Report for Spectacle Reef Light Station (Michigan) - 1909
| General |
| District: | 9th |
| Inspector: | Ralph R. Tinkham |
| Location: | On the W'ly edge of Spectacle Reef, Mich., NW'ly end of Lake Heron. E'ly of Straits of Mackinac. |
| Date of Report: | 06/07/1909 |
| Latitude: | 45° 46' 23.64" |
| Longitude: | 84° 08' 15.97" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Tower on submarine site in 11 feet of water. Also Scammon's Harbor Reservation Fr. Secs. 9,10,15, T41N, R1E. Mich. Mer. |
| Date of Reservation: | 07/23/1874 |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | Concrete & stone pier 90' x 90', 8100 sq. feet. |
| Area Inclosed: | Entire pier inclosed by chain rail. |
| Character of Soil: | Built on rock bottom. |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | Tower stands in center of pier. |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Chain railing, single strand, supported by 46 pipe stanchions with cast-iron fittings. |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Land directly on pier. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By boat only. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | 19 miles to Cheboygan, Mich. |
| Distance to Post Office: | Cheboygan, 19 miles by water. |
| Distance to Village: | Cheboygan, 19 miles by water. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None. |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By boat only - tender or hired tug from Cheboygan, 19 miles on charted course. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower. |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1874 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | 1906. Entirely new concrete pier, steel fog signal house & boathouse were built. |
| Condition at This Date: | Good. |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Circular. |
| Form of Tower: | Conical. |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 79' 9" to base of ball. |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 86' 3" |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Clear horizon. |
| Color of Tower: | Gray tower; bblack lantern. |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Natural color of gray linestone; lantern - paint. |
| Tower Connection: | No dwelling. Keepers' living rooms are in tower, 3; 2nd, 3rd, 4th floors. |
| Object of Navigation: | Guide to Straits of Mackinac from E'd & between Straits & Detour Passage. Also to mark Spectacle Reef. |
| Building Materials: | Cut limestone, brick lining walls, arched brick floors carried by bulb beams of steel. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 1st floor level; 6' 3"; outer wall 5' 6.3" Air space 2" Inner wall 4" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 2'0"; outer wall 18", air space 2", inner wall 4". |
| Diameter at Base: | 1st floor level; 26' 0.5", Tower at base; 32' 0" |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 18' 0" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | 4 flights curved stone stairs, 2 flts, winding iron stairs in watch & service rooms. |
| Number of Landings: | Directly onto each floor, service room floor & lantern deck. |
| Size of Glass: | 12" x 23" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 9 windows; 7 - 4-lt. & storm sash; 2 - 2-lt. ; all casement with storm sash. |
| Number of Doors: | Main door from signal house. 1 from service room to main gallery. Also 10 interior iron plate doors with semicircular 2-lt. transoms to closets & stai |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Cut limestone on bedrock, 11' below surface. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Rock bottom. |
| Soil Susceptibility: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Inner diam. of rooms of tower 14'0" throughout. 5 floors below main gallery deck. Service room & lantern are about that. Scammon's Harbor reservation is shore station for Spectaclue Roof & was used a base during construction of tower. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 2nd. |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal. |
| Diameter to Glass: | 10' 1.5" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | 9' 7.5" |
| Number of Sides: | 12 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical. |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 8' 2" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | 3 |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | 3 |
| Thickness of Plates: | 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 32.5" x 32.5" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None. |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None. |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Wrot iron verticals C.I. base ring. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Copper dome, lined with zinc, with inching strip battens. A tin cone lens protector hangs over apparatus & beneath ventilator opening. |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Copper |
