Report for Fourteen Foot Bank (Delaware) - 1910
| General |
| District: | 4th |
| Inspector: | Ray L. Hankinson |
| Location: | Located on Fourteen Foot Bank on the westerly side of main ship channel in the lower Delaware Bay |
| Date of Report: | 04/14/1910 |
| Latitude: | 39° 02' 54" |
| Longitude: | 75° 10 ' 57" |
| Premises |
| Site: | In navigable water on Fourteen Foot Bank, Delaware Bay |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 02/16/1883 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 9 98/100 acre |
| Area Inclosed: | None |
| Character of Soil: | No soil |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | Lighthouse surrounded by water |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | Landing ladder lowered from 1st balcony of lighthouse |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | No road |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By means of tenders, launches or other vessels |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | About 15 miles by boat to Bivalve, NJ |
| Distance to Post Office: | About 13 miles to Bowers, Del. Keeper gets mail at Lewes, Del. |
| Distance to Village: | About 13 miles to Bowers, Del. |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By vessels only; Launches can sometimes by obtained at Lewes, Del. or Bivalve, NJ. Distance to Bivalve, NJ about 15 miles |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Lantern tower on dwelling |
| Number of Separate Lights: | One |
| First Built or Established: | 1876 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | 1886 |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Square |
| Form of Tower: | Cylindrical |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | About 42' |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 59' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Sky |
| Color of Tower: | Brown |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Paint |
| Tower Connection: | Lantern tower is on Keeper's dwelling |
| Object of Navigation: | Bay light for general navigation purposes, also Channel Light |
| Building Materials: | Cast iron |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | About 5" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | About 5" |
| Diameter at Base: | Lantern tower is square 11' 6" x 11' 6" |
| Diameter at Parapet: | See above |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wooden |
| Number of Landings: | None but the floors of dwelling |
| Size of Glass: | 10" x 22" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 4 chick rail windows size of opening = 24.5' wide x 50' high |
| Number of Doors: | 20 |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Cast iron caisson filled with concrete 23' below surface of shoal. |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | No soil |
| Soil Susceptibility: | No soil |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | The light station is in good condition. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 7' 1" |
| Diameter in the Clear: | 6' 6" |
| Number of Sides: | 8 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 3' 0" |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | About 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 2' 10 1/4" x 3' 0.5" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | Spare panes of glass are kept at station |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | None |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Cast iron & copper |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Copper |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Copper |
| Lightning Spindle: | Brass |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | Entire structure acts as lightning conductor |
| Balustrade: | Iron |
| Lantern Doors: | Cast iron double doors, hinged & bolted. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Cast iron |
| Watchroom Doors: | Sheet steel door in floor of lantern, hung on hinges & provided with a handle. |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 7.5" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Tapped into lintels of lantern |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | Has 4 windows, one cupboard, a closet & a ladder leading to the lantern. |
| How is Relief Called: | None |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | About 6 hours |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry LePaute, Paris |
| Year Made: | 1886 |
| Marks and Number: | Henry Le Paute Paris 1886 |
| Order of Apparatus: | 4th |
| Inside Diameter: | About 19.5" or 500m.m. |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed white, alternately 14 sec & 40 sec, eclipse 3 sec to the eastward of NNW & SSE 1/8 E. Fixed red varied by eclipse as above throughout remaining sector. |
| Time of Revolution: | Not moveable |
| Flash Interval: | 3 sec |
| Duration of Flash: | 14 sec & 40 sec |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | Fixed 360 degrees |
| Number of Panels: | 4 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | None |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 6 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 3 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | False |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | By cylindrical occulting shade, raised & lowered by clockwork. |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | Cast iron about 3' 6" high |
| Service Table: | Cast iron, attached to pedestal, about 31 1/4" above floor |
| Draft Tube Description: | None |
| Revolving Machinery: | Does not revolve |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | About 29' |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | About 6 hours |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | By glass case |
| Regulated: | By vertical 2-fan governor |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | |
| Red Sectors Description: | Between and to the westward of NNW and SSE 1/8 E |
| Where Color Attached: | Attached to lantern |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | One wick, 4th order |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 2, 3 lamps in all |
| Number of Spare Burners: | None, except on spare lamps |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | Clock cord runs from clock through lantern floor to traveling pulley on ceiling of Watchroom, thence horiz. to weight box. |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Vapor Oil Lamp |
| Number of Wicks or Mantels: | |
| Diameter of Outside Wick: | 1.5" |
| Diameter of Mantel: | |
| Diameter of Circum Circle: |
| Occulting Light |
| Characteristic: | See light characteristic |
| Time Limit: | From about 2 sec eclipse, 9 sec light, 2 sec eclipse, 20 sec light to about 3 sec eclipse, 19 sec light, 3 sec eclipse, 47 sec light. |
| Eclipse Type: | Sleeve |
| Size and Amplitude: | Sleeve drum 3.5"; length 8"; movement 5.5" |
| Axis Rotation: | |
| Axis Relation: | |
| Screen Revolution: | |
| Screen Number: | |
| Screen Time: | |
| Screen Form: | |
| Screen Mounting: | |
| Screen Order: | 4th |
| Screen Date: | No date; Keeper states clock put in about 1890 |
| Valve Maker: | |
| Valve Pattern: | |
| Reliability: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | Closet & cupboard in tower filled with shelves |
| Oil House Description: | In basement, no shelves |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | 44" x 39" |
| Oil House Construction Material: | Brick |
| Oil House Capacity: | About 50, 5-gallon cans |
| Other (Describe): | Provision room in basement fitted with shelves, pantry on 1st floor with shelves, each used for provisions. 2 other closets on 1st floor & 5 on 2nd floor used for various storage purposes. |
| Suitability: | Dry & suitable |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | 2nd class Daboll trumpet operated by an engine & compressor |
| Time to Start: | About 15 minutes |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | Engine #1 - August Meitz Iron Foundry & Machine Works; #2 Delaneator Iron Works |
| Year of Manufacture: | #1 - 1903; #2 not known |
| Characteristic: | 5 sec blast; 25 sec silence |
| Duplication: | There are no duplicate parts, but 2 separate sets of apparatus |
| Timing Device: | Cam wheel operated by a worm gear |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | 6 lbs |
| Height Above Water: | About 13.5' |
| Compass Direction: | Approx. N 67 degrees E |
| Location: | Fog signal located in basement of lighthouse with trumpet extending outward on channel side |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Water Supply: | #1 by tank in basement; #2 doesn't require water |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | In basement of lighthouse |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Not a separate building |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Compressed Air |
| Compressed Air Machinery: | |
| Kind: | # 1 Oil Engine; #2 hot air engine |
| Manufacturer: | #1 August Meitz; #2 Delaneator iron works |
| Date Made: | #1 1903; #2 not known |
| Nominal Size: | #1 24" x 36"; #2 42" x 84" |
| Horsepower: | #1 4HP; #2 not known |
| Compressor: | #1 10" x 6" Class E; #2 part of engine |
| Compressor Manufacturer: | #1 Ingersoll Sargeant Drill Co.; #2 Delaneator |
| Compressor Bed and Gear: | #1 separate & belt driven; #2 forms part of engine |
| Daboll Signal |
| Daboll: | 2nd class |
| Daboll Reed: | Steel |
| Daboll Length: | 12" |
| Daboll Breadth: | 3 1/4" |
| Daboll Base Thickness: | 3/4" |
| Daboll Tip Thickness: | 1/2" |
| Trumpet Signal |
| Trumpet: | |
| Trumpet Length: | About 8 |
| Trumpet Diameter: | Large end 24" |
| Trumpet Material: | Copper |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Connected direct to tower |
| Coloring: | Brown |
| Construction Materials: | Cast iron, lined with wood |
| Number of Rooms: | 5 |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 3 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | 2 cast iron privies |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Brown |
| Paths and Walks: | None except balcony |
| Area Inclosed: | None |
| Area of Garden: | None |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | None |
| Area Cultivated: | None |
| Character of Surroundings: | Situated in Delaware Bay |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From roof of lighthouse & a canvas tarpaulin |
| Quality: | Not good for drinking purposes |
| Quantity: | Ample |
| Injury Possible: | Not liable. Keepers catch drinking water by means of a canvas tarpaulin & store in barrels |
| Purity Precaution: | Downspouts have been provided with cut-offs |
| Tank Capacity: | 2 tanks in basement, capacity 2000 gal. |
| Tank Material: | Wood |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | |
| Recommended Improvements: |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Landing is made by means of landing ladder lowered from the 1st balcony. |
| Distance and Direction: | |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | This station presents a neat appearance, is well kept & is in good repair & efficient. It is in contemplation to recommend replacement of hot air engine by a W&W oil engine. |