Report for White Shoal (Michigan) - 1915

General
District: 12th
Inspector: F. J. Otter, Asst. Supt.
Location: On E'ly end of White Shoal, NE'ly end of Lake Michigan & off W'ly entrance to Straits of Mackinac
Date of Report: 12/13/1915
Latitude: N 45° 50' 30"
Longitude: W 85° 08' 08"
Premises
Site: Water site; 20' depth of water
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed:
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease:
Area of the Entire Site: 70' 7.5" x 70' 9" = 5097 sq.ft.
Area Inclosed: None
Character of Soil: None
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: Water site
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence:
Wharf or Landing on Premises: Iron ladder recessed in NE & SW side of concrete base.
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance:
Means to Reach Light Station: By means of boat, nearest post office at Mackinac City, 21 miles away.
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: Tower consisting of steel framework, with terra-cotta block construction; concrete base resting on timber crib & rip-rap stone foundation.
Number of Separate Lights: One
First Built or Established: Light est. Sept. 1, 1910, Fog Signal, est. Sept. 15, 19?
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:
Kind of Stairway and Steps:
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:
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern:
Shape of Lantern:
Diameter to Glass:
Diameter in the Clear:
Number of Sides:
Type of Bars:
Thickness of Bars:
Height Glazed:
Number of Plates in Height:
Number of Plates Each Side:
Thickness of Plates:
Size of Plates:
Number of Storm Panes:
Unglazed Side of Lantern:
What Bearings:
Construction Material Lantern:
Construction Material Roof / Cowl:
Ventilator / Cowl: Ventilator dome
Lightning Spindle: 30" copper spindle with 6" platinum tip
Description of Lightning Rod:
Balustrade: 1 at lantern room floor level; 1 at base of glazed portion of lantern; both aluminum
Lantern Doors: 1 aluminum door, glass upper panel, cast iron bronze hinges, lantern to balcony 1 copper covered door, glass upper panel, bronzed hinges & bolts.
Floor of Lantern: Cast aluminum
Watchroom Doors: Copper covered door, glass upper panel, bronze hinges & bolts from top of watchroom stair to lantern
Parapet Diameter:
Ventilators
Location / Number: 9 in parapet
Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: 1 travelling steel ladder
Curtain Hooks / Hanger: Spring roller hooks, fastened with bronze brackets


Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: With desk, 1 chair, steam radiator, toilet room with water closet, 1 cleaning table, concrete & steel floor, plastered walls & ceiling, wood trim finished natural; situated on floor below lantern.
How is Relief Called:
Where is Call System Led:
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus: 2 hrs 18 minutes
Intensity in Candles: 360,000 cp
Name of Maker: Barbier, Benard & Turenne, Paris
Year Made: 1910
Marks and Number: U.S. Lighthouse # 212
Order of Apparatus: 2nd
Inside Diameter: Bullseye to bullseye = 4' 7.5"; Long dia = 8' 6"
Light Characteristic:
Time of Revolution: 16 seconds
Flash Interval:
Duration of Flash:
Arc of Each Fixed Part: A revolving flasher, flashing every 8 seconds.
Number of Panels: 4; 2 circular glass panels & 2 metal end panels
Number of Flash Panels: 2 bullseyes in lens
Arc of Each: 74 degrees (Rad = 7' 2"; chord = 8' 3")
Number of Elements in Central Drum: 7 in bullseye & 15 rings outside of bullseye
Number of Prisms Above Center Drum:
Number of Prisms Below Center Drum:
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: Hollow cast iron cylinder, bolted to structural work in floor
Service Table:
Draft Tube Description: None
Revolving Machinery:
Standby and Description:
Chariot Float or Balls: Mercury float
Chariot Description:
Length of Drop Tube: 44' 9.5" long, diam. 13.5"
Clock Weight: 225 lbs
Length of Winding Time: 2 hrs 18 minutes
Drive During Rewind: Yes
Machinery Protection: With glass case in metal frame
Regulated: By friction governor
Lens Protection: Zinc
How Color is Produced: White light
Red Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description: 3rd order
Type of Illuminant: Mineral oil
Number of Spare Lamps: 2
Number of Spare Burners: 1
Candle Power:


