Report for Tortugas Harbor (Florida) - 1913

General
District: 7th
Inspector: W. C. Dibrell, Inspector, 7th Dist.
Location: Fort Jefferson, Garden Key, FL.
Date of Report: 01/02/1913
Latitude: 24° 37' 46"
Longitude: 82° 52' 50"
Premises
Site: Dwelling erected on ground under control of War Dept. afterwards transferred to Navy Dept. Dwelling burned Jan. 2, 1912; light changed to acetylene 9/1/1912 & keeper removed. Grounds no longer needed & abandoned.
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed:
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease:
Area of the Entire Site: 1/4 acre
Area Inclosed: Entire
Character of Soil:
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: About 125'
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: Iron fence (still standing; will be removed when needed elsewhere)
Wharf or Landing on Premises: Wharf belonging to Navy Dept. near the site.
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance:
Means to Reach Light Station: By boat - Key West, FL. about 60 miles. Navy tug makes occasional trips to Tortugas from Key West.
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: Sheet & cast iron tower standing on brick bastions of Fort.
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established: 1826
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: 1826 - changed to acetylene 1912
Condition at This Date:
Shape of Tower in Plan:
Form of Tower:
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball:
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: 67'
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Sky
Color of Tower: Brown
Color of Tower/ How Produced: Paint
Tower Connection: No dwelling
Object of Navigation: Harbor light & for local navigation.
Building Materials: Iron
General Description:
Wall Thickness at Base:
Wall Thickness at Parapet:
Diameter at Base:
Diameter at Parapet:
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Straight steps of iron. 1st flight wood, 2nd flight spiral concrete steps from ground to base of light.
Number of Landings:
Size of Glass: 10" x 12"
Number of Windows and Size of Sash: 2 - 2' 2" x 4' 3"
Number of Doors: 1
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface:
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse:
Soil Susceptibility:
Miscellaneous Remarks: Tower built on SE bastion of Fort Jefferson.
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: 4th
Shape of Lantern: Polygonal
Diameter to Glass:
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: 1/4"
Size of Plates: 27 1/4" x 36.5"
Number of Storm Panes:
Unglazed Side of Lantern: None
What Bearings:
Construction Material Lantern: Wood & iron
Construction Material Roof / Cowl: Cast iron
Ventilator / Cowl: Cast iron
Lightning Spindle: On ball
Description of Lightning Rod:
Balustrade: Outside gallery - no balustrade.
Lantern Doors: Iron, hinged, circular door
Floor of Lantern: Cast iron
Watchroom Doors: Trap door with iron ladder to lantern.
Parapet Diameter:
Ventilators
Location / Number: 4 in parapet wall.
Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: No - not necessary
Curtain Hooks / Hanger: No curtains used.


Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: With permanent closet - circular shaped watch room
How is Relief Called: None
Where is Call System Led:
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus:
Intensity in Candles: 710
Name of Maker: Henry LePaute, Paris
Year Made: No date
Marks and Number: None
Order of Apparatus: 4th o lens
Inside Diameter: 19 5/8"
Light Characteristic:
Time of Revolution: No
Flash Interval:
Duration of Flash:
Arc of Each Fixed Part: 360 degrees
Number of Panels: 4
Number of Flash Panels: None
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: By AGA single flasher K130
Number of Vertical Elements Panel:
Fixed Lens Covered:
Pedestal: Cast iron
Service Table:
Draft Tube Description: Funnel shaped iron conveyor 4" dia. Suspended from roof lining above top of lens.
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:
Red Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description:
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps:
Number of Spare Burners:
Candle Power:


Compressed Gas
Gas Container: 6-A50-AGA
Compressed Gas Capacity: 1062 cu. ft.
Compressed Gas Charge: 19 atmos.
How Supply Renewed: Substituting full containers.
At What Intervals: 10 months
Spare Containers: 3 at depot


Gas Light
Gas Light Kind: Acetylene
Gas Light Number of Burners: 1
Kind of Burner: AGA flat flame, 1 cu ft. (naked flame thru lens)
Candlepower Per Burner: 40
Total Candlepower: 710
Consumption Gas Burner Per Hour: 0.20 cu ft.
Total Consumption Per Hour: 0.213 cu. ft. incl. pilot.
How Gas Obtained: From tanks containing acetylene dissolved in acetone under pressure


Occulting Light
Characteristic: Fl. W 0.4 sec eclipse 1.6 sec.
Time Limit: Mechanism permits considerable variation in characteristic, but limits not known.
Eclipse Type: By valve (AGA flasher)
Size and Amplitude:
Axis Rotation:
Axis Relation:
Screen Revolution:
Screen Number:
Screen Time:
Screen Form:
Screen Mounting:
Screen Order:
Screen Date:
Valve Maker: Am. Gas Accumulator Co.
Valve Pattern: AGA K130, Dalens patent, sun valve
Reliability: Yes
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: 1 in watchroom for storing tools, spare parts, etc.
Oil House Description: None
Oil House Inside Dimension:
Oil House Construction Material:
Oil House Capacity:
Other (Describe): None, excepting in tower.
Suitability:
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Navy wharf
Distance and Direction: About 250' from tower.
Miscellaneous Remarks: