Report for Au Sable Pierhead (Michigan) - 1910
| General |
| District: | 11th |
| Inspector: | Oliver G. Brown |
| Location: | On outer end of N pier, mouth of Au Sable River, W'ly shore of Lake Huron |
| Date of Report: | 06/09/1910 |
| Latitude: | 44° 24' 26" |
| Longitude: | 83° 19' 16" |
| Premises |
| Site: | N Pierhead of Au Sable River |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | |
| Area Inclosed: | |
| Character of Soil: | |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By row boat or launch from Au Sable |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | 1/2 mile to Au Sable PO 5/8 mile to D & C boat landing. |
| Distance to Post Office: | 1/2 mile to Au Sable PO |
| Distance to Village: | Tower is in town of Au Sable. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | 5/8 mile by launch from D & C docks or by boat from town of Au Sable. Station in outskirts of town. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Skeleton frame tower of wood |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1873 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square |
| Form of Tower: | Pyramidal |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 32' 4" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 32' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Partly wooded broken by bldgs of Au Sable. |
| Color of Tower: | Black |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Paint |
| Tower Connection: | No dwelling |
| Object of Navigation: | Harbor light. |
| Building Materials: | Wooden tower supported by 4 - 12" sq. posts. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | No walls |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | |
| Diameter at Base: | 12' |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 8' 6" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wooden stairs lead from dock to lamp room. |
| Number of Landings: | 1 landing besides landing at lamp room. |
| Size of Glass: | No windows |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | |
| Number of Doors: | 2 doors, each single fold, lead from top landing of wooden stairs into lamp room under lantern. Inner door has a glass panel in upper part. |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | |
| Soil Susceptibility: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Tower built on outer end of crib work at mouth of Au Sable River. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 6' 1.5" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 8 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 2' 11.5" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 5/16" |
| Size of Plates: | 2' 6" x 3' |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | All sides glazed |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Parapet, wooden, octagonal outside & circular inside, lined w/ vert. wooden ceiling; in glazed portion, vert. ele. cast iron. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | 8 sided pyramidal dome, copper lined outside, lined w/ tin inside. Tin cone lens protector fastened to roof by radiating rods. |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Copper |
| Lightning Spindle: | Copper with platinum point |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 3/4" iron pipe leads from lantern down outside of tower & into water below. |
| Balustrade: | Wood balustrade, composed of 2 4x4 wooden rails. Stanchions are circ. wooden posts, 8 in number & ball topped. Gallery is 3' wide & square with corners cut off. |
| Lantern Doors: | Double wooden door leads from lower part of lantern to outside gallery. Both doors are single fold. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Wooden flooring covered with copper sheets. |
| Watchroom Doors: | No watch room |
| Parapet Diameter: | Circular inside: 6' 1.5" dia. lined w/ vertical wooden ceiling. |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 ventilators in upper part of parapet; 1 ventilator in upper part of lamp room. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | 1 wooden step ladder 3' high. |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Hooks screwed to soffit. |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Sauttier, Lemonnier & Cie, Paris |
| Year Made: | |
| Marks and Number: | None |
| Order of Apparatus: | 5th |
| Inside Diameter: | 1' 2 7/8" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed red |
| Time of Revolution: | Not moveable |
| Flash Interval: | No flashes |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | Door of lens, which consists of 1 of the panels, differs from other panels, in that it is composed of 7 separate prisms & acts as a reflector. |
| Number of Panels: | 6 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | None |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 3 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | False |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | Hollow standard of cast iron, foot of which is bolted to a wooden octagonal block of wood which in turn is fastened to floor of lantern. |
| Service Table: | Cast iron fastened to pedestal & to lantern walls by 1/2" iron rods. |
| Draft Tube Description: | None |
| Revolving Machinery: | Not revolving. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | |
| Regulated: | |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Hains lamp |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1 |
| Number of Spare Burners: | None |
| Candle Power: |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 1 3/16" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | Double closet in 1 corner of lamp room, fitted with shelves & used to keep cleaning rags, etc. |
| Oil House Description: | Oil room placed below lamp room & led to by trap door thru floor of lamp room. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 7' 8" sq. 4' 6" high |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Wood |
| Oil House Capacity: | 100 5-gal cans. |
| Other (Describe): | Oil room is also used as store room for paint, etc. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable. |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Keeper has no place to keep his boat except to tie it up to a post on the bank of the river. He complains that boys frequently steal his oars & injure his boat. |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Board walk leads down pier to tower & 2 flights of steps lead from pier to platform at end of lamp room floor. |