Clock Cord Description
Revolving Cord: Wire cable cord
Size of Clock Cord: 1/4"
Length of Clock Cord: 98'
How Led: Through galv. weight flue
Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: 9.5" diam. 6 7/8" long


Vapor Oil Lamp
Number of Wicks or Mantels: 1 mantel (Type "A" outfit)
Diameter of Outside Wick:
Diameter of Mantel: 2 1/4"; 55 mm
Diameter of Circum Circle:


Mercury Float
Inside Diameter of Trough: 4' 9.5"
Inside Depth of Trough: 10 1/4"
Outside Diameter of Float: 11' 8 3/8"
Depth of Float: 10"
Weight of Mercury in Pounds: 400 #
How Often is Mercury Renewed: 50 # added 9/10/1912, to replace congealed mercury
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: 5 with wood nails & hooks for clothes; 2 for engine supplies; 2 for miscellaneous supplies, such as provisions, etc. Total 9.
Oil House Description: Oil room on 2nd floor, not fitted
Oil House Inside Dimension: Area 1/2 circle, 15' 5" rad., height 6' 2" diam.
Oil House Construction Material: Concrete floor & ceiling, plaster on ceiling & brick lining of wall.
Oil House Capacity: Est. 500, on acct of shape of room & space req. for handling.
Other (Describe): 1 cook's storeroom on 2nd floor fitted with shelves; 1 supply storeroom on 1st floor, fitted with shelves; both used as stated.
Suitability: Dry & suited to purpose for which they were designed & are now used.
Fog Signal General
Fog Signal Kind: 10" Compressed air whistle
Time to Start: 3 minutes
How Long Will Pressure Last: 5 minutes
Manufacturer:
Year of Manufacture:
Characteristic: 2.5 sec blast, silent interval 18 sec, 2.5 sec. blast, silent interval 37 sec.
Duplication: All parts, except whistle, but spare 1 is at station.
Timing Device: Crosby Automatics in duplicate
If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: Whistle 90# pressure
Height Above Water: 45'
Compass Direction:
Location: Whistle extends 25' beyond walls of structure on structural steel platform, 45' above water, on E'ly side of shoal, & marks turning point of deep channel.
Distance and Direction: Whistle app. on 1st floor & plat. proj. from S 18'
Water Supply: Obtained from well sunk through outer foundation (18' long)
Reached from Lighthouse: Pumped from well to fixtures in lighthouse.
Description of Fog Signal Building: Fog signal machinery & engines are located on 1st floor of tower in room on NW side.
Pressure And Recording Gauge:
Internal Combustion Signal
Fog Signal Kind:
Internal Combustion Kind: Oil engines in duplicate bore 12.5"; stroke 18"
Internal Combustion Manufacturer: Fairbanks Morse & Co., Beloit, WI
Internal Combustion Date: Nov. 1912
Internal Combustion Size: 12.5" bore, 18" stroke
Internal Combustion Horsepower: 40; 200 RPM, Type N
Internal Combustion Fuel: Mineral oil
Internal Combustion Starter: Various methods, inc compressed air
Compressor Maker: Fairbanks, Morse & Co., Nov 1912
Compressor Seat: Same bed & geared with engines (herringbone gears)
Compressor Machinery: Single stage compressor 10" x 12" cylinder, 140 RPM del. 152 c ft of freer air per minute at engine rev. of 200 rpm
Compressor Diameter:
Compressor Stroke:
Compressor RPMs:
Character of Air Inlet:
Kind of Unloader:
Diameter of Delivery Pipe:


