Report for St. Clair Flats Canal Lower (Michigan) - 1909
| General |
| District: | 11th |
| Inspector: | Ralph R. Tinkham |
| Location: | On lower or S'ly end of W pier of entrance to United States Ship Canal. |
| Date of Report: | 04/17/1909 |
| Latitude: | 42° 31' 09.70" |
| Longitude: | 82° 41' 15.31" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Permission to occupy the pierhead granted by War Dept. |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | 01/03/1870 |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 13,400 sq. ft. |
| Area Inclosed: | |
| Character of Soil: | Sand |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | 45' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | 18' timber bulkhead 7' above water extends across end of pier, along W side 103' to boat harbor, & 57' along S side of boat harbor. Remainder inclosed by revetment of piles & sheet piling, tied thru pier by rods. |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Boat landing alongside of boathouse in boat harbor, or may land at revetment on canal side of site. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | Cement walk to canal revetment and to boat house. |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By boat only. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | 23 miles by water to Detroit; 1 3/4 miles to "The Old Club" dock, St. Clair's MI. |
| Distance to Post Office: | 1 3/4 miles to The Old Club. |
| Distance to Village: | Old Club is nearest boat landing. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | By passenger steamer from Detroit to The Old Club |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By tender or launch from Detroit or the Flats. |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | 1 |
| First Built or Established: | 1871 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Octagonal |
| Form of Tower: | Vertical octagonal prism with abutments. |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 46' 9" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 45' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Pier is lightly grown with willow - otherwise clear sky. |
| Color of Tower: | Red |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Natural color of red brick |
| Tower Connection: | Connected to Keeper's dwelling forming S corner of bldg. |
| Object of Navigation: | Coast light to mark entrance to United States Ship Canal. |
| Building Materials: | Stone (cut) to 6' above grade, remainder of red brick. |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 18" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 18" |
| Diameter at Base: | 10' |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 10' |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Circular winding, cast iron steps; no railing. |
| Number of Landings: | 3 besides lantern deck; 1 1/4 landing, 2 5/8 landings |
| Size of Glass: | 10" x 14" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 3: 1- 8 lt. sash 25.5" x 32"; 2- 4lt casement sash 24.5" x 32" |
| Number of Doors: | 2, steel plate doors, 1st & 2nd floors. Door frame in basement, but no door. |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Stone 6' below surface on timber piles & sills. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Sand as dredged from canal channel & thrown up to form pier. |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Surface around dwelling topped w/ black loam season 1909 & seeded. Willows grow entire lgth of pier. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Season 1909 besides grading & seeding, cement walks to be laid & barn or woodshed built. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' 3/4" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | 6' 6" |
| Number of Sides: | 10 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 3' |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 5/16" |
| Size of Plates: | 26 3/4" x 40" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Cast iron parapet & verticals; wood lining to parapet. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Pyramidal in 10 cast iron plates, lined with zinc. A tin cone lens protector is suspended beneath ventilator. |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Lightning Spindle: | Brass with platinum point. |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 1/2" copper wire rope fastened thru a hole in lantern deck & leading down NE side of tower into ground. |
| Balustrade: | Octagonal, cast iron, gallery 30" wide; Balustrade; top & bottom rail of 1 3/4" x 5/8" flat bar & 1" wrought iron posts fitted with ball tops. |
| Lantern Doors: | 1 single fold door of 5/8" cast iron in parapet, fitted with brass bolt & hinges. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Cast iron in 4 plates. |
| Watchroom Doors: | Steel plate trap door in floor with hand hole lift & brass hinges. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 10 sides lined with wood; 3' 6" high; & 6' 6" inside dia. |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 5 ventilators in parapet; brass register valves inside, iron hoods outside. |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None needed. |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Small brass hooks screwed to verticals. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | No watchroom. About 10' below lantern deck is a 5/8 landing, lighted by a 4-light casement window & fitted with a closet of shelves in wall for lamp supplies, etc. |
| How is Relief Called: | |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | L. Sautter & Co., Paris |
| Year Made: | Not given |
| Marks and Number: | None |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | 19 7/8" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed |
| Time of Revolution: | |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | Each panel of lens 90 degrees. |
| Number of Panels: | 4, 1 of them a door |
| Number of Flash Panels: | |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | Central belt, 2 elements above & 2 below. |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 6 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 4 |
| 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, bell top & bottom. |
| Service Table: | Wrought iron, fan shaped in plan, attached near top of pedestal. |
| Draft Tube Description: | None |
| Revolving Machinery: | Fixed lens mounted on horiz. cross & ring pivots on a stud center & for convenience in cleaning is revolved by hand on 4 2" chariot wheels bearing on top of pedestal. |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | Not used: from beneath lantern deck to cellar floor of tower, 37'. Flue in wall, 10x10" sect. having openings top & bottom, top closed by wood door. |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | |
| Regulated: | |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | Ruby chimneys used on lamps. |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | To illuminating apparatus. |
| Form of Colored Glass: | Lamp chimney |
| Lamp Description: | Funck Heap, 4th order single wick. |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2 in use, 1 spare; total at station 3 |
| Number of Spare Burners: | 1 burner to each lamp. |
| Candle Power: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | Small closet of shelves in wall below lantern deck. |
| Oil House Description: | Situated near revetment, E side of boat harbor, 90' NE of tower |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 6' dia. |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Circular steel plate lined with brick, conical steel roof with ventilator. |
| Oil House Capacity: | 45 5-gal cans (225 gals) |
| Other (Describe): | 3 closets on 1st floor of dwelling, 1 on 2nd floor. Boathouse used as storeroom. |
| Suitability: | Suitable. |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Attached: tower forms part of dwelling. |
| Coloring: | Red - natural color of red brick; red roof; green window blinds. |
| Construction Materials: | Cut stone to 6' above grade, remainder of red brick. Wood shingle roof. Brick chimney with top of sheet iron stove pipe & ventilator. Wood window blinds. |
| Number of Rooms: | 10 rooms, 4 closets, water closet off entry to kitchen. |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 & family |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Boathouse, oil house, (woodshed to be built, season 1909) Woodshed of wood construction,12' x 14' plan. |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Boathouse white, oil house red. |
| Paths and Walks: | None at present. Cement walks to be laid (1909) around 1 side, front & rear of dwelling & to boat house, 2.5' wide, to oil house & wood shed. |
| Area Inclosed: | By revetment & bulkheads of canal pier only. |
| Area of Garden: | None |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None, except a few willows on site. |
| Cultivation Area Available: | None |
| Area Cultivated: | None |
| Character of Surroundings: | Pier is of sand inclosed by revetment with bulkheads at ends, 100' wide & about 7000' long. |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From lake by pump & pipe line. |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | |
| Tank Capacity: | 1 small galv. iron tank in kitchen behind pump used for flushing W.C. |
| Tank Material: | |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | By pump - Deming Co., Salem, MA. |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: | At kitchen sink. |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Good |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | No |
| Local Causes: | No |
| Recommended Improvements: | None needed. |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Boathouse 28' 6" x 21' 6" in plan. Floor inside is 12' wide, remainder being open for boat well. Built of vertical boards, battened, 1 side being formed by S bulkhead of boat harbor. Landing 6' wide of plank extends lgth of boathouse, on N side. No road. |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Bulkhead of 12" horiz. timbers laid close. Roof of boathouse is wood shingles, 1/3 pitch, peak of ridge being off center- 8' horiz. from N side. Door in E end used, 1 in N side onto boat landing is not. Boat landing extends to revetment at E end of harbor |