Report for Fenwick Island Light Station (Delaware) - 1907
| General |
| District: | 4th |
| Inspector: | H. Bamber, Assistant Engineer, and others |
| Location: | Located on the seacoast of Delaware, 19 3/4 miles below Cape Henlopen Light |
| Date of Report: | 11/25/1907 |
| Latitude: | 38° 27' 04" |
| Longitude: | 75° 03' 18" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchase |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 01/13/1858 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 10 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | 10 acres |
| Character of Soil: | Sandy loam |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 1650' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | Board & wire fences |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | None |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | None |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By railroad to Frankford, Del. thence by private conveyance to station. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | Station is on State Line Ave. of plot of Fenwick Island City. Distance to nearest used public road is about 3/4 mile. Distance to nearest railroad station (Frankford) is 12 miles by road. |
| Distance to Post Office: | About 2.5 miles by road to Bayville, Del. |
| Distance to Village: | About 2.5 miles by road to Bayville, Del. where there is a post office & 1 small store. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | Teams can be hired in Frankford |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | One |
| First Built or Established: | 1858 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Circular |
| Form of Tower: | Conical |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | About 84' 5" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 78' .5" above 1st floor; 80' 11" above ground |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Trees & sky |
| Color of Tower: | White |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Whitewashed |
| Tower Connection: | Detached |
| Object of Navigation: | Sea coast for general navigating purposes |
| Building Materials: | Brick |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | Outer wall about 27"; inner wall about 9" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | Outer wall about 18"; inner wall about 9" |
| Diameter at Base: | Above stone water table 18' 4 5/8"; below 19' 7" |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 10' 3" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Cast iron spiral stairway |
| Number of Landings: | 4 |
| Size of Glass: | 8" x 10" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 5 inc watchroom; all double sash about 1 3/8" x 2' 4.5" x 3' 10" |
| Number of Doors: | 3, inc watchroom & balcony doors |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Rubblestone masonry on grillage.Depth about 12' 6" below ground & 15' 6" below 1st floor. Keeper stated that when well was dug, a stratum of mud about 3' was found at 8' depth. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Sandy loam |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Yes |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Site is on Fenwick Island, a flat island of beach sand, cultivated land and salt marsh. A small portion is wooded. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 3rd |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' 9" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 10 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | About 5' 2 2/8" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | 2 |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | 2 |
| Thickness of Plates: | About 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 2' 5.5" x 2' 7" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | One |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Tin, cast iron plates with wrought iron butt strip |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron. Cylindrical with hemispherical top |
| Lightning Spindle: | Copper rod 5/8" x about 3' supported by 4-arm iron base, lashed to ventilator |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | 1/2" copper cable leads from eye in lower end of spindle down outside of lantern & front of tower to std. ground connection. |
| Balustrade: | Deck cast iron. Iron railing no balusters, wirre guards attached |
| Lantern Doors: | Frame wooden door, fitted with a common iron bolt |
| Floor of Lantern: | Cast iron |
| Watchroom Doors: | Framed wooden door, upper half glazed, fitted with brass iron lock. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 8' 0.5" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 5 2" ventilators in lower part of lantern, having inside swinging iron covers |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Iron hook attached to the lintel, above each post. |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Has small heating stove & small service table |
| How is Relief Called: | There is a magneto call bell for each of the 2 keepers |
| Where is Call System Led: | The wires, encased in lead, run down inside wall of tower to top of 1st window then down outside of tower & underground to dwelling. |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | 5 hours |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Lens: L. Daulton et Cir.; Clock: Geo. M. Stevens |
| Year Made: | Lens, not known; Clock 1878 |
| Marks and Number: | Lens: L Daulton et Cir. Constructeum a Paris; clock Geo. M. Stevens, Boston Mass. Aug 1878 |
| Order of Apparatus: | 3rd |
| Inside Diameter: | 3' 3.5" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed white, varied by a white flash every 2 minutes |
| Time of Revolution: | 6 minutes |
| Flash Interval: | 2 minnutes |
| Duration of Flash: | About 30 seconds |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | Fixed part covers 288 degrees, reflector 72 degrees, dark sector lies between |
| Number of Panels: | 5, one is blank except for a silver plated reflector 24" x 2' 2". Above & below the central belt, the prisms have center rib supports. |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 3 |
| Arc of Each: | About 45 degrees |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 13 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 11 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 4 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | False |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | 3 |
| How Flash is Produced: | 3 flash panels of vertical elements are mounted on a frame outside of lens, revolved by a weight actuated clock. |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | 7 in upper half, & 7 in lower half. |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | 24 upper elements |
| Pedestal: | Cast iron. Dia. shaft 7 3/8'. Height to chariot track 5' 10 5/8" |
| Service Table: | Small painted wooden table |
| Draft Tube Description: | None |
| Revolving Machinery: | Weight actuated clock |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | On chariot |
| Chariot Description: | Chariot has 6 carrying wheels, about 4 3/4" dia. & 12 guide wheels, about 2 1/4" dia.. Wheels are bronze. Diameter of track about 17 3/8". |
| Length of Drop Tube: | About 17.5" Tube is wrought iron, about 8" dia. & projects from wall of tower about 1/2 its diameter. |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | 5 hours |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | By a cast iron case about 17' x 2' 2.5" & 22 3/4" high. Case has 6 bronze frame glass doors & stands on a 4-post cast iron table 3' 1" high. |
| Regulated: | By vertical 2-ball, 4-wing governor. Lower wings are about 4" x 4 5/8" & uppers about 2 3/8" x 4" |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | No color |
| Red Sectors Description: | No red sectors |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | Standard 4th order |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | One (small) |
| Number of Spare Burners: | |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | Cord is iron wire, 3/16" dia. It leads vertically down from the drum of the clock through the watchroom floor, thence horiz. to top of weight tube in tower wall. |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | None |
| Oil House Description: | Frame oil house 8' x 10; is located about 14' S of tower. It has wooden floor & is provided with shelves or benches for oil can cases. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | 4 closets in dwelling #1 fitted with shelves & hooks & used for clothes. Dwelling #2 has 6 closets fitted with shelves & hooks & used for clothes. Attic & cellar are used for storage purposes. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | 25' in the clear, W of the tower; #2 about 19' 3" E. |
| Coloring: | White, with lead colored door & window casings & green shutters. |
| Construction Materials: | Wood on brick wall foundations |
| Number of Rooms: | #1- 8; #2 - 6 besides summer kitchen & garret |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | One |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Frame oil house, frame barn, 2 frame privies |
| Outhouse Coloring: | White with lead colored trimmings |
| Paths and Walks: | Brick & board walks connect tower and outbuildings except barn. |
| Area Inclosed: | 10 acres with board & wire fences |
| Area of Garden: | One about 50' x 180' & another about 50' x 50' |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | About 2 acres in woodland (Keeper) |
| Cultivation Area Available: | About 6 acres |
| Area Cultivated: | About 6 acres |
| Character of Surroundings: | Beach & salt marsh |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From well & roofs of dwellings by means of downspouts to cisterns |
| Quality: | Good |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | Downspouts have been provided with cut-offs. |
| Tank Capacity: | Under dwelling # 2 cap about 2800 gals. |
| Tank Material: | Cistern is brick |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | Open well, about 11' deep (6' of water in it 1887) |
| Well Diameter: | 3' |
| Well Lining: | Lined with brick |
| Pump or Bucket: | Pump |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: | Well is under kitchen of dwelling #1. |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | None(keeper) |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | |
| Recommended Improvements: |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | The general character and condition of the premises are good. |