Report for West Point (Washington) - 1910
| General |
| District: | 13th |
| Inspector: | Maj. J. F. McIndoe, Corps of Engineers |
| Location: | On W'ly extremity of W. Point, WA., E'ly side of Puget Sound & N'ly side of entrance to Elliot Bay. |
| Date of Report: | 02/28/1910 |
| Latitude: | 47° 49' 33" |
| Longitude: | 122° 26' 03" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchased |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 04/15/1881 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 4.9 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | 4 3/10 acres |
| Character of Soil: | Sandy |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 20' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Pasture, about 3 acres |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Landing on beach at station for small boats. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | Boats land on beach abreast of tower. |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By small boat from Ballard, WA., (3 miles) & foot path from Fort Lawton, WA (2 miles) to street car to Seattle, WA. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | 3 miles to Ballard, WA by water & 3 miles to Government Way entering Fort Lawton, WA. |
| Distance to Post Office: | Fort Lawton, 2 miles. |
| Distance to Village: | Ballard (Seattle) WA.,3 miles. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | Hire of small boat or launch from Ballard (Seattle) WA., 3 miles |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1881 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | New fog-signal bldg attached to tower in 1900 |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square |
| Form of Tower: | Square prism |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 25' 9" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 23 3/4' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Dark timbered background, E of light, skyline, N & S. |
| Color of Tower: | White |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Paint |
| Tower Connection: | Separate |
| Object of Navigation: | General local |
| Building Materials: | Brick |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 17" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 14" at lantern floor |
| Diameter at Base: | 10' 10" square outside 8' square inside |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 10' 4" square outside, 8' square inside at lantern floor. |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Iron ladder |
| Number of Landings: | None |
| Size of Glass: | 10" x 12" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 2 - 24" x 27" (8 lights) |
| Number of Doors: | 2 - 1 to watchroom; 1 to engine room. |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Gravel |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Gravel with thin covering of sandy loam. |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Can be protected by grass. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Site of tower should be heavily protected with stone riprap. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' |
| Diameter in the Clear: | 6' 6" |
| Number of Sides: | 8 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 3' |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 5/16" |
| Size of Plates: | 3' 1/8" x 2' 10" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | 1 fitted |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Wooden parapet, cast iron lantern bars (copper roof) brass & glass |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Copper |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Copper ball with openings around lower side. |
| Lightning Spindle: | Brass spindle with platinum tip |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 3/8" iron pipe with eye passed over spindle led down over gallery rail to ground above 2' off tower about 4' in ground. |
| Balustrade: | Iron rail - copper floor; gallery 12' 6" square. |
| Lantern Doors: | Wooden door in parapet fitted with mortise lock. Wooden trap door in floor hinged with handle on upper side. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Wood |
| Watchroom Doors: | Trap door in floor; door from workroom & engine room at base of tower. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 4.5" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 in parapet |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None required |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Hooks, riveted to pinching strips at angles. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Has water heater (Little Giant), 2 chairs, desk with drawers, 2 lockers fitted with shelves, 1 clock. |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | 3 hours |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | L. Sautter, Lemonnier, et Cie a Paris |
| Year Made: | No date |
| Marks and Number: | Name of maker & number of sections |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | 19 5/8" face to face of lenses. |
| Light Characteristic: | Flashing red & white, 10 sec intervals. |
| Time of Revolution: | 2 minutes |
| Flash Interval: | 10 sec. |
| Duration of Flash: | About 2.5 sec. |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | No fixed arc |
| Number of Panels: | 12 in main lens - 6 in upper prisms. |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 12 |
| Arc of Each: | 30 degrees |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 5 central with red panels |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 3 below each panel |
