Report for Cape Disappointment (Washington) - 1909
| General |
| District: | 17th |
| Inspector: | Maj. J. F. McIndae, Corps of Engineers |
| Location: | On SW'ly extremity of Cape Disappointment, WA |
| Date of Report: | 06/09/1909 |
| Latitude: | 46° 16' 29" |
| Longitude: | 124° 03' 11" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Public land set aside by Executive Order 12/27/1859 |
| Date of Reservation: | 10/03/1851 |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | About 9.37 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | About 1/2 acre |
| Character of Soil: | Clay & loam |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 170' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Garden ground around dwelling, also poultry yard. |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Landing made at Quartermaster's Wharf USA about 1/2 mile distant from tower. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | Macadam road about 1/2 mile long leading to wharf; plank walk. |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By steamer or boat landing at wharf or by team from Ilwaco, distant about 3.5 miles. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | County road leading to Ilwaco begins about 2 1/4 miles from station thence 1 1/4 miles to Ilwaco a total of 3.5 miles. Landing at Quartermaster's Wharf distant about 1/2 mile. |
| Distance to Post Office: | Fort Canby in Military Post distant about 1/2 mile. |
| Distance to Village: | 3.5 miles by road, 2 miles by water to Ilwaco. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None except by steamer to Fort Canby or by US Quartermaster tender |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By team from Ilwaco 3.5 miles or by launch about 2 miles. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1854; 1st order lens removed to N Head 4/7/1898; 4th order lens est. 2/17/1898 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | Workroom built in 1900 |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Circular |
| Form of Tower: | Conical |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 51' |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 233' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Dark timber & distant hills |
| Color of Tower: | White to watchroom, watchroom & lantern black |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Paint |
| Tower Connection: | Detached; macadam road & plank walk about 1300' long leads from tower to dwelling |
| Object of Navigation: | Seacoast & harbor light |
| Building Materials: | Brick cemented, watchroom constructed of iron & steel. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | Outer wall 17"; inner wall 12" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 28" at spring of arch of watchroom floor. |
| Diameter at Base: | 20' 10" outside, 10" inside |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 14' 8" at balcony floor |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wooden stairway to landing below watchroom, iron ladder to watchroom, iron steps watchroom to lantern. |
| Number of Landings: | 1 btwn ground & watchroom |
| Size of Glass: | 18" x 18" & 12" x 20" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 2; 1 - 27.5" x 44 & 1 - 21 1/4" x 44" |
| Number of Doors: | 4 & 1 trap door |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Rocky about 3' |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Clay |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Yes |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Site of tower is snall piece of ground just sufficient for structure & surrounded on all sides by Fort Canby Military Reservation. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 1st |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 11' 11.5" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | 11' 4" |
| Number of Sides: | 16 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 9' 4" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | 3 (Upper plates are in 2 pieces, but should be 1) |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | 3 (Upper plates cnted as 1 as there is no bar btwn |
| Thickness of Plates: | 3/8" to 5/16" |
| Size of Plates: | 24 3/4" bottom; 38 3/4" middle 2; 23 3/4" (should be 47 1/2) all 27 3/4" wide. |
| Number of Storm Panes: | 2 |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | Glazed all around |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Cast iron, steel, copper, brass & glass |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Sheet copper on steel frame |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Of copper with ventilating openings on lower side. |
| Lightning Spindle: | Of brass with platinum tip & screwed into socket on ventilator ball |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | A copper wire rope 5/8" dia. with eye pressed around spindle & led direct to cast iron pipe buried about 12" in ground about 60' from base of tower. |
| Balustrade: | Iron gallery & handrail at level of watchroom floor & around lantern floor an iron ladder connecting the 2 galleries. |
| Lantern Doors: | No door in lantern |
| Floor of Lantern: | Cast iron |
| Watchroom Doors: | None. There is an iron door in floor of watchroom fitted in an iron frame. |
| Parapet Diameter: | No parapet. Lantern glazed to floor. Watchroom corresponds to parapet & is 12' dia. |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | Sliding register at foot of each side of lantern & 2 circular registers in walls of watchroom |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | Portable wooden ladder with hooks for lantern rail on roof. |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | None. Curtains are rolling window shades operated by cords. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Locker for spare lamps, cleaning materials, etc., also small workbench attached to locker. Workroom at base of tower used as watchroom & fitted with locker in form of closet, a workbench with locker & drawers & hot water heater. Little Grant No. 16. |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | 2 hrs., 45 min. |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Barbier & Benard, Paris |
