Report for Pilot Island Front Range (Michigan) - 1909

General
District: 11th
Inspector: Ralph R. Tinkham
Location: On Pilot Island, S'ly side of Mud Lake, St. Mary's River, MI.
Date of Report: 08/29/1909
Latitude: 46° 10' 34.58"
Longitude: 84° 07' 59.72"
Premises
Site: Purchase 5 1/2 of SW 1/4, Sec 25, T44 N, Rr E., Mich
Date of Reservation:
Date of Deed: 06/15/1903
Date of Permission:
Date of Lease:
Area of the Entire Site: 26.2 acres
Area Inclosed: None
Character of Soil: Gravel, stone & boulders
Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: 25'
Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: None, except garden & hen yard
Wharf or Landing on Premises: Small landing at dwelling. Also land directly on dikes
Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: None
Means to Reach Light Station: By boat only. A boat of light draft necessary to reach any of the landings.
Distance to Nearest Road: Nearest steamboat landing is at Sailors Encampment, 6 miles.
Distance to Post Office: 6 miles to Sailors Encampment
Distance to Village: Sailors Encampment on Little Neebish Isld.
Facilities for Public Conveyance: None
Facilities for Private Conveyance: By launch from Sailors Encampment, 6 miles
Means Used for Support of Lantern: Tower
Number of Separate Lights: 1
First Built or Established: 1894
Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: 1905
Condition at This Date: Good
Shape of Tower in Plan: Octagonal
Form of Tower: Pyramidal
Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: 39.5'
Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: 39'
Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: Wooded
Color of Tower: White, black lantern
Color of Tower/ How Produced: Paint
Tower Connection: Detached
Object of Navigation: Range - guide from its intersection with the Winter P4 Range to lower entrance to improved channel at Sailors Encampment.
Building Materials: Timber framing covered with vertical matched flooring & outside over that with narrow wood siding laid on paper. Open timberwork uncerted inside.
General Description:
Wall Thickness at Base: 6"
Wall Thickness at Parapet: 6"
Diameter at Base: 11' 6"
Diameter at Parapet: 9'
Kind of Stairway and Steps: 3 flights wooden stairs & wood rails.
Number of Landings: None - winders at the turns.
Size of Glass: 14" x 18"
Number of Windows and Size of Sash: 3 - 2 light windows, sash 18" x 22"
Number of Doors: 2 paneled doors, 1 outside door & 1 into watchroom
Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: Stone about 4'
Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: On small island about 100' long & 50' wide of gravel & stone
Soil Susceptibility: There is a thin & irregular growth of grass around dwelling premises. There are trees.
Miscellaneous Remarks: Dwelling & out buildings are on a natural knoll on point to E'd of front range. Both towers are connected to mainland by hand laid stone dike.
Lantern and Fixtures
Order of Lantern: 4th
Shape of Lantern: Polygonal
Diameter to Glass: 7'
Diameter in the Clear: 6' 5.5"
Number of Sides: 8
Type of Bars: Vertical
Thickness of Bars:
Height Glazed: 35.5"
Number of Plates in Height: One
Number of Plates Each Side: One
Thickness of Plates: 5/16"
Size of Plates: Lantern glass 36" x 33 7/8"; Storm panes 36" x 32"
Number of Storm Panes: 2 - place for 1 on each glazed side.
Unglazed Side of Lantern: 2 sides @ 45 degrees = 90 degrees
What Bearings: SW 5/8 S & SE 5/8 E
Construction Material Lantern: Cast iron parapet lined with sheet iron & cast iron verticals; & C.I. plate dark panels.
Construction Material Roof / Cowl: Pyramidal cast iron, lined with zinc, held to batten strips screwed to flanges of roof plates.
Ventilator / Cowl: Cast iron
Lightning Spindle: Brass with platinum point
Description of Lightning Rod: 1/8" x 2" copper band attached to pinnacle of lantern & led down outside of tower into moist earth.
Balustrade: Octagonal gallery 27" wide, of wood covered with tin. Double pipe rail with pipe fittings.
Lantern Doors: 2 fold door of cast iron in parapet. Doors lined with sheet iron.
Floor of Lantern: Of wood flooring on wood joists.
Watchroom Doors: Wood trap door in floor of lantern. Wood step ladder leads to watchroom.
