Report for Watts Island (Virginia) - 1867
| General |
| District: | 5th |
| Inspector: | J.M. Berrien, Inspector, 5th LH Dist. |
| Location: | E side Tangier Sound, VA |
| Date of Report: | 10/10/1867 |
| Latitude: | |
| Longitude: |
| Premises |
| Site: | |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | |
| Area Inclosed: | |
| Character of Soil: | |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | No |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | |
| Means to Reach 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: | Detached tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| 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: | Brick, in good condition - whitewashed inside & out. |
| General Description: | Window frames of wood in good condition. Glass in very good condition. |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | |
| Diameter at Base: | |
| Diameter at Parapet: | |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wood in good condition & painted brown. |
| Number of Landings: | |
| Size of Glass: | |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | |
| Number of Doors: | |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | |
| Soil Susceptibility: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Keeper has a cow to graze upon the grounds. A regulation clock - out of order - kept in sitting room. |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | 1 ladder w/o hooks |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | No |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | |
| Year Made: | |
| Marks and Number: | |
| Order of Apparatus: | 5th |
| Inside Diameter: | |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed varied by flashes |
| Time of Revolution: | |
| Flash Interval: | White flash every 1' 30" |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | |
| Number of Panels: | |
| Number of Flash Panels: | |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | |
| 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: | |
| 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: | |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Lens of 5th order, w/ Franklin lamp. |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1, in good condition. |
| Number of Spare Burners: | 2, in good condition. |
| Candle Power: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | |
| Oil House Description: | |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | There is a closet provided for the preservation of utensils, wicks, chimneys and cleaning materials. Paints, oils, spirits of turpentine, paint-brushes, etc. are kept in a closet by themselves. |
| Suitability: |
| Condition |
| Lantern: | In good condition, new painted & paint clean. |
| Illuminating Apparatus: | Very clean & in good condition in all respects. |
| Service Lamp: | Clean outside & inside, glass chimney free from soot, smoke & stains. There was pipe & damper. |
| Oil: | Specimen of oil examined & found to be clear & clean. It had been filtered. |
| Service Lamp Burner: | In good condition in all respects, but burner had not been wicked for the night. |
| Service Lamp Burner Level: | Found to be level. |
| Plate Glass: | Perfectly clean & clear of scratches dirt & stains. |
| Lens Cover: | Was on & clean, made of ticking & stowed in lantern room when not in use. |
| Lantern Curtains: | None |
| Carillon or Alarm Bell: | None |
| Rod Lamp: | None |
| Dwelling: | Very good |
| Stairway and Landing: | Quite clean & painted brown. |
| Inside of Tower: | |
| Glazing of Dwelling: | In good condition |
| Improvements Needed: | None needed so far as is known. |
| Outhouses: | In good condition |
| Boathouse: | None |
| Grounds: | In good condition. They appear to receive all requisite attention. |
| Equipment Care |
| Does Keeper Understand the Use and Care of | |
| Lens: | No one is allowed to touch lens improperly. |
| Lantern and Trap Doors: | Yes |
| Watch or Trimming Room: | No articles of the kind to be seen at time of inspection. |
| Lucernes or Matches: | Lucerne lamp was in lantern room. Keeper's attention was called to the impropriety. |
| Heater: | No heater |
| Ventilation: | Keeper understands use of ventilators & how to air the bldg. |
| Dome: | They were so painted. Lightning rod was in good condition & led into the ground. |
| Oil Room |
| Oil Room Condition: | In good condition w/ no appearance of waste |
| Oil Carriers: | All in good condition & arranged in order for use. |
| Number of 100 Gallon Oil Butts: | |
| Number of 50 Gallon Oil Butts: | 2 |
| Number of Small Butts for Waste Oil: | |
| Number of Dripping Buckets: | None |
| Number of Oil Tanks: | 2 holding 100 gallons. |
| Oil Butts Made According to Regulation: | They are so made |
| Oil Butt Covers: | Gutters were not filled. Keeper was instructed on the subject. |
| Drip Bucket Placement: | There was a vessel at each drawoff cock to catch the oil. |
| Oil Butt Platform: | Are placed on a raised platform. |
| Empty Oil Butts: | No empty oil butts at station. |
| Tool Chests and Presses |
| Cleaning Materials Put Away: | Yes |
| Paints Separate: | Yes |
| Tool Chest: | No |
| Tool Condition: | |
| Tools Free from Rust: | |
| Closets Clean: | Yes |
| Service Box In Good Order: | Tolerably so |
| Trimming Scissors Clean: | Tolerably so |
| Brushes and Floor Clothes: | Yes |
| Lantern Condition: | Good |
| Keeper and Assistants |
| Keeper Appearance: | Was well dressed |
| Keeper Interested in Duties: | Yes |
| Keeper Capacity for Duties: | Yes |
| Keeper Understanding of Regulations: | Yes |
| Keeper Complaints: | No |
| Keeper Family: | Yes |
| Keeper Name: | George Prewitt |
| Keeper Age: | Middle-aged. |
| Keeper Present or Absent: | Present |
| Number of Assistants: | 1 is allowed |
| Assistants Attend to Duty: | He does |
| Assistants Capability: | He is represented to be so. |
| Assistants Complaints: | Was absent by permission of the principal. |
| Assistants Family: | Assistant & family live in upper part of dwelling; there is but 1 house. |
| Assistant Keeper Names: | N.P. Burriss, young, absent (at time of inspection) by permission of keeper. |
| Did Principal and Assistant Keepers Accompany the Inspector?: | Principal keeper attended me throughout inspection. |
| Account and Regulations Books |
| Account Books | |
| Daily Expenditures Posted: | Yes |
| Quarterly Returns on Hand: | Yes |
| Receipt and Expenditure Accounts Kept: | Yes |
| Shipwreck and Vessels Passed Book: | Yes |
| Regulations, Instructions, and Directions | |
| Rules and Regulations Copies: | 1 |
| Instructions and Directions Copies: | 1 |
| Placard Directions Copies: | 1 |
| Notice to Visitors Copies: | 1 |
| Summary of Duties: | 1 |
| Index of Instructions: | 1 |
| Guide for Mixed Paints: | 1 |
| Directions for Purifying Water: | 1 |
| Placards Easily Visible: | Yes |
| Books Easily Accessible: | Yes |
| Blank Books and Forms: | |
| Revolving Machinery Condition |
| Revolving Machinery: | In good condition; clock oil used for lubricating. Flashes every 1' 30" |
| Weight of Machine: | Yes |
| Screwjacks for Raising Machinery: | No |