Report for Mendota Light Station (Michigan) - 1909
| General |
| District: | 9th |
| Inspector: | Ralph R. Tinkham |
| Location: | On the S'ly side of the canal entrance to Lac La Belle, Mich., Bete Grise Bay, S'ly side of the outer end of Deweenaw Peninsula, Lake Superior. |
| Date of Report: | 06/17/1909 |
| Latitude: | 47° 22' 26.88" |
| Longitude: | 87° 57' 59.53" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchase. A lot in Sec. 34, T58N, R29W, Mich. Meridan |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 05/11/1868 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 2 acres more or less |
| Area Inclosed: | Entire site, 2 acres more or less. |
| Character of Soil: | Shifting sand. |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 200 feet |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Fence of cedar posts, top & bottom boards painted red, whole strung with wire netting, entirely surrounds premises on lines S & W sides, remainder inclosed by water. |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Small boat landing on the canal side. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | Concrete walk. |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By boat or by train to upper end of Lac La Belle, thence by rowboat or launch. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | |
| Distance to Post Office: | Delaware Mine, Mich. |
| Distance to Village: | |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None. |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By rowboat or launch from Delaware Mine across Iac La Belle. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower. |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1869 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | 1895 |
| Condition at This Date: | Not good. Brickword of tower has been painted & moisture in walls has caused paint to scale badly. |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square. |
| Form of Tower: | Square Prism. |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 42' 4" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 44 feet |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Wooded. |
| Color of Tower: | Buff |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Painted on brick. |
| Tower Connection: | Connected forming center front of dwelling. |
| Object of Navigation: | Lake coast light & to mark the entrance to Lac La Belle canal. |
| Building Materials: | Brick; stone sills & lintels. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 14" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 14" |
| Diameter at Base: | 9' 0" |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 9' 0" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wood stairs in flights from main part of dwelling. |
| Number of Landings: | 2 |
| Size of Glass: | 9" x 18" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 2 2 lite. |
| Number of Doors: | 1 entrance door from dwelling. |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Brick, 5' deep |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Sand. |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Sparse grass & 1 or 2 small pines on premises. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Brickwork of tower has been painted & moisture in walls has caused paint ot scale badly, unsightly appearance, although newly painted season of 1908. Station not occupied in winter. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal. |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' 0.75" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | 6' 6.25" |
| Number of Sides: | 8 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical. |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 2' 11-3/8" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | 1 |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | 1 |
| Thickness of Plates: | 5/16" |
| Size of Plates: | 34" x 36" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None. |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None. |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Cast iron parapet, wrot iron verticals. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Cast iron plates, pyramidal, lined with zinc. Has a tin cone lens protector beneath ventilator ball. |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron. |
| Lightning Spindle: | Brass with platinun tip. |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | Copper rod from lantern gallery into ground. Connected to gallery deck by bolt; size of rod 3/16" x 2" |
| Balustrade: | Gallery of cast iron plates, 13' 3" square with a double pipe rail with pipe fittings. |
| Lantern Doors: | 2-fold cast iron door in parapet, brass fittings. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Cast iron. |
| Watchroom Doors: | Trap door of cast iron plate with handle & brass hinges. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 8" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 ventilators in parapet, brass register vlves inside, unprotected upenings in cast iron plates outside. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None. |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Brass hooks screwed to verticals. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Watchroom is beneath lantern, is sq. & fitted with glass-box. |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry Lepaute, Paris |
| Year Made: | Not given. |
| Marks and Number: | None. |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed. |
| Time of Revolution: | |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | 4 fixed panels, each 90 degrees |
| 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: | 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: | Old pattern, cast iron, wide circular top. |
| Service Table: | Cast iron fan shaped plate attached to pedestal. |
| Draft Tube Description: | None. |
| Revolving Machinery: | Revolves for cleaning purposes only, by hand. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | Chariot |
| Chariot Description: | Apparatus may be revolved by hand on 4 1.75" chariot wheels resting on pedestal top. |
| Length of Drop Tube: | |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | |
| Regulated: | |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | Not colored. |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Funk Heap |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2 |
| Number of Spare Burners: | 1 burner to each lamp. |
| Candle Power: |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | 1 |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 1.25" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | None. |
| Oil House Description: | 100' SW of dwelling, fitted with iron shelving. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 5' 4" x 7' 2" |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Brick walls, concrete floor, metal ceiling and roof. |
| Oil House Capacity: | 360 gals., in 72 5 gal. cans |
| Other (Describe): | 5 closets in dwelling used for clothes. |
| Suitability: | Suitable. |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | No fog signal. |
| Time to Start: | |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| Year of Manufacture: | |
| Characteristic: | |
| Duplication: | |
| Timing Device: | |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | |
| Height Above Water: | |
| Compass Direction: | |
| Location: | |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Water Supply: | |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Single dwelling attached to tower on W side. |
| Coloring: | Walls buff; red roof. |
| Construction Materials: | Main walls of brick, gables shingled, roof wood shingles; cut stone sills & lintels & steps. |
| Number of Rooms: | 7 rooms, 5 closets. |
| Number of Dwellings: | 1 |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 keeper and family. |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Oilhouse, privy, barn & combination summer kitchen & boathouse. |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Oilhouse, buff, red roof; privy, board battened, buff, red roof; barn 16' x 23' buff, red metal roof |
| Paths and Walks: | 440 lin feet concrete walk connecting dwelling with all other buildings. |
| Area Inclosed: | Entire reservation inclosed. N & E sides by canal & lake, S & W by fence. |
| Area of Garden: | None. |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None. |
| Cultivation Area Available: | None. |
| Area Cultivated: | None. |
| Character of Surroundings: | Shifting sand. |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From lake. |
| Quality: | Good. |
| Quantity: | Ample. |
| Injury Possible: | No. |
| Purity Precaution: | |
| Tank Capacity: | |
| Tank Material: | |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | Bucket. |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthfulness good. |
| Diseases: | None. |
| Prevalency: | No. |
| Local Causes: | No. |
| Recommended Improvements: | None needed. |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | A small plank landing on horses, 25' in lengh. leads from boathouse to canal. Boathouse 38' x 20', partitioned, summer kitchen in rear, boat use in front. Fitted with winch & roller boatway. Painted buff, red shingle roof. |
| Distance and Direction: | 150' NW'ly from tower. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: |