Report for Tucker Beach Light Station (New Jersey) - 1907
| General |
| District: | 4th |
| Inspector: | H. Bamber, Assistant Engineer |
| Location: | On Tucker Island, NJ inside of Tucker Beach, N'ly side of Little Egg Inlet, about 18 miles S'ly of Barnegat Lighthouse & 10 3/8 miles NE'ly of Absecon Lighthouse. |
| Date of Report: | 11/17/1907 |
| Latitude: | 39° 30' 22" |
| Longitude: | 74° 17' 08" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchase |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 08/13/1848 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | About 4 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | About 1 55/100 acres |
| Character of Soil: | Loam & marsh |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 175' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Board & wire fences |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | No wharf, small boats land on beach of cove, NE of lighthouse |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | No road |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By RR to Beach Haven, NJ & private conveyance from Beach Haven to 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: | |
| Number of Separate Lights: | |
| First Built or Established: | |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| 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: | |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | |
| Color of Tower: | |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | |
| Tower Connection: | |
| Object of Navigation: | |
| Building Materials: | |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | |
| Diameter at Base: | |
| Diameter at Parapet: | Lantern tower is square, about 10' x 10' (outside) |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wooden |
| Number of Landings: | 3, including 2nd & watchroom floor. |
| Size of Glass: | 15" x 24" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 3 double sash windows each sash containing 2 15" x 24" panes |
| Number of Doors: | 31 |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Brick, about 3' |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Loam & marsh. Lighthouse foundation stands on sand |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Soil is susceptible of being protected by grass, shrubbery & beach cedars |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Lighthouse stands at upper end of platted village of Sea Haven, which at present consists of a school house & few dwellings. Shallow arm of bay lies between lighthouse & ocean beach. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | From floor to glass, cylindrical, above this polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | About 7' 2 1/8" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 10 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | About 3' |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | About 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 10 plates, 2' 3 3/8" x 3' 3/8" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None. 4 extra panes lantern glass on hand |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Parapet wood, with outside covering of tin, remainder of lantern metal. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Lightning Spindle: | Iron |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 3.5" copper cone, tipped with platinum slips on top of pinnacle of lantern & a 1/2" copper wire cable extends from iron sill down rear of lantern & right side of lighthouse to ground connection consisting of 6" x 8" cast iron pipe filled with sand. |
| Balustrade: | Wood deck, covered with tin, protected by grillage. |
| Lantern Doors: | Wooden door, hung on hinges & fastened with common inside brass bolt. An Iron ring is stapled to back door just below bolt. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Wood |
| Watchroom Doors: | Wooden trap door in lantern floor, hung on common iron hinges & provided with an iron lifting ring. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 8". Parapet lined with vertical T&G&B strips having faces about 3.5" wide. Height above lantern floor to top of sill 4' 5" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 6" ventilators in parapet of lantern covered with brass registers. Hoods are tin. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Brass curtain hook in top of each lantern post. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Small closet in right front corner & small cupboard over stairs |
| How is Relief Called: | |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | 6 hours |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry LePaute |
| Year Made: | 1872 |
| Marks and Number: | "Henry LePaute, Paris, 1872" |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | 19 3/4" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed white for 1 minute, followed by 6 consecutive red flashes with 10 second intervals between flashes |
| Time of Revolution: | 2 minutes |
| Flash Interval: | 10 seconds |
| Duration of Flash: | About 3 seconds |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | 180 degrees |
| Number of Panels: | 8 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 6 |
| Arc of Each: | 30 degrees |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 6 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 3 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | True |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | Whole lens actuated by clockwork revolves on ball bearings. |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | 4 post, inclosing clock case. Stands on oak base 22 5/8" square & 9 3/4" high |
| Service Table: | None |
| Draft Tube Description: | Tin, diameter 3" lower end enlarged to diameter of 8" is set 5" above top of lens. Tube has 3 supporting arms in ventilators. No damper tube. |
| Revolving Machinery: | Clockwork in 4 post pedestal. About 120 pounds of weights are now used. Weights are cast iron, round, 7" in diameter. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | Balls |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | 15' 5" |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | 6 hours |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | By brass frame glass case. |
| Regulated: | By vertical 2-wing governor. Wings are about 1 1/4" x 1 3/4" |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | Pane of ruby glass in brass frame, mounted on outside of lens opposite each of 6 flash panels. Outside dimension of frames are 6.5" x 2' 6 1/16". Panes slip into tops of frames & are about 6 1/8" x 2' 5 7/8". |
| Red Sectors Description: | No sectors |
| Where Color Attached: | Ruby glass frames are attached to sockets on outer edges of ribs of lens. |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Standard 4th order |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1 (3 in all) |
| Number of Spare Burners: | |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | Wire cord |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | Vertically down from drum of lens through lantern floor into weight box. |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Chariot Balls |
| Balls Description: | Ball runways are flat circular surfaces, 3 3/4" in diameter. |
| Cage to Separate Balls: | False |
| Number of Balls: | 21 |
| Diameter of Balls: | 3/8" |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | Small closet in right front corner of watchroom, fitted with 3 shelves & used for lamp supplies, etc. |
| Oil House Description: | Round brick oil house, about 18' in diameter, is located about 28' SW of lighthouse. This oil house is base of old brick light tower. Inside diameter at floor level is 11' 11". Ceiling is 16' 3" above floor. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | 4 of bedrooms have a closet each fitted with a shelf & hooks & used for clothes. There are 2 cellars under lighthouse. An 8' x 12' frame storehouse on brick piers is located about. 32' W of lighthouse fitted with work bench & 2 shelves. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable, except cellar. Water stands in left cellar occasionally & in right cellar nearly all year. |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Lantern is on a double dwelling forming a lighthouse |
| Coloring: | White, with lead colored trimmings & green shutters, lantern & tower black. |
| Construction Materials: | Frame, brick foundation |
| Number of Rooms: | 11, beside watchroom |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Brick oil house, frame barn, frame boat house & double frame privy |
| Outhouse Coloring: | All outhouses except boathouse are painted white with lead colored trimmings. |
| Paths and Walks: | Boardwalks connect lighthouse with outhouses |
| Area Inclosed: | About 1 55/100 acres inclosed with board & wire fences. |
| Area of Garden: | About 5/8 acre |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | About 5/8 acre |
| Area Cultivated: | None |
| Character of Surroundings: | Ocean beach & salt marsh |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From roof of lighthouse by downspouts, into 4 cisterns |
| Quality: | Good, when properly cared for |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | Downspouts have been provided with cutoffs |
| Tank Capacity: | All under lighthouse. #1 - abt 1700 gals; #2 - abt. 1600 gals; # 3 & 4 abt 1610 gals each |
| Tank Material: | Brick |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | No prevalent diseases (Keeper) |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | No |
| Recommended Improvements: | No |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | On bay shore there is a frame boathouse on iron column foundation, provided with a hoisting winch. From boathouse there is a shell road to lighthouse |
| Distance and Direction: | Boathouse is about 1550' W of lighthouse |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | The general character & condition of premises etc. are fair. |