Report for Cape Charles Light Station (Virginia) - 1909

General
District: 5th
Inspector: Major W.E. Craighill, C of E. USA,
Location: Smith Island, Seacoast of Virginia
Date of Report: 03/13/1909
Latitude: 37° 07' 22"
Longitude: 75° 54' 24"
Premises
Site: Purchase.
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed: 08/06/1892
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease:
Area of the Entire Site: 10 acres
Area Inclosed: 5 acres
Character of Soil: Sandy.
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: 1/8 mile
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: Board fence.
Wharf or Landing on Premises: No wharf.
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: Sandy, 1/8 mile.
Means to Reach Light Station: By boat.
Distance to Nearest Road: 4 miles to nearest public road.
Distance to Post Office: 6 miles.
Distance to Village: 4 miles, Brighton, VA.
Facilities for Public Conveyance: None.
Facilities for Private Conveyance: By boat from Brighton, 4 miles.
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Tower.
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established: 1827
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: 1895
Condition at This Date: Good.
Shape of Tower in Plan: Octagonal; iron skeleton tower.
Form of Tower: Pyramidal.
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: 190 feet.
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: 180 feet.
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Trees & dwellings.
Color of Tower: White, lantern black.
Color of Tower/ How Produced: By painting.
Tower Connection: Detached.
Object of Navigation: Seacoast & Chesapeake Bay, general.
Building Materials: Iron.
General Description:
Wall Thickness at Base:
Wall Thickness at Parapet:
Diameter at Base: 24 feet 5.75"
Diameter at Parapet: 12 feet
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Spiral, iron.
Number of Landings: 11
Size of Glass: 10" x 14"
Number of Windows and Size of Sash: 7, 46.75" x 24.75"
Number of Doors: 6
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: Concrete, 10 feet.
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: Sandy.
Soil Susceptibility: By grass.
Miscellaneous Remarks:
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: 1st.
Shape of Lantern: Polygonal.
Diameter to Glass: 12 feet.
Diameter in the Clear:
Number of Sides: 16
Type of Bars: Vertical.
Thickness of Bars:
Height Glazed: 9' 9"
Number of Plates in Height: 3
Number of Plates Each Side: 3
Thickness of Plates: 1/4"
Size of Plates: Top, 3' 9.75" x 2' 2.25"; center, 3' 3" x 2' 2.25"; bottom, 2' 6.75" x 2' 2.25"
Number of Storm Panes: 48
Unglazed Side of Lantern: None.
What Bearings:
Construction Material Lantern: Iron.
Construction Material Roof / Cowl: Cast iron.
Ventilator / Cowl: Iron.
Lightning Spindle: Copper.
Description of Lightning Rod: None.
Balustrade: Iron.
Lantern Doors: 2, wood, on hinges.
Floor of Lantern: Iron.
Watchroom Doors: Wood, on hinges.
Parapet Diameter: 6' 3.5"
Ventilators
Location / Number: 6, brass, in lower part of lantern.
Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: Iron.
Curtain Hooks / Hanger: Brass, screwed into frame.


Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: Wood floor, inside wall of wood, four windows, stove, cover built over head of stairs and door.
How is Relief Called: Telephones.
Where is Call System Led: To kepers' dwelling.
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus: 12 hours.
Intensity in Candles:
Name of Maker: F. Barbier & Co. Paris, France.
Year Made: 1893
Marks and Number: BF/99
Order of Apparatus: 1st order.
Inside Diameter: 6 feet.
Light Characteristic: Flashing white.
Time of Revolution: 1 minute.
Flash Interval: About 2 seconds.
Duration of Flash: About 1 second.
Arc of Each Fixed Part:
Number of Panels: 16
Number of Flash Panels: 9
Arc of Each:
Number of Elements in Central Drum: 19, 17 prisms in each panel of dark side.
Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: 18
Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: 7
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: Iron.
Service Table: None.
Draft Tube Description: Damper tube enters connecting tube, which is made fast to crown piece of lens. End of connecting tube, diamater 4", enters ordinary stove pipe, which is wired in position to crown piece of lantern.
Revolving Machinery: Clock work.
Standby and Description:
Chariot Float or Balls: Mercury float.
Chariot Description:
Length of Drop Tube: None.
Clock Weight:
Length of Winding Time: 12 hours.
Drive During Rewind:
Machinery Protection: In case with glass doors.
Regulated: By weight & governor.
Lens Protection:
How Color is Produced:
Red Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description: Plunger lamp, first-order, 5 wicks in burner.
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps: 1
Number of Spare Burners: 3
Candle Power:


Clock Cord Description
Revolving Cord:
Size of Clock Cord:
Length of Clock Cord:
How Led: From clock work over drum & wheel through watchroom floor to elevator shaft. Elevator not in operation.
Diameter and Length of Clock Drum:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: None.
Oil House Description: At easterly end of inclosure, between dwellings of 1st & 2nd assistants.
Oil House Inside Dimension:
Oil House Construction Material: Brick building fitted with shelves.
Oil House Capacity:
Other (Describe): Water-closets in rear of dwelling. Storeroom at easterly end of enclosure, near oil house, fitted with work bench & closets for keepers' supplies.
Suitability: Dry, suited.
Fog Signal General
Fog Signal Kind: None.
Time to Start:
How Long Will Pressure Last:
Manufacturer:
Year of Manufacture:
Characteristic:
Duplication:
Timing Device:
If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown:
Height Above Water:
Compass Direction:
Location:
Distance and Direction:
Water Supply:
Reached from Lighthouse:
Description of Fog Signal Building:
Pressure And Recording Gauge:
Dwelling
Location: Keeper's dwelling, 90 feet west;, 1st Assistant's 90' SE; 2nd Assistant's 90' east.
Coloring: Red, with brown trimmings.
Construction Materials: Lower part brick; upper, frame with sides shingled.
Number of Rooms: 11 in keeper's dwelling & 9 in each of the assistants'.
Number of Dwellings: 3
Heating Plant:
Number of Keepers: 1 each.
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses: 9
Outhouse Coloring: Brown.
Paths and Walks: None.
Area Inclosed: 5 acres, with board fence.
Area of Garden:
Area Timber or Shrubbery: None.Only a few scattered pine trees.
Cultivation Area Available: None.
Area Cultivated: None.
Character of Surroundings: Sandy.
Stove, Maker:
Stove, Size:
Sink, Maker:
Sink, Size:
Pump, Maker:
Pump, Size:
Lamps:
Water
How Procured: From roofs of dwellings.
Quality: Good.
Quantity: Ample.
Injury Possible: No liable.
Purity Precaution: Cisterns are covered & frequently cleaned.
Tank Capacity: About 5,000 gallons each; in rear of dwellings.
Tank Material: Brick & cement, wooden roof.
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description:
Well Diameter:
Well Lining:
Pump or Bucket:
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling:
Healthfulness
General Opinion: Healthy.
Diseases: None.
Prevalency: No.
Local Causes: No.
Recommended Improvements: No.
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Sandy road to high water mard; no boat houses, wharf or landings.
Distance and Direction: 1/8 mile, northwest.
Miscellaneous Remarks: