Report for Buffalo Breakwater North End (New York) - 1909
| General |
| District: | 10th |
| Inspector: | Chas. Bartlett, Chief Clerk and Norris Works, Supt |
| Location: | On a crib behind N'ly end of old breakwater, S'ly side of main or N entrance to Buffalo Harbor. |
| Date of Report: | 02/03/1909 |
| Latitude: | 42° 52' 39" |
| Longitude: | 78° 53' 56" |
| Premises |
| Site: | US Breakwater Reservation |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 09/12/1900 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | Crib 40' x 40' = 1600 sq. ft. |
| Area Inclosed: | Not inclosed |
| Character of Soil: | None |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Hanging iron ladder on S'ly side of crib, bridge to breakwater & wooden ladder on side of breakwater. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By boat from Buffalo, NY. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | 3/4 mile to boat at Erie St., Buffalo. |
| Distance to Post Office: | 1 3/8 mi to Buffalo PO |
| Distance to Village: | 1 1/8 mi to Buffalo City Hall |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | 3/4 mile by boats from boat Erie St., Buffalo, NY |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Low tower projecting from roof of "quarters" bldg. |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1872 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | Tower built higher in 1899. Pier repaired in 1906. Superstructure of crib entirely renewed in 1885. In 1901, truss work beneath qtrs was inclosed & rooms partitioned off for fog bell striking apparatus & storage purposes. |
| Condition at This Date: | Poor |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Tower, 8 sides, quarters, square. |
| Form of Tower: | Right 8 sided prism |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | Top of crib to ball = 44.5' |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 53.5' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Dark bldgs & smoke of city of Buffalo. |
| Color of Tower: | White, black lantern |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Lead & oil paint |
| Tower Connection: | Tower rises from roof of "quarters" |
| Object of Navigation: | Marks N end of breakwater, S side of Main (N) entrance to Buffalo Harbor. Also serves Niagara River navigation. |
| Building Materials: | Quarters & tower of wood, lantern of iron. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 5 5/8" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 5 5/8" |
| Diameter at Base: | 9' 1 1/4" outside. |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 9 1 1/4" outside |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | 1 straight flight wooden stairs to landing, thence 1 flight wooden winding to lantern. |
| Number of Landings: | 1 intermediate |
| Size of Glass: | 10" x 20" - 4 lts each. |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 2 each has 1 sash 24" sq. & 1 sash 23" x 24" |
| Number of Doors: | 1 outside door to qtrs - 1 door at foot of stairs from qtrs. |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Wooden crib 40' sq. filled with stone, standing in 22' water & rising 13' above water, supports fog sig. house & inclined oak posts, 10' high (trussed together with tie rods) on which stands qtrs bldg, from roof of which rises the tower. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | None |
| Soil Susceptibility: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Entire station will require rebuilding before many years. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' 1.5" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 10 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 36" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 3/8" |
| Size of Plates: | All 36.5" x 26 3/4" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Wooden parapet, 6" thick, cast iron above. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Cast iron, lined with zinc. |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Lightning Spindle: | Iron pinnacle, about 12" long, on top of ventilator ball, with silvered point. |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 9/16" copper cable, looped about neck of ventilator ball, & running down NW face of crib, into lake. |
| Balustrade: | Wood, covered with galv. iron, pipe hand rail. Iron rod hand rail about lantern, just below glass. |
| Lantern Doors: | Small wooden door, under glass, in parapet, on SE'ly side. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Maple wood. |
| Watchroom Doors: | Door from quarters, at foot of 1st flight of stairs. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 5 3/4" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 brass, square frame, round revolving disc valves, in parapet. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Brass hooks screwed into lantern posts. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Quarters bldg: 18' 5.5" x 18' 5.5", supported 8' 6" above deck of crib, with balcony 3' 11" wide on all 4 sides, surmounted by tower & lantern. Space beneath is inclosed & divided into storerooms. |
| How is Relief Called: | |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry LePaute A Paris |
| Year Made: | Not known |
| Marks and Number: | |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th order dioptric, Fresnel |
| Inside Diameter: | 19 3/4" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed red |
| Time of Revolution: | |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | 360 degrees |
| Number of Panels: | 4 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 5 |
| 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: | 3' 1.5" high |
| Service Table: | Wood, over stairs. |
| Draft Tube Description: | Brass, 2 5/8" outside diameter, 2' 9" high, screwed to lens ring. |
