Report for Ludington Pierhead (Michigan) - 1910
| General |
| District: | 9th |
| Inspector: | Francis J. Otter, Draftsman |
| Location: | On outer end of S pier in rear of Fog Signal bldg at entrance to Ludington Harbor, MI., E'ly side of Lake Michigan, 7 3/4 miles S of Grande Pointe au Sable; & with Beacon on S Breakwater forms range for entering harbor. |
| Date of Report: | 04/30/1910 |
| Latitude: | 43° 57' 10" N |
| Longitude: | 86° 27' 46" W |
| Premises |
| Site: | Military reservation, permission to occupy, granted by Hon. Cliher Root, Sec of War |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | 09/18/1899 |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | |
| Area Inclosed: | 81' x 126' |
| Character of Soil: | Sandy & clay loam |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | Tower on outer end of S pier |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | By Board fence |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Government pier near station & Keeper's dwelling. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | Plank road to boat landing, 1/4 mile; Boats may land at pier at side of station in fair weather. |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By RR or steamboat to Ludington, MI., by ferry across river from Ludington or by boat to light station. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | To nearest car Ferry & steamboat landing 1/4 mile; Pere Marquette RR station, 1 mile. Public road, 1/4 mile. |
| Distance to Post Office: | 1/2 mile |
| Distance to Village: | In city of Ludington, MI. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | Good, distance to nearest RR station, 1 mile; to nearest Steamboat landing, 1/4 mile. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Skeleton steel tower. |
| Number of Separate Lights: | One |
| First Built or Established: | 1870 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | 1904 |
| Condition at This Date: | Fair |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square, skeleton steel frame construction. |
| Form of Tower: | Pyramidal |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 62' 6"; height from base to focal plane, 58' |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 65' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Sand bluffs & foliage of trees |
| Color of Tower: | White structure, lantern black. |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | By lead & oil paint. |
| Tower Connection: | Tower detached from Keeper's dwelling, reached by elevated walk from shoreline. |
| Object of Navigation: | Harbor channel & with S. Breakwater, forms a range showing direction of piers & course for entering harbor. |
| Building Materials: | Steel angles, tie rods, etc. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | |
| Diameter at Base: | 12' square |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 4' square |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Metal ladders |
| Number of Landings: | No landings |
| Size of Glass: | |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 2 windows, Lakeside 20" x 21" glass; channel side 10" x 14", 4 lts. |
| Number of Doors: | 1; 2' 6" x 6' 6", glass panel 21 3/4" x 8 1/4" |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | On pier |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Water of Lake Michigan |
| Soil Susceptibility: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Width between piers at entrance 250'; width between N & S Breakwaters at entrance 400'. S pier extends into Lake in a W 1/4 N direction. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 5 day lens lantern in small metal lantern |
| Shape of Lantern: | |
| Diameter to Glass: | |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | |
| Type of Bars: | |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | |
| Number of Plates in Height: | |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | |
| Thickness of Plates: | |
| Size of Plates: | 4' x 4' glass front & channel side only. |
| Number of Storm Panes: | |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | |
| Lightning Spindle: | |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | |
| Balustrade: | |
| Lantern Doors: | |
| Floor of Lantern: | |
| Watchroom Doors: | |
| Parapet Diameter: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | |
| Year Made: | |
| Marks and Number: | |
| Order of Apparatus: | Lens lantern |
| Inside Diameter: | 11 4/5" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed red |
| Time of Revolution: | |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | |
| Number of Panels: | |
| Number of Flash Panels: | |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | |
| 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: | |
| Service Table: | |
| Draft Tube Description: | |
| Revolving Machinery: | |
| 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 chimney or lamp |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | Chimney or lamp |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Lens lantern, 1 wick |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1 - 5th order |
| Number of Spare Burners: | Burners are attached to & form part of lamp. |
| Candle Power: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | None |
| Oil House Description: | On inner end of pier |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 7' 3" x 11' 1" |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Wooden, ordinary construction |
| Oil House Capacity: | 80 5-gal cans, also used for paints & sundry supplies |
| Other (Describe): | None |
| Suitability: | Dry |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | 10" steam whistle operated by steam boilers & Crosby automatic |
| Time to Start: | 30 minutes |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | Thomson Kingsford Foundry & Machine Works, Oswego, NY |
| Year of Manufacture: | June, 1894 |
| Characteristic: | 3 sec blast, 17 sec interval & repeat |
| Duplication: | Boilers & clockwork |
| Timing Device: | Crosby Automatic |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | Whistel, 80# |
| Height Above Water: | 36' |
| Compass Direction: | West |
| Location: | Harbor guide, & located immediately in front of light tower. |
| Distance and Direction: | Immed. in front of tower & about 1/4 mi W of dwell |
| Water Supply: | Good, from well in pier |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | Elevated walk from shoreline on pier |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Wooden structure of frame construction 20' x 40' x 13' to plate line, exterior of same covered with metal & corrugated iron, interior walls with plain iron; Whistle has a deflector in rear of same. |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Steam Signal |
| Steam Boiler: | Outer & inner metal shells, with semi-circular head & inverted crown over furnace box |
| Kind: | Kingsford "Compact" |
| Tube: | Flue tube |
| Dimensions: | Width 5' |
| Length: | 5' |
| Diameter: | Height over all 7' 8" |
| Tube Description: | Length 37"; 240 tubes in Channel boiler, 238 tubes in Lake Boiler |
| Steam Tube Diameter: | 2" |
| Steam Furnace Kind: | Part of boiler |
| Furnace Length: | 4' 2" |
| Furnace Width: | 4' 4" |
| Furnace Height: | 20" average. |
| Steam Heat Surface: | 464.68 sq. ft. in one & 467.85 sq. ft in other. |
| Steam Grate Surface: | 18 sq. ft. |
| Number of Grate Bars: | 17 - 3 bar & 1 - 2 bar |
| Kind of Grate Bars: | Spade end |
| Steam Fuel: | Bituminous coal |
| Steam Safety Valve: | Lever |
| Steam Maximum Pressure: | 120 # |
| Steam Working Pressure: | 80 # |
| Steam Diameter of Smokestack: | 24" |
| Smokestack Height: | |
| Drum Dimension: | 3' 6" |
| Steam Drum Diameter: | 36" |
| Steam Covering: | None |
| Steam Boiler Condition: | Fair |
| Steam Boiler Built: | 1894 |
| Where Built: | Oswego, NY |
| Manufacturer: | Thomson Kingsford Foundry & Machine Works |
| Steam Heater: | False |
| Kind: | |
| Size: | |
| Heater Time Affect: | |
| Steam Engine Kind: | |
| Steam Engine Revolutions: | |
| Steam Engine Cyl. Diameter: | |
| Steam Engine Piston Stroke: | |
| Steam Engine Pipe Size: | |
| Steam Engine When Built: | |
| Steam Engine Where Built: | |
| Manufacturer: |
| Whistle Signal |
| Whistle Diameter: | 10" |
| Whistle Height: | 16" |
| Whistle Orifice: | 5 1/4" |
| Whistle Tone: | Single tone |
| Whistle Chime: |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | On shore, near inner end of pier, about 2100' ESE from lighthouse. Station can be reached by way of elevated walk from shoreline |
| Coloring: | Buff brick, trimmings white |
| Construction Materials: | Brick basement; 1st floor brick veneer over wood frame; 2nd story wood frame, shingled, 36' x 52'; Built season of 1899. |
| Number of Rooms: | Double dwelling, 6 rooms each half. |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 Keeper & 2 assistants |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | 2 privies, 6' x 6' |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Buff |
| Paths and Walks: | Wooden walks, from front gate to & around dwelling to well & privies. |
| Area Inclosed: | 81' x 126' by board fence |
| Area of Garden: | None |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | No |
| Area Cultivated: | None |
| Character of Surroundings: | Sandy |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | By driven well at dwelling; well in pier at Fog signal |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | No cistern |
| Tank Capacity: | |
| Tank Material: | |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | Drive well for dwelling, 38' deep |
| Well Diameter: | 1 1/4" galv. iron pipe |
| Well Lining: | Curbed to depth of 5' |
| Pump or Bucket: | Pump |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: | About 24' |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Good health generally prevails. |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | No |
| Local Causes: | No |
| Recommended Improvements: | No |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Pier at Fog signal house & light tower; Boat house in inner end of pier; Road leading to landing near station, sandy. There is 1579 lin. ft. of elev. walk on pier, 1030 lin ft. of metal type & 489 lin. ft. of wooden type. |
| Distance and Direction: | Boathouse about 1800 lin. ft. E'ly from light tower & road is about 1/4 mile from light tower. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Life Saving Station is located near inner end of N pier. Weather Bureau Signal Station; steel tower near Life Saving Station: Electric lights. |