Report for West Point (Washington) - 1881
| General |
| District: | 13th |
| Inspector: | Chas. F. Powell, Capt. of Engineers |
| Location: | On W'ly extremity of W. Point, WA., Admiralty Inlet. |
| Date of Report: | 12/03/1881 |
| Latitude: | 47° 39' 45" |
| Longitude: | 122° 25' 56" |
| Premises |
| Site: | |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 5.9 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | |
| Character of Soil: | A strip 100' wide around shore line is sandy, central portion, salt marsh. |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | 15' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | 2 sides of site enclosed with picket fence, 4' high - whitewashed - other side enclosed with dyke, across marsh |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | No wharf - a good beach landing for small boats. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | None |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By row boat from Seattle. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | Distance to nearest public road 2 miles. Distance to nearest steamboat landing is at town of Seattle, 7 miles by land, 6 miles by water. |
| Distance to Post Office: | 7 miles |
| Distance to Village: | Seattle - 7 miles. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | From Seattle, light station may be reached by row boats, distance 7 miles. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1881 - light exhibited for 1st time Nov. 15, 1881 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square |
| Form of Tower: | |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 21' |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 20' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Dark - hills covered with heavy fir timber |
| Color of Tower: | White |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Painted |
| Tower Connection: | Detached |
| Object of Navigation: | Channel - for general navigating purposes |
| Building Materials: | Brick |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 3' |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 15" |
| Diameter at Base: | 11' |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 10' 4" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Iron ladder |
| Number of Landings: | 1 |
| Size of Glass: | 10 x 12" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 3 windows in tower, size of sash 2' x 4' 5" |
| Number of Doors: | 2 |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Foundation is of brick, laid on a grillage of timber 3' below surface. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Sandy |
| Soil Susceptibility: | It is by both grass & shrubbery |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Tower is low brick structure, square in plan, with watchroom & oil room of brick attached. Site is a low flat sand spit extending 1/2 mile out into channel of Admiralty Inlet from its eastern shore. Central portion of point is salt marsh abt 2.5 acres. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | |
| Diameter to Glass: | 6' 8" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 8 |
| Type of Bars: | |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 36.5" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 36.5" high by 34 1/16" wide |
| Number of Storm Panes: | 1 |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Frame of iron - roof covered with sheet copper - parapet of wood |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Iron frame covered with sheet copper |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Sheet copper |
| Lightning Spindle: | Iron with platina point |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 5/8" round iron attached to spindle by loop - led down side of tower, 3' below surface of ground thence horizontally away from tower 20', thence down 4' to moist earth. |
| Balustrade: | Outside gallery is covered with sheet copper - balustrade of wrought iron. |
| Lantern Doors: | Trap door in floor of lantern hung with iron strap hinges & fitted with an iron pull. Door in parapet of lantern hung with brass hinges, & fitted with lock. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Floor of lantern is of wood - laid in 2 thicknesses of 1" grooved & tongued boards. |
| Watchroom Doors: | It is a wooden door, 4 paneled, hung with butt hinges & fitted with a lock. |
| Parapet Diameter: |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | In parapet wall |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Curtain hooks are of brass - fastened to upper part of lantern with screws. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | With shelves & lockers, table & drawers. |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | 2.5 hours. |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | |
| Year Made: | |
| Marks and Number: | |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | |
| Light Characteristic: | Flashing red & white at intervals of 10 sec. |
| Time of Revolution: | Revolves once in 2 minutes, showing alternate red & white flashes. |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | |
| Number of Panels: | 12 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 6 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 12 |
| 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 |
| Service Table: | Iron, attached to pedestal |
| Draft Tube Description: | None |
| Revolving Machinery: | Clockwork, propelled by weights. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | 13' |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | 2.5 hours. |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | By metallic case with glass panels. |
| Regulated: | By a "fly" wings of which can be set at various angles. |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | Red flashes produced by vertical panels of red glass, attached to outside of lens, & revolving with it. |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Hains mineral oil lamp, 1 wick |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | There are 3 lamps at station: 2 in use each night, 1 spare |
| Number of Spare Burners: | 4 |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | Perpendicular down thru lantern floor in sheet iron tube to floor of tower. |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | There are no closets in tower - but in watchroom, which is attached to tower, there are 4 closets & 4 lockers & a writing table with drawer. Closets are fitted with shelves & doors & used for storage of all supplies for light except oil. |
| Oil House Description: | Oil room attached to watchroom but separated from it by a brick wall. Entrance door being on the outside - it is fitted with shelves to accommodate the oil cans. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | The oil - mineral - is received & kept in 5-gallon tin cans. |
| Other (Describe): | Watchroom which is of brick & attached to tower is fitted with closets which are used for storage purposes |
| Suitability: | Dry & suited to purpose for which designed. |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | Bell - struck by machinery |
| Time to Start: | |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| Year of Manufacture: | |
| Characteristic: | Bell is struck at alternate intervals of 5 & 25 sec. |
| Duplication: | |
| Timing Device: | |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | |
| Height Above Water: | |
| Compass Direction: | |
| Location: | Fog bell located N & immediately in rear of light - W Point extends well into channel & being very low is a dangerous obstruction to vessels in thick weather. |
| Distance and Direction: | 50' |
| Water Supply: | |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | Plank walk |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Bldg is open framework structure in form of a frustrum of a pyramid - 18' square at base & 5' sq. at top. Small room is enclosed at top for protection of machinery. |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Keeper's dwelling located 200' N & in rear of lighthouse tower. |
| Coloring: | |
| Construction Materials: | Wooden superstructure on brick pier foundation. |
| Number of Rooms: | 5 |
| Number of Dwellings: | 1 |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 keeper & 1 asst. |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Wood room is under same roof & adjoining kitchen; Privy separated from wood room by covered porch 4' wide. |
| Outhouse Coloring: | |
| Paths and Walks: | Plank walks are laid from Keeper's dwelling to fog-bell structure & lighthouse tower & from dwelling to beach. |
| Area Inclosed: | Whole site is inclosed - about 2000' with a picket fence & about 350' by dyke. |
| Area of Garden: | About 2 acres is suited for garden purposes. |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | About 2 acres |
| Area Cultivated: | About 2 acres |
| Character of Surroundings: | Spit immediately adjacent is salt marsh. Highlands are sandy loam covered with fir timber. |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | W & B Douglas #2 closed spout; Gould #2 pitcher. |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | Rain water - from roof of keeper's dwelling |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | An abundance at all times. |
| Injury Possible: | Not liable |
| Purity Precaution: | It is rain water, stored in cisterns, no precautions have been taken to insure its purity. It is thought that washing the cistern out once in 2 years will keep the water pure. |
| Tank Capacity: | Cistern is placed near dwelling & has capacity of 6000 gals. |
| Tank Material: | Cistern - brick laid in cement mortar - top is covered with grooved & tongued boards laid on strong cross beams. |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Good |
| Diseases: | No prevailing diseases in vicinity |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | There is a salt marsh in immediate vicinity - but is not considered unhealthy. |
| Recommended Improvements: | No |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | There is a good boat landing on the beach - no wharf - boat house located on N side of spit on point & 100' from dwelling in NE direction. County wagon road runs within about 2 miles of station - distance to Seattle by this road about 7.5 miles |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Large qty's of driftwood brought down sound by currents & S'ly winds, are deposited on S shore of this point - which gives an unfailing supply of fuel for station. Tower, bldgs & illum'ing app. in good order. Station presents very neat & tidy appearance. |
| Tools And Accessories |
| Lantern Curtains: | 2 sets |
| Lens Covers: | 2 |
| Damper Tube and Key: | None |
| Spare Damper and Key: | None |
| Carillon for Overflow Pump: | None |
| Time Marker: | 1 |
| Gauge: | None |
| Spare Lamp Ready for Use: | 1 |
| Rod Lamp Ready for Use: | None |
| Curtain Hanger: | None |
| Heater: | Not req'd |
| Spare Lamp Cover: | None |
| Lamp Stand: | None |
| Mechanical Lamp Cords: | None |
| Revolving Machinery Cords: | Cords |
| Revolving Machinery Weights: | Iron - 5 - abt 60 lbs |
| Clutch: | Iron - 1 |
| Spare Fly Or Governor: | 1 |
| Gauge for Oil Cistern: | None |
| Feather Brushes: | 2 |
| Linen Towels: | 10 |
| Sponges: | 2 |
| Chamois Skins: | 3 |
| Scissors: | 2 pair straight |
| Chimney Filters: | None |
| Coupling Pliers: | None |
| Service Box and Implements: | 1 |
| Cleaning Materials: | Rouge, rotten stone & spirits of wine. |
| Keepers Aprons: | 2 |
| Wicks: |