Report for Dunkirk (New York) - 1909
| General |
| District: | 10th |
| Inspector: | Chas. Bartlett, Chief Clerk and Norris Works, Supt |
| Location: | On Point Gratiot, 2220' to W'd of Dunkirk Harbor Entrance, S'ly shore of Lake Erie. |
| Date of Report: | 02/03/1909 |
| Latitude: | 42° 29' 38" |
| Longitude: | 79° 21' 16" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchased from Dunkirk Association, consideration $150 |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 10/11/1826 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 3.9 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | 3.9 acres |
| Character of Soil: | Clay loam. |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | 30' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Board fence all around, except part on E side, which is part picket & part wire. |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | None |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By L.S. & M.S. Ry to Dunkirk, thence by livery to station, distance 2 miles. Electric cars also reach Dunkirk from Erie & Buffalo. Electric cars from Dunkirk & Point Gratiot, short distance away, 3 mos in summer. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | 2 miles to L.S. & M.S. RR station. 1.5 miles to wharf at Dunkirk. |
| Distance to Post Office: | 1.5 mi to Dunkirk, NY |
| Distance to Village: | In city of Dunkirk. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | To Dunkirk by electric car from Buffalo or Erie, or by L.S. & M.S. Ry., thence to point, 1/4 mile from station by electric car. |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By public streets from Dunkirk station of L.S. & M.S. Ry., 2 mi. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1837 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | 1875-6 |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square |
| Form of Tower: | Right prism, round parapet. |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 61' 3" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 82' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Thick foliage of trees |
| Color of Tower: | Reddish gray stone, round parapet painted white |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Natural color of stone, parapet painted |
| Tower Connection: | Connected by covered way with brick dwelling. |
| Object of Navigation: | Lake coast & harbor light. |
| Building Materials: | Stone, lined with brick |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 2' 9" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 1' 9" |
| Diameter at Base: | Exterior 13' 6" square - interior 8' dia. |
| Diameter at Parapet: | Exterior 11' square - interior 7' 6" dia. |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Iron, spiral |
| Number of Landings: | 2 besides clock room |
| Size of Glass: | 9" x 19" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 4 - 13" x 37" |
| Number of Doors: | 2 oak doors in entry |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Solid stone masonry, 6' below ground, resting on concrete bed of 16", which covers natural rock. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Clay loam |
| Soil Susceptibility: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Grounds inclosed & under cultivation & general appearance is attractive. City of Dunkirk has built a park road from village around lighthouse. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 3rd |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal, on cylindrical parapet. |
| Diameter to Glass: | 8' 3" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 10 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 69 3/4" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 5/16" |
| Size of Plates: | 69 3/4" x 31.5" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | 2 plates = 72 degrees |
| What Bearings: | N 28 degrees 40' W to N 43 degrees 20' E; Azimuth 331 degrees 20' to 43 degrees 20'; E'ly of 2 unglazed sides toward house, parallel to edge of balcony deck & parallel to ridge of dwelling roof. |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Iron & brass. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Iron frame, copper roof, painted black |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron. In Sept., 1884, a sheet copper hood was placed above lens to protect it from dripping |
| Lightning Spindle: | Iron, tipped with platinum |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | Lantern & iron stairs form conductor & from base of stairs, a copper cable runs below foundation & is attached to large sheet of copper, 15" dia., with ragged edge. |
| Balustrade: | Iron |
| Lantern Doors: | In parapet, iron outer door in 2 leaves, wooden inner door in 2 leaves. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Iron |
| Watchroom Doors: | Clock room under lantern connected by iron trap door |
| Parapet Diameter: | 8' 2" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 brass revolving, painted black, 1 brass, not painted, & 1 register in lower part of tower. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | 1 iron, secured |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Iron knobs |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Landing, (top) under clock room, was fitted with a boiler iron trap door, in 1882 & stove, formerly in passage way, placed there. Clockroom was previously used as watchroom. Stove was provided with exterior copper smoke pipe, secured to lantern. |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry LePaute |