| Lightning Spindle: | Brass with platimun tip. |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 1/2" gaspipe leads from gallery deck down side of tower, through the concrete pier, about 7' into the water. |
| Balustrade: | Main gallery, circular 5'6" wide of CI plates; balustrade of three 3/4" x 2" flats, 1/4" round verticals & ornamental CI posts. Lantern gallery circular. |
| Lantern Doors: | None; a door in the service wall or lower part of lantern opens onto main gallery from which a winding iron stair leads to lantern gallery. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Of CI plates; extended outside to form gallery 22" wide. Lantern gallery rail of 1 3/4" x 2" flat bar & wrot iron stanchions. |
| Watchroom Doors: | None; an open stair well in lantern floor. From lower part of lantern to main gallery is a double 2-fold door. iron doors inside, wood doors outside. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 8' 6". Parapet or lower part of lantern is of limestone, circular & plastered inside. |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 3 in lower part of lantern. Tin cones outside & brass register valves insode. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None. |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | 12 curtains on rollers, raised & lowered by cords. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Is top floor of tower proper & immediately below service room or lower part of lantern. Fitted with glass box and cleaning table. Has clock, table & chairs. |
| How is Relief Called: | None. |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | Will run from 6 to 7 hours but apparatus is wound |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry Lepaute, Paris |
| Year Made: | Not given. |
| Marks and Number: | None. |
| Order of Apparatus: | 2nd |
| Inside Diameter: | |
| Light Characteristic: | Flashing alternately red & white. |
| Time of Revolution: | 8 minutes. |
| Flash Interval: | 30 seconds. |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | No fixed part. |
| Number of Panels: | 16 panels in centeral drum. 8 planels of prisms top & bottom. |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 16 |
| Arc of Each: | 22.5 degrees |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 1 bullseye & 12 elements, 6 above & 6 below. |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 18 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 7 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | True |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | Of cast iron, top polished, in form of hollow cylindrical drum 34" diam. 36.5" high, with 3 glass panel doors & contains revolving machinery. |
| Service Table: | Small wood stool used in upper part of lens apparatus which has a cast iron circular bloor woth rail upon which stands the lamps pedestal of 3 posts & top ring. This floor is supported on chariot & revolves with apparatus. |
| Draft Tube Description: | Of Russia iron 2.5" diam. above lamp leading to plaring Russia iron sleeve that connects to spider at top of lens proper. There is no tube leading from spider to ventilator ball. |
| Revolving Machinery: | Clockwork set below center of lens appratus on pedestal & connected by spur & bevel gears, vertical shaft & horizontal pinion to circular rack of revolving apparatus which rests on chariot wheels. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | On chariot. |
| Chariot Description: | There ar 8 wheels, 5" diam., running on top of pedestal. 2 sets of guide rollers (16 in all) 2-11/32" diam., 1 set of 8 guide charriot ring; other set guides lens ring. |
| Length of Drop Tube: | About 50 feet. |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | Will run from 6 to 7 hours but apparatus is wound |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | Inclosed inside pedestal. |
| Regulated: | By wing governor & by changing the weights. There is a double wing governor & also a ball governor. |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | By means of ruby glass screens fixed to outside of lens apparatus & revolving with it. covering alternate panels of flashing part of apparatus & completely covering the prisms above & below central drum. |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | To illuminating apparatus. |
| Form of Colored Glass: | Not inside. The ruby glass is mounted in bronze frames. There are 8 frames 25" x 34.5" covering the upper prisms; 8 frames 24.5" x 18.5" covering lower prisms. 8 frames 11.5" x 32.5" covering alternate flashing panels. |
| Lamp Description: | Funk's hydraulic float, 2nd order. |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2 hydraulic float tanks & apparatus in all. |
| Number of Spare Burners: | There are 4 burners at the station. |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | |
| Size of Clock Cord: | 1/4" wire rope |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | Wound on drum inside pedestal is led inside low box across floor of lower part of lantern; thence down through upper part of watchroom into drop tube which is built out into room. |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | 3 wick |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 2.75" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | 2; 1 in storeroom on 1st floor under stairs; 1 in watchroom over stairs. Also cabinet cupboard in kitchen, 2nd floor. |
| Oil House Description: | An oil cellar built in concrete pier on west side of tower. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 12' x 19' |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | Station supplied with 475 gals. 95 cans. |
| Other (Describe): | 1st floor used as storeroom. A provision cellar is built in concrete pier directly under boathouse, 18'3" x 12'0" in plan. floor 9' below surface of pier. 2 coal cellars, each 11' x 18' plan, 9' below pier deck, 8' headroom, connected by 4'x7' open doorwa |
| Suitability: | Suitable. |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | 10" steam whistle. |
| Time to Start: | 30 lbs pressure in 24 min., 40 lbs. in 30 mins., 20 min. with heater. |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | Rebuilt by B.A. Todt. |
| Year of Manufacture: | 1906, June. |
| Characteristic: | 3 sec. blast, 12 sec. silent, 3 sec. blast, 42 sec. silent. |
| Duplication: | All parts. |
| Timing Device: | Spur & worm gear operating cam. |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | Steam whistle at 75 lbs. |
| Height Above Water: | |
| Compass Direction: | |
| Location: | Marks Spectacle Reef. Located on same pier as light tower & anchored to both pier & tower. |
| Distance and Direction: | Anchored to tower on south side. |
| Water Supply: | Tank 5.5' diam. 4' high, cap. 712 gals. Also Penberthy CC injector. |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | On same pier. |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Steel construction 24'x26' plan. Concrete floor. Walls & ceiling are ceiled with 7/8" flooring covered with #26 smooth iron. Steel roof trusses, steel I & L framing. Walls 1/4" steel plates. |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Steam Signal |
| Steam Boiler: | |
| Kind: | Open bottom marine, design 1896. |
| 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 square feet. |
| Steam Grate Surface: | 21.25 square feet. |
| Number of Grate Bars: | 18 double bars 5' long. |
| Kind of Grate Bars: | Double, spade ends. |
| Steam Fuel: | Bituminous coal. |
| Steam Safety Valve: | Lever, 2.5" single side outlet. |
| Steam Maximum Pressure: | 150 lbs. |
| Steam Working Pressure: | 75 lbs. |
| Steam Diameter of Smokestack: | 20" |
| Smokestack Height: | 33.5' |
| Drum Dimension: | 5' long |
| Steam Drum Diameter: | 30" |
| Steam Covering: | Compound; asbestor, felt, paper, canva. |
| Steam Boiler Condition: | Good. |
| Steam Boiler Built: | 1906. |
| Where Built: | Detroit, Mich. |
| Manufacturer: | John Brennan & Co. |
| Steam Heater: | True |
| Kind: | Gurney 402 |
| Size: | |
| Heater Time Affect: | By about 30 minutes. |
| Steam Engine Kind: | Vertical |
| Steam Engine Revolutions: | 120 |
| Steam Engine Cyl. Diameter: | 4" |
| Steam Engine Piston Stroke: | 9" |
| Steam Engine Pipe Size: | 3/4" |
| Steam Engine When Built: | 1906 |
| Steam Engine Where Built: | Detroit, Mich. |
| Manufacturer: | Fulton Iron Works. |
| Whistle Signal |
| Whistle Diameter: | 10" |
| Whistle Height: | 18" |
| Whistle Orifice: | 2-3/8" to 2=11/16" |
| Whistle Tone: | Single |
| Whistle Chime: |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | In tower. |
| Coloring: | |
| Construction Materials: | |
| Number of Rooms: | |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | |
| Outhouse Coloring: | |
| Paths and Walks: | |
| Area Inclosed: | |
| Area of Garden: | |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | |
| Cultivation Area Available: | |
| Area Cultivated: | |
| Character of Surroundings: | |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From lake |
| Quality: | Good. |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No. |
| Purity Precaution: | No cistern. |
| Tank Capacity: | |
| Tank Material: | Steel tank. |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | No well. |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | Pump in fog signal house. |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthfulness excellent. |
| Diseases: | None. |
| Prevalency: | NO. |
| Local Causes: | None. |
| Recommended Improvements: | No drainage necessary. |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Boathouse on N side of tower 36' x 16' plan. Built all of steel; roof trusses I & L framing. 1/4" steel plate. steel doors. Door openings in each end are 9' wide by 8'6". 10' high to eves & stands over provision cellar. Boathouse painted white. |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | 2 pillar cranes located on NW & SE corners of the pier. |
| Hoisting Engines |
| Hoisting Engine Kind: | Double cylinder; double drum. |
| Engine RPMs: | |
| Engine Diameter: | 6.25" |
| Engine Stroke: | 8" |
| Engine Boiler: | Fog signal boiler. |
| Engine Maker and Date: | |
| Serial Number: | |
| Cylinders and Size: | |
| Horsepower: | |
| Fuel: | |
| Hoist Starter: | |
| Hoist Miscellaneous: |