Report for Hereford Inlet Light Station (New Jersey) - 1907
| General |
| District: | 4th |
| Inspector: | H. Bamber, Assistant Engineer |
| Location: | On S'ly side of Hereford Inlet & on N'ly end of Five Mile Beach, seacoast of New Jersey |
| Date of Report: | 11/21/1907 |
| Latitude: | 39° 00' 24" |
| Longitude: | 74° 47' 28" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchase |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 07/09/1873 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 65,340 sq. ft. |
| Area Inclosed: | 65,340 sq. ft. |
| Character of Soil: | Sandy |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 200'. 1 year ago, high water mark was abt. 15' from corner of reservation |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Wooden & wire fences & hedges |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | None |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | None |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By RR to Anglesea, NJ |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | Station at intersection of Chestnut & N Central Ave. Distance to RR station about 1/4 mile by streets. |
| Distance to Post Office: | About 200' |
| Distance to Village: | Light station in village of N Wildwood |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | Street car line runs between light station & RR station. Busses meet trains in summer season |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | None |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Lantern tower on frame dwelling |
| Number of Separate Lights: | One |
| First Built or Established: | 1874 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Lantern tower is square |
| Form of Tower: | Lantern tower is prismatic |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | About 55' 6" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | About 55' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Buildings, distant trees & sky |
| Color of Tower: | White with lead colored trimmings & chimneys, green blinds, black lantern |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Paint |
| Tower Connection: | Lantern tower is on dwelling |
| Object of Navigation: | Seacoast, harbor & general & local navigating purposes. |
| Building Materials: | Lighthouse & lantern tower is a frame structure on stone & brick foundation. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 13" (brick at ground line) |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 8" (frame) |
| Diameter at Base: | Lantern tower is square 12' 6" x 12' 6" (outside) |
| Diameter at Parapet: | Lantern tower square 12' 6" x 12' 6" (outside) & 11' 2.5" x 11' 3.5" inside |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wooden |
| Number of Landings: | 5, including 2nd, 3rd & watchroom floors |
| Size of Glass: | 9" x 12" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 9 double sash windows; 1 on 2nd floor & 2 on 3rd floor have 6-pane sash; 6 in watchroom have 4-pane sashes. |
| Number of Doors: | 23 |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Stone & brick 4' 4" |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Beach sand, except fertile loam near oil house. |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Portion covered with loam is susceptible of being protected by grass & shrubbery |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Site is threatened by encroachment of S channel of Hereford Inlet. During past year, N channel has been growing deeper & S channel has been filling up. The 2 channels now about same size. (Keeper) |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' to 7' 1.5" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 10 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 3' |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | About 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 2' 3 1/8" x 3' 0.5" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | 3 bronze frames, 2 glazed |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | 1 plate, 36 degree arc |
| What Bearings: | About 361 degrees 07' E & S 25 degrees 07' E |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Cast iron, with wooden lining on inside of lower wall. Glass stops & screws are bronze. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Lightning Spindle: | Pinnacle of lantern is wrought iron or steel, badly rusted. To this is lashed with copper wire, a copper rod, abt. 5/8" x 18", with 5-pronged point. |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | Conductor is 1/8" x 1.5" copper ribbon attached to flattened end of copper rod & running down rear wall of lantern & lighthouse to std. ground connection. |
| Balustrade: | Wood, with gas pipe for top railing, balcony deck of wood, covered with tin & protected with wooden grillage |
| Lantern Doors: | Swinging door, fastened with horizontal brass latch, provided with knobs. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Wood |
| Watchroom Doors: | Ordinary frame door hung on cast iron butts, & provided with common iron rim lock door. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 5" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 3 openings in lower wall of lantern, covered with inside brass registers. Diameter 4.5" |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | Small step ladder |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | A brass hook screwed into lintel above each lantern post |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Provided with closet having shelves & stairway leading up to lantern |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | L. Sautter Leminonier Cis A Paris |
| Year Made: | Unknown |
| Marks and Number: | As above, on lower ring of lens (On door sill, which has supporting arm, appears USLH Depot 3 dist lamp shop, Staten Island, NY) |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | 19.5" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed white |
| Time of Revolution: | Not moveable |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | Fixed part is 270 degrees (Keeper sets lens so that this extends from S 1 degree E to N 89 degrees E mag) 90 degree prism reflector |
| Number of Panels: | 4 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | None |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 6, except in reflector, which has but 2 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 4, except in reflector, which has but 2 |
| 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: | Cast iron, on wooden base, Height of base 4 1/4"; of pedestal proper, 3' 3 5/8" |
| Service Table: | Cast iron service table is attached to pedestal |
| Draft Tube Description: | No tube nor lens hood |
| 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: | No color |
| Red Sectors Description: | No red sector |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Standard 4th order |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1 (3 in all) |
| Number of Spare Burners: | |
| Candle Power: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | Lantern tower has 2 closets. 1 on 3rd floor, fitted with shelves & used for stationery & other is in watchroom, also provided with shelves & used for lamp supplies, etc. |
| Oil House Description: | Brick oil house, 8' x 12', situated about 90' NW of lighthouse. It has a concrete floor, & a set of 5 shelves in left end. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | Lighthouse has a basement used for storage purposes & 2 closets & pantry on 1st floor. Closets open off sitting room & are fitted with shelves & hooks & used for clothes. There are 4 closets in bedroom on 2nd floor, fitted with shelves & used for clothes. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Lantern is on dwelling, forming a lighthouse |
| Coloring: | White, lead colored trimmings & chimneys, green blinds, black lantern |
| Construction Materials: | Frame, brick foundation |
| Number of Rooms: | 7 |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Brick oil house & privy & frame barn |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Oil house & privy unpainted red brick. Cornice & roof are brown. Barn white with lead colored trim |
| Paths and Walks: | Gravel walks connect lighthouse with out buildings |
| Area Inclosed: | 65, 340 square ft. Wooden & wire fences & hedges |
| Area of Garden: | About 1/4 acre |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | No timber & no shrubbery except hedges |
| Cultivation Area Available: | About 1/4 acre |
| Area Cultivated: | About 1/4 acre |
| Character of Surroundings: | Beach sand & salt marsh |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | Supplied by city water works through pipe connections |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | Not liable |
| Purity Precaution: | Downspouts provided with cutoffs |
| Tank Capacity: | Double cistern in cellar of lighthouse under kitchen. Front cap 2500 gal, rear cap 1870 gal. |
| Tank Material: | Brick |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | No |
| Recommended Improvements: | No |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | No wharf |
| Distance and Direction: | No wharf |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | General character & condition of station are good. |
| Supplemental Reports |
| 1931 | |
| Installation: Hot water heating system & electric lights installed | |