| Year Made: | |
| Marks and Number: | None |
| Order of Apparatus: | 3rd order - dioptric fresnel |
| Inside Diameter: | 3' 3 3/8" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed white, varied by white flash every 45 sec. |
| Time of Revolution: | 2 min 15 sec |
| Flash Interval: | 45 sec |
| Duration of Flash: | A few seconds |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | Fixed part 216 degrees, reflector 144 degrees - visible bearing N 63 degrees 20' E to N 80 degrees 40' W - Azimuth 63 -20 to 279 - 20. Center of reflector points 16 degrees to E of line from center of lantern to center of unglazed portion of lantern. |
| Number of Panels: | 3 panels = 216 degrees - reflector 144 degrees in 2 wings. |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 3 |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 11 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 4 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | False |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | By 3 vertical element panels, 48" x 20", revolving outside fixed lens. |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | 7 |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | 22 |
| Pedestal: | Iron |
| Service Table: | None |
| Draft Tube Description: | 2.5" brass tube |
| Revolving Machinery: | Clock & weight |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | Chariot |
| Chariot Description: | 6 wheels, 5/8" x 4 5/16" |
| Length of Drop Tube: | Abt 37' |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | |
| Drive During Rewind: | 6 hrs. |
| Machinery Protection: | Brass case with glass panels. |
| Regulated: | By revolving fan governor |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | 3rd order plunger lamps, |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2 |
| Number of Spare Burners: | 3 spare |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | Into recess btwn round inner part of tower & square outside, in NE corner of tower. |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | 2 |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | Outer - 1 13/16"; inner 1" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | Small closet placed in wall of tower for cleaning implements, etc. |
| Oil House Description: | Square iron oil house, about 30' NW of tower. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | NW corner of dwelling, fitted with shelves & lockers. |
| Suitability: | Well suited |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | On S'ly side of tower, connected by covered way. |
| Coloring: | Natural red brick, cornice & wood work lead color, except window frames & sash, which are white. |
| Construction Materials: | Brick on stone foundation |
| Number of Rooms: | 7 besides kitchen |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Barn, chicken house, oil house. |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Barn, lead color below, red above; chicken house, lead color trimmed white; oil house red |
| Paths and Walks: | Concrete walks connecting side porch with front & rear porches & also extending to oil house, chicken house & outside cellar door. |
| Area Inclosed: | All, except space used for park road along bluff point. |
| Area of Garden: | About 1/4 acre for each keeper |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | 1/2 acre |
| Cultivation Area Available: | All, 3.9 acres |
| Area Cultivated: | 2 3/4 acres |
| Character of Surroundings: | High land, loamy clay, beach sand & gravel. |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Assistant Keepers Dwellings |
| Location: | Near tower, on Point Gratiot, about 0.66 mile from the Pierhead light. |
| Coloring: | Straw color, trimmed seal brown |
| Construction Materials: | Wooden 2 story frame structure. Built from same plans as used at Oswego & Fort Niagara, NY. |
| Number of Rooms: | 6 |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Outhouses: | Barn, chicken house |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Chicken house, lead colored |
| Paths and Walks: | Concrete walk from rear entrance to street |
| Area Inclosed: | 1/4 acre by picket fence |
| Area of Garden: | |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | |
| Cultivation Area Available: | |
| Area Cultivated: | |
| Character of Surroundings: | |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | City water from Lake Erie |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | Filter in cistern, but water not used for drinking |
| Tank Capacity: | 120 bbls., in cellar of dwelling |
| Tank Material: | Stone wall, lined with brick & plastered with cement. |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | Well abandoned & covered up about 1896 |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | No |
| Local Causes: | No |
| Recommended Improvements: |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | No boat landing at main light |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: |
| Supplemental Reports |
| Correction to Dunkirk Light Station | |
| Jan. 9, 1914 | |
| Desc of lamp: (a) give order: 3rd order, type B, single tank | |
| (b) kind of illuminant: oil vapor | |
| ( c) intensity in english candles: 1000 | |
| Number of mantels: 1 | |
| Dia. of mantel: 55 mm | |
| Number of spare lamps: 1 | |
| Correction to Dunkirk Light Station pg 2 | |
| Jan. 9, 1914 | |
| Number of spare burnerss: none | |