| 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: | Cast iron, old style, single column with wrought iron shelf attached to pedestal for supporting clock. |
| Service Table: | Small locker at base of tower top of which is used for setting lamps while fueling. |
| Draft Tube Description: | None |
| Revolving Machinery: | Revolving machinery is new style 4th order clockwork set on bracket attached to lens pedestal. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | Ball bearings. |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | 14' 6" |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | 3 hours |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | By glass case |
| Regulated: | By fan governor & by changing weight |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | By panels of red glass hinged to lens. |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | Hinged to lens |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | 4th order Vapor lamp, Funck Haines. |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2, 1 of each |
| Number of Spare Burners: | None |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | Direct from barrel on clock around single sheave on weight box to fastening |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Chariot Balls |
| Balls Description: | Ball-bearings are of 4th order pattern 4" dia., with V grooves. |
| Cage to Separate Balls: | False |
| Number of Balls: | 19 |
| Diameter of Balls: | 7/16" |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 1.5" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | 34 mm |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | 1 small locker fitted with shelves used for storage of lamps & chimneys. |
| Oil House Description: | 22' E of tower, no fittings. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 8' x 11' 4" |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Galvanized iron |
| Oil House Capacity: | 3240 gal. |
| Other (Describe): | Storeroom old fog signal bldg in rear of light. 3 closets each dwelling. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable. |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | 2nd class Daboll trumpet |
| Time to Start: | 20 min |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | No storage |
| Manufacturer: | Made at General Depot |
| Year of Manufacture: | Unknown |
| Characteristic: | 5 sec blast, 25 sec silent |
| Duplication: | Engines & Compressors |
| Timing Device: | Operated by sprocket chain from engines regulated by speed of engineer |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | |
| Height Above Water: | 13' 9" |
| Compass Direction: | 270 degrees |
| Location: | Attached to W front of lighthouse, marks W Point to protect shipping passing point. |
| Distance and Direction: | Attached to lighthouse |
| Water Supply: | Collected in redwood tanks from roof of fog-signal bldg & workroom (tanks 2000 gal) |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | Attached to bldg. |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Brick bldg plastered with cement & attached to tower. |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Compressed Air |
| Compressed Air Machinery: | |
| Kind: | Horizontal oil engines |
| Manufacturer: | Mietz & Weiss |
| Date Made: | 1908 |
| Nominal Size: | |
| Horsepower: | 4 |
| Compressor: | Double acting straight line horizontal |
| Compressor Manufacturer: | Clayton |
| Compressor Bed and Gear: | On same bed with chain drive. |
| Trumpet Signal |
| Trumpet: | |
| Trumpet Length: | 7' 10" |
| Trumpet Diameter: | 24" at belt; 6" at small end. |
| Trumpet Material: | Copper |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | E of tower |
| Coloring: | White with lead color trimmings. |
| Construction Materials: | Frame on brick foundations; rooms plastered |
| Number of Rooms: | 6 in each with garret & basement |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Woodshed, 2 privies, barn, boathouse & poultry house. |
| Outhouse Coloring: | White with lead color trimmings |
| Paths and Walks: | Cement walks from tower to & around dwellings. |
| Area Inclosed: | Whole reservation inclosed with wire fence. |
| Area of Garden: | None |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | None |
| Area Cultivated: | None |
| Character of Surroundings: | Soil, sandy with salt marsh E of dwellings. |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | Collected from roofs of dwellings |
| Quality: | Poor |
| Quantity: | Scarce in very dry seasons. |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | Filter wall in cisterns |
| Tank Capacity: | 20' dia., 6' deep |
| Tank Material: | Brick, cemented |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | By pump in dwellings. |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: | Cisterns btwn dwellings. |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Good |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | Swamp in rear of station breeds swarms of mosquitoes |
| Recommended Improvements: | Swamp partly on Lighthouse & partly on military reservation should be filled up. |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Boathouse, 12' 3 3/4" x 24' 3 3/4" on N'ly side of reservation about 300' E'ly from tower. 3 miles by water to Ballard, WA, 2 miles by path to Fort Lawton, WA. |
| Distance and Direction: | Boat house on N'ly side of reservation about 300' E'ly from tower. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Attics of dwellings should be ceiled as plastered & boatways should be renewed. Vapor lamp installed 7/28/1909 & lens thoroughly overhauled. 2 - 4 HP Mietz & Weiss horizontal oil engines substituted for 1.5 HP Hornsby-Akroyd vertical oil engines, 9/1908. |