil: Clay with a few inches of vegetable matter
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: 10'
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: Boundary fence, fence around garden, fence around dwelling & poultry yard.
Wharf or Landing on Premises: Landing made on beach
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: No road required
Means to Reach Light Station: By boat, Tacoma, WA or Seattle, WA.
Distance to Nearest Road: Portage, WA., 4 miles by wagon road.
Distance to Post Office: 1/4 mile Maury, WA.
Distance to Village: Tacoma, 9 miles.
Facilities for Public Conveyance: Landing is made by launch carrying US Mail, at station & other steamers will land passengers if small boat from station comes off.
Facilities for Private Conveyance: Launch may be hired in Tacoma, WA.
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Skeleton tower carrying lantern
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established: 1885
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: 1907
Condition at This Date: Fair
Shape of Tower in Plan: Square
Form of Tower: Pyramidal
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball:
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: 25'
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Dark green timbered bluff
Color of Tower: White
Color of Tower/ How Produced: Painted
Tower Connection: Detached
Object of Navigation: For local navigation, turning point.
Building Materials: Wood, skeleton tower.
General Description:
Wall Thickness at Base:
Wall Thickness at Parapet:
Diameter at Base: 11' square
Diameter at Parapet: 7'
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Wooden
Number of Landings: 3
Size of Glass:
Number of Windows and Size of Sash:
Number of Doors: None
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: Gravel, sills set on surface anchored to posts set in ground.
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: Beach gravel
Soil Susceptibility: Swamp in rear covered with grass & small brush
Miscellaneous Remarks: Tower stands at extremity of point surrounded by water on 3 sides at high tide.
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: Glass shelter for lens lantern
Shape of Lantern: Square
Diameter to Glass: 22" square
Diameter in the Clear:
Number of Sides: 4
Type of Bars: Vertical
Thickness of Bars:
Height Glazed: 25"
Number of Plates in Height: One
Number of Plates Each Side: One
Thickness of Plates: 1/4"
Size of Plates: 21" x 26"
Number of Storm Panes: None
Unglazed Side of Lantern:
What Bearings:
Construction Material Lantern: Wooden frame, galvanized roof, wooden floor.
Construction Material Roof / Cowl: Galvanized iron
Ventilator / Cowl: Galvanized iron hood; no ball.
Lightning Spindle: None
Description of Lightning Rod:
Balustrade: Wooden rail
Lantern Doors: Set in with cleats
Floor of Lantern: Wood
Watchroom Doors: None
Parapet Diameter: 6' 8" square
Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: None. Watch kept in dwelling or in Fog signal bldg.
How is Relief Called:
Where is Call System Led:
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus:
Intensity in Candles:
Name of Maker:
Year Made:
Marks and Number:
Order of Apparatus: Lens lantern (old style)
Inside Diameter: 11 3/4"
Light Characteristic: Fixed red
Time of Revolution:
Flash Interval:
Duration of Flash:
Arc of Each Fixed Part:
Number of Panels: 4
Number of Flash Panels:
Arc of Each:
Number of Elements in Central Drum: 7
Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: None
Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: None
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: None
Service Table:
Draft Tube Description:
Revolving Machinery:
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 ruby chimneys
Red Sectors Description: None
Where Color Attached: Ruby chimney
Form of Colored Glass: Ruby chimney (lens lantern 1 day)
Lamp Description: Lens lantern, Funck Heap, 1 day
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps: 2 (1 lantern)
Number of Spare Burners: 1
Candle Power:


Vapor Oil Lamp
Number of Wicks or Mantels:
Diameter of Outside Wick: 1 1/4"
Diameter of Mantel:
Diameter of Circum Circle:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: None
Oil House Description: Oil stored in rain sheds on wooden platform off ground.
Oil House Inside Dimension:
Oil House Construction Material:
Oil House Capacity:
Other (Describe): No closets except in dwellings & storeroom in rear of fog signal room fitted with shelves.
Suitability: Dry & suitable.
Fog Signal General
Fog Signal Kind: 12" steam whistle with Economic Boiler No. 6
Time to Start: 45 minutes
How Long Will Pressure Last:
Manufacturer: Old style whistle & engine
Year of Manufacture: No date
Characteristic: 6 sec blast, 54 sec silent
Duplication: None
Timing Device: Fly ball governor No. 1, Gardner Governor Co., Quincy, Il.