| Year Made: | 1896 |
| Marks and Number: | BB/109 |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | 19 3/4" inside faces of lens. |
| Light Characteristic: | Flashing alternately red & white at intervals of 15 sec. |
| Time of Revolution: | 1 complete revolution every 90 sec. |
| Flash Interval: | 15 sec |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | |
| Number of Panels: | 6 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 6 |
| Arc of Each: | 60 degrees |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 3 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 6 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 3 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | True |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | Apparatus consists of 6 equal panels, 3 are fitted with ruby shields & whole revolves. |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | Cast iron, center column |
| Service Table: | Iron shelf bolted to pedestal for supporting clockwork & small wooden table in lantern with drawers containing tools of lens & clockwork, towels, etc. |
| Draft Tube Description: | Umbrella over lens thru which a 4" sheet iron tube passes to ventilator ball of lantern. There is no damper tube for lens. |
| Revolving Machinery: | Clockwork geared to spur wheel on base of lens frame. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | Ball bearing |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | 35' |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | 2 hrs., 45 min. |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | Glass case |
| Regulated: | By fan governor the angle of fan being adjustable. |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | Red flashes produced by ruby glass panels attached to outside of lens |
| Red Sectors Description: | None, red flashes pass around horizon. |
| Where Color Attached: | Hinged to frame of lens, alternate panels, size of glass 12 15/16" x 28" by scant 3/16" |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Funck Heap 4th order |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2, 1 of each kind |
| Number of Spare Burners: | None |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | Thru lantern floor over traveling sheave to swiveling sheave in center of sub pedestal thence thru hollow newels of tower stairway to floor of tower. |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Chariot Balls |
| Balls Description: | Ball bearings are of std 4th order pattern 4" dia. with V grooves |
| Cage to Separate Balls: | False |
| Number of Balls: | 19 |
| Diameter of Balls: | 1/2" |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 1 1/4" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | 34 mm |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | None in tower - 1 in workroom at base of tower fitted with shelf & hooks & used for storage of brooms, brushes, etc. |
| Oil House Description: | 38' N'ly from tower divided by cross partition |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 8' x 11' 4" |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Iron, wood & cement |
| Oil House Capacity: | 1620 gal oil, 1/2 being used for fuel |
| Other (Describe): | No closets except in workroom & dwelling. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable. |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | About 1/4 mile NE'ly from tower. |
| Coloring: | White with gray trimmings & black roofs. |
| Construction Materials: | Brick basement walls, frame superstructure, shingled roofs inside walls lathed & plastered. |
| Number of Rooms: | 7, exclusive of basement & garret |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Woodsheds attached to dwellings, barn, poultry house |
| Outhouse Coloring: | White, with brown roofs. |
| Paths and Walks: | Cement walks around dwellings. Plank walk to tower & wharf |
| Area Inclosed: | About 1/2 acre around dwelling enclosed by picket fence |
| Area of Garden: | About 1/8 acre |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | About 8 acres |
| Cultivation Area Available: | About 1 acre |
| Area Cultivated: | About 1/4 acre |
| Character of Surroundings: | Clay soil, sandy beaches with swamp in rear of barn, basaltic rock underlying all. Woods consists of spruce & alder. Grounds are stable. |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | Rain water collected from roofs |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No danger |
| Purity Precaution: | Water in cistern filtered thru brick walls. |
| Tank Capacity: | 2 cisterns, 10,500 gal each, 20' from dwelling; 1 - 6000 gal tank at barn` |
| Tank Material: | Cisterns of brick, cemented. Tank at barn, redwood. |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | Water from cisterns 11' deep |
| Well Diameter: | 13' |
| Well Lining: | Cemented |
| Pump or Bucket: | By pump in kitchen about 20' from cistern |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: | 20' |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Locality is healthy one |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | No |
| Local Causes: | No |
| Recommended Improvements: | No. Draining from dwellings is carried by vitrified sewer down to bay in front of Fort Canby. |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | US Quartermaster's wharf at Fort Canby about 1/2 mile from tower. Ilwaco about 3.5 miles. Lighthouse plank road about 2 miles, military road about 1/4 mile. County road about 1 1/4 miles. Lighthouse plank road connects Cape Disappointment & N Head Light. |
| Distance and Direction: | Fort Canby wharf about 1/2 mile NE'ly from tower. Ilwaco about 3.5 miles N'ly |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | All appear in good condition, except woodsheds attached to dwellings which should be rebuilt. Vapor lamp to be put in operation March 1, 1910. |