Whistle Signal
Whistle Diameter: 10"
Whistle Height: 16.5"
Whistle Orifice: 2.5"
Whistle Tone: Single
Whistle Chime:
Dwelling
Location: Dwelling inside of & part of lantern
Coloring:
Construction Materials:
Number of Rooms: There are 8 rooms contained in 3rd - 6th floors.
Number of Dwellings:
Heating Plant:
Number of Keepers: 1 Keeper, 3 assistant keepers
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses: None
Outhouse Coloring:
Paths and Walks: None, Isolated pier
Area Inclosed:
Area of Garden:
Area Timber or Shrubbery:
Cultivation Area Available: None
Area Cultivated: None
Character of Surroundings: Surrounded by water
Stove, Maker: Arcadian Malleable Range Co. Milwaukee, WI
Stove, Size: A
Sink, Maker: Std. enamelled iron, maker unknown
Sink, Size: 20" x 28"
Pump, Maker: Fairbanks Morse & Co. Beloit, WI Power pump
Pump, Size: Vert. eng. 2 HP 400 RPM gear connected to F&M 3" x 5" horiz. pump
Lamps: 4 hand lamps, US make, 4 improved table lamps US make with 5th order burner.
Water
How Procured: From well sunk in concrete foundation
Quality: Excellent
Quantity: Ample
Injury Possible: Not liable to be injured by inroads of storm, tides & seas
Purity Precaution: More adequate & convenient provision should be made for thorough cleaning of pressure tanks at reg. intervals.
Tank Capacity:
Tank Material:
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description: Well sunk through concrete base, depth 16' below basement floor
Well Diameter: 3'
Well Lining: Concrete walls
Pump or Bucket: Power pump system
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling: Located in basement of tower.
Healthfulness
General Opinion: Good
Diseases: None
Prevalency:
Local Causes: No
Recommended Improvements:
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Means of access to lighthouse is by 2 iron ladders recessed back in walls of concrete base 1 on NE side & 1 on SW side; There is plenty of water, so small boats can come alongside concrete base of structure.
Distance and Direction: Pier of lighthouse tower.
Miscellaneous Remarks: There are 3 - 3 ton hand power pillar cranes installed on concrete pier; Mfr'd by Northern Engineering Works, Detroit, MI
Boats
Boat #1
Boat Number: 72
Type: Row boat
Length: 5' 2"
Width: 16'
When Built: Unknown
Date Harbored at Station: Aug 26, 1910
Sails: False
Suited to Work: Yes
 
Boat #2
Boat Number: 85
Type: Motor boat
Length: 7'
Width: 25'
When Built: 1911
Date Harbored at Station: June 15, 1911 (Draft 26")
Sails: False
Suited to Work: Yes


Power Boat
Engine Type: Gasoline
Horsepower: 8; 2 cyl. 2 cycle
Engine Maker: Kahlenberg; Shop # 73-D; 1911
Spare Coil: The Knoblock, Heideman Mfg., Co. "Quick Action" #143
Magnet: "Wizard" # 70412, Hercules Elec. Co., Indianapolis
Battery: 6 "Acme Rapid Fire" 3.5" x 8"
Propeller Diameter: 20"
Propeller Pitch: 28"


Miscellaneous
General Information:
Boats on Station: Boat passage in base of tower on 1st floor.
Supplemental Reports
Temporary Winter light, Acetylene
1915
300 m/m Light Vessel lens lantern modified to suit: for acetylene, located on top ventilator of Lantern of Tower. AGA single flasher, 1 cu ft. burner, 1 A-5C acetylene accumulator.
Characteristic: Flashing white, Flash 0.3 seconds duration every 3 seconds. 280 candlepower, 134' to focal plane.
This will show a temporary light for practically 6: Light was displayed Dec. 10, 1914
 
White Shoal Pneumatic Pressure Water Supply System
Aug. 11, 1913
System as originally installed in basement:: 1 complete Kewaunee System No. 11 with 30" x 8" Kewaunee Tank, cost FOB Milwaukee $74.25
Pump of outfit was hand pump, operated by vertical: lever handle (similar to that at Toledo Harbor Light Station)
Tank installed on basement floor in horizontal pos: & has hand hole for access to interior of tank.