Report for Birch Point Range Light Station (Michigan) - 1909

General
District: 9th
Inspector: Ralph R. Tinkham
Location: Birch Point Range Lt. Sta. at the end of the W'ly projection of Brich Point, Mich., S'ly shore of St. Marys River. Rear tower is about 970 feet SE 3/8 S in rear of front tower.
Date of Report: 07/30/1909
Latitude: 46° 26' 02.7"
Longitude: 84° 31' 24.5"
Premises
Site: Purchase, front, condemnation rear
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed: 11/20/1899
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease: 09/09/1900
Area of the Entire Site: Front, 0.7 acres, rear 1.76 acres
Area Inclosed: None
Character of Soil: Front portion rocky; rear swamp.
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: Front tower in water's edge.
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: None.
Wharf or Landing on Premises: Crib boat landing at boathouse.
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: Wood waok from dweling. No raod on or to premises.
Means to Reach Light Station: By bat only. 3.5 miles from Brimley and about 11 miles from Sault Ste. Marie.
Distance to Nearest Road: Railway station at Brimley, Mich, 3.5 miles. No steamboat landing there. About 11 miles to Sault Ste. Marie.
Distance to Post Office: 3.5 miles to Brimley, Mich.
Distance to Village: 3.5 miles to Brimley, Mich.
Facilities for Public Conveyance: None.
Facilities for Private Conveyance: By launch, tug or light-house tender.
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Towers.
Number of Separate Lights: 2
First Built or Established: 1901
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated:
Condition at This Date: Excellent.
Shape of Tower in Plan: Both towers square.
Form of Tower: Pyramidal skeleton, both towers.
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: Front 48 ft., Rear 72 ft.
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: Front 53 ft., Rear 78 ft.
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Wooded.
Color of Tower: Both white
Color of Tower/ How Produced: Paint.
Tower Connection: Both detached. Front tower is about 200 ft. N'ly of dwelling.
Object of Navigation: Range to guide thru the head of St. Marys River from Cedar Point Range line to Whitefish Bay.
Building Materials: Both towers of same materials & construction. Skeleton Steel constructin of 4 corner posts of 4x4 Ls & 3/4" round steel tie rods with turnbuckles. Each corner post riveted to samll bass plate of angle & plate bolted to stone pier foundations.
General Description: The ladder of T-bars & 1" pipe rounds extending up 1 side of tower forms a track which guides the lantern cage which is raised & lowered by means of an iron winch & steel wire cable.
Wall Thickness at Base:
Wall Thickness at Parapet:
Diameter at Base: Front 10'6", rear 14'6"
Diameter at Parapet: Both 3'
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Ladder of steeel T-bar strings & 1" round pipe with cast iron fittings.
Number of Landings: None.
Size of Glass: None.
Number of Windows and Size of Sash: None.
Number of Doors: Plain wood door to cleaning house.
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: 4 corner piers of masonry 5'x5'x5' high & 1 center pier same with concrete top.
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: Front tower on rock, piers in water. Rear tower in swamp with sand-cla
Soil Susceptibility: Around dwelling, yes. A forest grows close around the clearing of the reservation.
Miscellaneous Remarks: Wood structure,6'x6' plan, roof sheathed & canvas covered & having trap doors to admit lantern cage, houses lower part of this ladder track to protect apparatus & answer as a cleaning room. Iron winch is bolted to a concrete-masonry pier in center of towe
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: No lantern on either tower.
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:
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:
Ventilators
Location / Number: None.
Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement:
Curtain Hooks / Hanger:


Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: None.
How is Relief Called:
Where is Call System Led:
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus:
Intensity in Candles:
Name of Maker: Adams & Westlake
Year Made: 1908
Marks and Number: No. 1065 - 23" Locomotive Headlight.
Order of Apparatus: Reflector.
Inside Diameter:
Light Characteristic: Fixed white. Both towers equipped the same & 1 spare headlight at station.
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: Headlight rests on wood platform carried on a steel bracket frome on 2"x2" Ls & 5/8" round rods which is guided on the ladder trach by grooved wheels.
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 Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description: Oil lamp with single A.W. knit wick; uses No. 94 white chimneys.
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps:
Number of Spare Burners:
Candle Power:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: A 4x4 lamp house stands on a wood platform in rear of house at base of tower. these lamp houses are used to store lamp supplies, are of boards battened and shingled.
Oil House Description: Stands about 75' E'ly of dwelling fitted with wood shelves.
Oil House Inside Dimension: 5' 7"
Oil House Construction Material: Vertical wood boards battened & a double-sheathed roof of wood flooring. Wood box ventilator.
Oil House Capacity: 50 cans, 250 gals.
Other (Describe): 1 closet, 1 pantry, woodshed, allin dwelling. A store shed 8'x12' plan of rough boards with board roof battened stands about 50' N'ly of dwelling.
Suitability: The dwelling is inadequate. The store shed was not erected by the Establishment and is in poor condition.
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: A small 1 story dwelling stands about 200 feet S'ly from front tower.
Coloring: Entirely red.
Construction Materials: Frame construction with wood siding & wood ceiled throut. Front part wood shingled rear part metal - slate roof.
Number of Rooms: 5 room, 1 closet, pantry & woodshed. No cellar. All rooms on ground floor.
Number of Dwellings: 1
Heating Plant:
Number of Keepers: 1 keeper and family.
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses: 5'x6' wood frame privy, shingle roof; store shed 10'x12' icehouse of rought boards; oilhjouse, boathouse; 12'x16' log cow stable, board roof.
Outhouse Coloring: Privy red, store shed & icehouse whitewashed, oilhouse red, boathouse red, log stable weathered.
Paths and Walks: About 700 feet of board walk connecting dwelling with privy, oilhouse, boathouse & reat tower.
Area Inclosed: None
Area of Garden: None.
Area Timber or Shrubbery: None.
Cultivation Area Available: None.
Area Cultivated: None.
Character of Surroundings: The point N of dwelling at end of which is the front tower is rock with stone & gravel beach & path. Remainder of reservation is swamp over sand & clay bottom.
Stove, Maker:
Stove, Size:
Sink, Maker:
Sink, Size:
Pump, Maker:
Pump, Size:
Lamps:
Water
How Procured: From lake by bucket.
Quality: Good.
Quantity: Ample.
Injury Possible: Not seriously.
Purity Precaution: No cistern.
Tank Capacity: None.
Tank Material:
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description: No well.
Well Diameter:
Well Lining:
Pump or Bucket:
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling:
Healthfulness
General Opinion: Healthfulness good.
Diseases: None.
Prevalency: None.
Local Causes: The swamp in the rear of reservation is not dangerous.
Recommended Improvements: None necessary.
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Boathouse is 12' x 24' plan of vertical boards battened & etal-slate roof. Fitted with iron winch & roller boatway. Landing is 100' over all in length from boathouse on W side of boatway & is of 1 8'x16' & 1 8'x12' log cribs stone filled & decked with pla
Distance and Direction: Boathouse is about 150 feet N'ly of dwelling.
Miscellaneous Remarks: .Daymark on both towers built of vertical plank 1.75" x 6" spaced 2-3" & spiked to cleats that are bolted to metal frame of tower, spaced aobut 4'. The daymark is in 3 parts, central part in plane of front of tower & 2 wings at an angle of 45 degrees wide
Hoisting Engines
Hoisting Engine Kind: None.
Engine RPMs:
Engine Diameter:
Engine Stroke:
Engine Boiler:
Engine Maker and Date:
Serial Number:
Cylinders and Size:
Horsepower:
Fuel:
Hoist Starter:
Hoist Miscellaneous: