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.