If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: 55 lbs
Height Above Water: About 18'
Compass Direction:
Location: Marks extremity of Robinson Point & forms turning point for vessels navigating Puget Sound.
Distance and Direction: 34' SW
Water Supply: From rainsheds 60' x 40' with 2 cisterns
Reached from Lighthouse: By plank walk
Description of Fog Signal Building: 1 story frame structure with coal shed in form of an ell, all on brick piers.
Pressure And Recording Gauge:
Steam Signal
Steam Boiler: Economic boiler No. 6 Erie City Iron Works No. 36
Kind: Return tubular
Tube: Flue tube
Dimensions:
Length: 11.5' over all
Diameter: 36"
Tube Description: 18 - 4" tubes - 49" long; 30 - 3" tubes 96" long.
Steam Tube Diameter: 3" & 4"
Steam Furnace Kind: Flue box
Furnace Length: 42"
Furnace Width: 36"
Furnace Height: 24"
Steam Heat Surface: 297.20 sq. ft.
Steam Grate Surface: 10.5 sq. ft.
Number of Grate Bars: 18
Kind of Grate Bars: Mailers patent
Steam Fuel: Franklin, Pacific Const. Co. mines
Steam Safety Valve: Crosby pop
Steam Maximum Pressure:
Steam Working Pressure: 55 lbs
Steam Diameter of Smokestack: 18"
Smokestack Height: 36'
Drum Dimension: 4' 2"
Steam Drum Diameter: 26"
Steam Covering: Asbestos canvas covered
Steam Boiler Condition: Good
Steam Boiler Built: 1899
Where Built: Erie City, PA
Manufacturer: Erie City Iron Works
Steam Heater: False
Kind:
Size:
Heater Time Affect:
Steam Engine Kind: Old style horizontal
Steam Engine Revolutions: 90 rpm
Steam Engine Cyl. Diameter: 4"
Steam Engine Piston Stroke: 10"
Steam Engine Pipe Size: 1"
Steam Engine When Built: No date
Steam Engine Where Built: NY, NY
Manufacturer: Rec'd from Tompkinsville, NY


Whistle Signal
Whistle Diameter: 12"
Whistle Height: 32" overall
Whistle Orifice: 3 1/8"
Whistle Tone: Single
Whistle Chime:
Dwelling
Location: 2 - 1.5 story dwellings about 560' S'ly from light.
Coloring: White with brown roofs
Construction Materials: Wood with shingled roofs & inside walls plastered
Number of Rooms: 5 in old dwelling; 6 in new.
Number of Dwellings:
Heating Plant:
Number of Keepers: 1 each dwelling
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses: Barn & poultry house
Outhouse Coloring: White, brown roofs
Paths and Walks: Plank walk around dwellings out to fog-signal bldg.
Area Inclosed: Boundary fence along W line of reservation.
Area of Garden: 4/10 acre
Area Timber or Shrubbery: 9 acres
Cultivation Area Available: Garden & about 7 acres
Area Cultivated: Garden
Character of Surroundings: Clay & sand mixed with gravel beach
Stove, Maker:
Stove, Size:
Sink, Maker:
Sink, Size:
Pump, Maker:
Pump, Size:
Lamps:
Water
How Procured: From rain collected from roof of old dwelling & from spring abt 1000' from dwellings
Quality: Fair
Quantity: Ample for dwelling. At fog signal in dry & smoky weather, great care must be taken so supply lasts.
Injury Possible: No
Purity Precaution: None
Tank Capacity: 2 cisterns of 19750 gal in rainshed at FS bldg & 1 of 5150 gal cap at old dwelling
Tank Material: Brick, plastered with cement
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description:
Well Diameter:
Well Lining:
Pump or Bucket: Pump in old dwelling; New has gravity supply
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling: About 10'
Healthfulness
General Opinion: Good, Healthy
Diseases: None
Prevalency: None
Local Causes: Marshy land btwn dwellings & tower which is said to breed mosquitoes.
Recommended Improvements: If marsh were filled up, comfort of station might be increased.
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Landing made on beach at any point on reservation according to wind.
Distance and Direction: 40' at high tide.
Miscellaneous Remarks: Light tower should be reconstructed & furnished with a 4th order lantern inside which lens lantern can be placed or when oil engines are installed a combined light & fog signal bldg should be constructed. A gravity water system will be installed.