| 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: | Ruby chimney |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | 4th order, high style, top of wick 14 3/8" above base |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 3 |
| Number of Spare Burners: | None |
| Candle Power: |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | 1 round wick |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 1.5" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | 1 closet in middle of stairs, below lantern, 4' wide, 7' 6" high, 4 shelves. |
| Oil House Description: | Wooden closet in room beneath quarters |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 8' 6" x 2' 3" |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | Room for 56 5-gal cases of oil. |
| Other (Describe): | Space under quarters divided into 2 rooms, 1 used for fuel for Fog Signal, other for fire wood, fog signal bell striking apparatus, paint storage & oil storage closet. |
| Suitability: |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | Roberts water tube boilers, Crosby Automatic apparatus, 10" steam whistle, all in duplicate. |
| Time to Start: | 45 min. in cold weather from cold water; 15 min. if fires were banked. |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | Roberts Safety Water Tube Boiler Co., Red Bank, NJ |
| Year of Manufacture: | 1900 |
| Characteristic: | 3 sec blast followed by 57 sec silent interval. If whistle is disabled, bell is struck a treble blow every 30 sec. |
| Duplication: | All steam fog signal machinery is in duplicate. |
| Timing Device: | Crosby Automatic Apparatus |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | 125 lbs |
| Height Above Water: | 34' 9.5" |
| Compass Direction: | S 57 degrees W = 237 degrees |
| Location: | Bell hung on SW side close to quarters. Whistle adjoins lighthouse on NE'ly side. Serves to locate N entrance to Buffalo Harbor. |
| Distance and Direction: | Adjacent on E'ly side |
| Water Supply: | Elevated iron tank, bottom 7' 4" high, 4' 6" dia x 5' high = 595 gal = 19 bbls. |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | Iron steps inside fog signal house, up to balcony above quarters. |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Bell hung in triangle of oak timbers. Clockwork is in room below quarters. Steam signal occupies 1 story frame bldg on E'ly side of crib, overhanging side 3'. Outside dim - 30' 6" x 16' 6". Corner posts about 13'. 2 windows on NW face, 3 on NE face |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Bell Signal |
| Weight: | 1,000 lbs |
| Metal: | Bell metal |
| Diameter: | 3' 1.5" |
| Height: | 2' 7" over all |
| Time: | 25 min. |
| Manufacturer: | Meneely Bell Foundry, W. Troy NY, in 1871; Clockwork by G.M. Stevens Co., Boston, MA |
| Weights for Operation: | 450 lbs, falls 5' 10" |
| Steam Signal |
| Steam Boiler: | |
| Kind: | Roberts Safety Water Tube Boiler |
| Tube: | Water tube |
| Dimensions: | Rectangular case - 4' 5 5/8" x 6' 4" x 8' 2" high. |
| Length: | |
| Diameter: | |
| Tube Description: | |
| Steam Tube Diameter: | 1" pipes |
| Steam Furnace Kind: | Flat grate |
| Furnace Length: | 60" |
| Furnace Width: | 43" |
| Furnace Height: | 18" |
| Steam Heat Surface: | 491.32 sq. ft. ratio 27.5 |
| Steam Grate Surface: | 18.92 sq. ft. |
| Number of Grate Bars: | 66 |
| Kind of Grate Bars: | Cast iron, 18 3/4" long, 1 3/4" wide, double bar. |
| Steam Fuel: | Bituminous coal |
| Steam Safety Valve: | 2" pop valve. |
| Steam Maximum Pressure: | Blows off at 125 lbs. |
| Steam Working Pressure: | 125 lbs |
| Steam Diameter of Smokestack: | 20" |
| Smokestack Height: | 39' 2" |
| Drum Dimension: | 5' long |
| Steam Drum Diameter: | 1' 3" - 2 |
| Steam Covering: | Plate iron case, with asbestos lining. |
| Steam Boiler Condition: | Good |
| Steam Boiler Built: | 1900 - Shop Nos. 1082 & 1083 |
| Where Built: | Red Bank, NJ |
| Manufacturer: | Roberts Safety Water Tube Boiler Co. |
| Steam Heater: | False |
| Kind: | |
| Size: | |
| Heater Time Affect: | |
| Steam Engine Kind: | |
| Steam Engine Revolutions: | |
| Steam Engine Cyl. Diameter: | |
| Steam Engine Piston Stroke: | |
| Steam Engine Pipe Size: | |
| Steam Engine When Built: | |
| Steam Engine Where Built: | |
| Manufacturer: |
| Whistle Signal |
| Whistle Diameter: | 10" |
| Whistle Height: | 1 - 20"; 1 - 21" |
| Whistle Orifice: | 2 3/4" |
| Whistle Tone: | Single |
| Whistle Chime: |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | No dwelling provided, when on watch, keeper's occupy "quarters" beneath light tower. |
| Coloring: | |
| Construction Materials: | |
| Number of Rooms: | 4 - kitchen fitted with stove & sink, sitting room, bedroom & pantry |
| 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 Erie - from steam pump for Fog signal, from hand pump for quarters. |
| Quality: | |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | Not liable |
| Purity Precaution: | |
| Tank Capacity: | In Fog Signal House - tank of boiler plate, 4' 6" dia x 5' high, cap. 19 bbls. Supplied by duplicate pair of Blake stream pumps, 3" x 2" x 3" dbl cyls |
| Tank Material: | |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | For quarters, by bucket from lake. |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | |
| Recommended Improvements: |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Keeper's boat is hoisted out of water on SE'ly side of crib, by means of "Strachian" patent boat hoisting apparatus. When ashore, boat is stored in US Engineer's Ferry Slip, opposite foot of Erie St., Buffalo River. |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Pier & quarters bldg are in poor condition. Station has been a "growth" & therefore not well planned, & whole place will require rebuilding before many years. |