Parapet Diameter: 6' 6.5"
Ventilators
Location / Number: 4 in parapet - unprotected opening outside & brass valve registers inside
Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: None
Curtain Hooks / Hanger: Brass hooks screwed to soffit.


Watchroom
How is Watchroom Fitted: Locker of shelves built of wood for lamp supplies. 2 windows. Ground floor of tower used as cleaning room fitted with table & glass bot.
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"
Order of Apparatus: Reflector
Inside Diameter:
Light Characteristic:
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: Light rectangular framed pedestal of wood upon which headlight metal case rests.
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: Headlight lamp, A. W. knit wick No. 94 white chimney
Type of Illuminant:
Number of Spare Lamps: 1 spare headlight complete
Number of Spare Burners:
Candle Power:
Closets and Store Rooms
Tower Closet Use: Locker of shelves in watchroom for lamp supplies
Oil House Description: 100' W of dwelling on shore at E end of front dike.
Oil House Inside Dimension: 6' 6"
Oil House Construction Material: Vitrified red brick, metal slate hip roof & globe ventilator.
Oil House Capacity: 100 5-gal cans
Other (Describe): 1 closet & pantry, 1st floor of dwelling, 4 closets, 2nd floor. Cellar under whole house
Suitability: Suitable.
Dwelling
Location: On mainland, 100' E of dike & 750' E'd from tower.
Coloring: Red roof, walls bronze green on natural red brick foundation.
Construction Materials: Wood frame bldg, brick foundation, metal slate roof. Interior hardwood & pine finish.
Number of Rooms: 7 plus hall, pantry, 5 closets, cellar under whole house, Porch acr. front
Number of Dwellings:
Heating Plant:
Number of Keepers: 1 keeper & family
Furnished Quarters:
NOT Furnished Quarters:
Outhouses: 12' x 20' store shed wood patent siding & wood shingle roof; 10' x 10' hen house of battened boards & metal slate roof; 4' x 5' privy of batten boards & shingle roof; dog kennel & chicken yard.
Outhouse Coloring: All outbldgs metallic green with red roofs.
Paths and Walks: 200' cement walk. 200' more to be laid.
Area Inclosed: None, except hen yard which is 20' x 30' inclosed by wire netting fence, also garden.
Area of Garden: 100 x 300' inclosed by wire fence, abt 500' SE
Area Timber or Shrubbery: About 18 acres wooded
Cultivation Area Available: About 2 acres now cultivated is a hay field besides garden. Remainder in light shrubbery & scattering trees.
Area Cultivated: Ground now cultivated is low-lying.
Character of Surroundings: About premises is stony & gravel. To SE'd of bldgs is an alder swamp.
Stove, Maker:
Stove, Size:
Sink, Maker:
Sink, Size:
Pump, Maker:
Pump, Size:
Lamps:
Water
How Procured: From lake by bucket or from well.
Quality: Often muddy. Mud Lake very shallow. Well is clean.
Quantity: Ample
Injury Possible: Wind & seas make water muddy & Spring ice interferes with getting good water. Well water used when such conditions occur, but that water is very strong with lime.
Purity Precaution: No cistern
Tank Capacity:
Tank Material:
Distilling Apparatus: False
Distilling Manufacturer:
Well Description: 16' deep
Well Diameter: 4' (about)
Well Lining: Stone cribbed
Pump or Bucket: Pump
What Power Used:
Distance from Dwelling: 125' NW of dwelling.
Healthfulness
General Opinion: Healthfulness excellent
Diseases: None
Prevalency: No
Local Causes: No
Recommended Improvements: There is natural drainage.
Miscellaneous
Access to Lighthouse: Boathouse, 16' x 36' of vert. boards, battened, metal slate roof. Painted white with yellow trim & red roof. Fitted with iron winch & roller boatways. Outside is 10' x 16' tight board crib filled with stone alongside boatways.
Distance and Direction: Boathouse is abt 100' SW'ly from dwelling & just S of N dike.
Miscellaneous Remarks: Conn'd to shore by dike built of large boulders & broken stone laid by hand. Top abt. 30" wide & sides slope steeply to bottom under 5' of water at deepest point. Dike is 650' long & 3' abv water, ext. from E side of Isld to pt 100' W'ly of dwelling.