Report for Ocracoke (North Carolina) - 1868

General
District: 5th
Inspector: J.M. Berrien, Inspector, 5th LH Dist.
Location: Near entrance to Ocracoke Inlet, NC
Date of Report: 01/21/1868
Latitude:
Longitude:
Premises
Site:
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: Board fence
Wharf or Landing on Premises:
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance:
Means to Reach Light Station:
Distance to Nearest Road:
Distance to Post Office:
Distance to Village:
Facilities for Public Conveyance:
Facilities for Private Conveyance:
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Detached tower
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established:
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated:
Condition at This Date:
Shape of Tower in Plan:
Form of Tower:
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball:
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water:
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea:
Color of Tower:
Color of Tower/ How Produced:
Tower Connection:
Object of Navigation:
Building Materials: Of brick on stone foundation; whitewashed. In bad condition.
General Description: Window frames are of wood in bad condition; window glass was cracked & a broken.
Wall Thickness at Base:
Wall Thickness at Parapet:
Diameter at Base:
Diameter at Parapet:
Kind of Stairway and Steps: Wood, much decayed
Number of Landings:
Size of Glass:
Number of Windows and Size of Sash:
Number of Doors:
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface:
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse:
Soil Susceptibility:
Miscellaneous Remarks:
Illuminating Apparatus
Kind of Apparatus:
Intensity in Candles:
Name of Maker:
Year Made:
Marks and Number:
Order of Apparatus: 4th
Inside Diameter:
Light Characteristic: Fixed white
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 Sectors Description:
Where Color Attached:
Form of Colored Glass:
Lamp Description: Lens of 4th order
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps: 1, in good condition
Number of Spare Burners: 2, in good condition.
Candle Power:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use:
Oil House Description:
Oil House Inside Dimension:
Oil House Construction Material:
Oil House Capacity:
Other (Describe): There is a storeroom provided for the preservation of utensils, wicks, chimneys and cleaning materials. Paints, oils, spirits of turpentine, paint-brushes, etc. are kept in a closet by themselves.
Suitability:
Dwelling
Location:
Coloring:
Construction Materials:
Number of Rooms:
Number of Dwellings:
Heating Plant:
Number of Keepers:
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses:
Outhouse Coloring:
Paths and Walks:
Area Inclosed:
Area of Garden:
Area Timber or Shrubbery:
Cultivation Area Available:
Area Cultivated: Keeper cultivates a very small "patch"
Character of Surroundings:
Stove, Maker:
Stove, Size:
Sink, Maker:
Sink, Size:
Pump, Maker:
Pump, Size:
Lamps: A regulation time piece in good order, kept in sitting room at the dwelling.
Condition
Lantern: In good condition
Illuminating Apparatus: In good condition in all respects
Service Lamp: In good condition & clean in all its parts
Oil: Specimen examined & found to be free from motes or dirt. It had been filtered.
Service Lamp Burner: In good condition & clean in all its parts.
Service Lamp Burner Level: Found to be level.
Plate Glass: Clean & in good condition.
Lens Cover: It was on lens, was clean, made of linen sheeting; & kept in lantern room when not in use.
Lantern Curtains: They were put up; are regularly put up & taken down, & are kept in the lantern room when not in use.
Carillon or Alarm Bell: None
Rod Lamp: None
Dwelling: Dwelling was clean, but wants repairs, some new ceiling to the rooms & the roof repaired.
Stairway and Landing: Clean, no paint.
Inside of Tower: No paint. The whitewash nearly all worn off. Tower looking old, damp & green.
Glazing of Dwelling: Good
Improvements Needed: Tower leaks badly & roof of dwelling needs repairs. "Center post" of tower is very much decayed.
Outhouses: None
Boathouse: None
Grounds: Good


Equipment Care
Does Keeper Understand the Use and Care of
Lens: No one is allowed to place feet or hands upon the lens.
Lantern and Trap Doors: Yes
Watch or Trimming Room: There were some of these articles to be seen & the attention of the Keeper was called to the impropriety.
Lucernes or Matches: No
Heater: No heater
Ventilation: Yes
Dome: They were so painted & were in good order.


Oil Room
Oil Room Condition: In good condition with no appearance of waste of oil.
Oil Carriers: All in good condition & arranged in order for use.
Number of 100 Gallon Oil Butts: 1
Number of 50 Gallon Oil Butts: 1
Number of Small Butts for Waste Oil:
Number of Dripping Buckets: 2
Number of Oil Tanks: 2, holding 150 gallons
Oil Butts Made According to Regulation: They are so made
Oil Butt Covers: Yes
Drip Bucket Placement: Yes
Oil Butt Platform: Are placed on raised platform
Empty Oil Butts: No oil butts empty.


Tool Chests and Presses
Cleaning Materials Put Away: Yes
Paints Separate: Yes
Tool Chest: No
Tool Condition: None at this station
Tools Free from Rust:
Closets Clean: Yes
Service Box In Good Order: Only tolerably so
Trimming Scissors Clean: Only tolerably so
Brushes and Floor Clothes: Yes
Lantern Condition: Sufficiently good to insure a good light.


Keeper and Assistants
Keeper Appearance: Neat & tidy
Keeper Interested in Duties: Yes
Keeper Capacity for Duties: Yes
Keeper Understanding of Regulations: Yes
Keeper Complaints:
Keeper Family: Yes
Keeper Name: Ellis Showard
Keeper Age: Young
Keeper Present or Absent: Present
Number of Assistants: No
Assistants Attend to Duty:
Assistants Capability:
Assistants Complaints:
Assistants Family:
Assistant Keeper Names:
Did Principal and Assistant Keepers Accompany the Inspector?: Keeper attended me throughout the inspection.


Account and Regulations Books
Account Books
Daily Expenditures Posted: Yes
Quarterly Returns on Hand: Yes
Receipt and Expenditure Accounts Kept: Yes
Shipwreck and Vessels Passed Book: Shipwreck book correctly kept; has never kept a "Vessels passed" book.
Regulations, Instructions, and Directions
Rules and Regulations Copies: 1
Instructions and Directions Copies: 1
Placard Directions Copies:
Notice to Visitors Copies:
Summary of Duties:
Index of Instructions:
Guide for Mixed Paints:
Directions for Purifying Water:
Placards Easily Visible: There are none
Books Easily Accessible: Yes
Blank Books and Forms: