Report for Pedras Blancas Light Station (California) - 1907
| General |
| District: | 12th |
| Inspector: | Chas. S. Kanun, Keeper |
| Location: | |
| Date of Report: | 07/02/1907 |
| Latitude: | 35° 39' 51" |
| Longitude: | 121° 17' 05" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Public Land |
| Date of Reservation: | 06/10/1866 |
| Date of Deed: | |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | 19.89 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | 19.89 acres |
| Character of Soil: | Rocky in vicinity of tower, rest is sandy |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | 360' |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | On E side of reservation a landing, but not over water. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | No road, distance from tower to wharf abt 550' |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By boat to San Simeon then by private conveyance to light or RR to San Luis Obispo, then by stage or automobile to San Simeon, & private conveyance to light. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | San Simeon 7 miles; 1/2 mile to county road. |
| Distance to Post Office: | San Simeon 7 miles |
| Distance to Village: | San Simeon 7 miles |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None from San Simeon |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | By hiring ranch team or Keeper's rig from lighthouse |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Conical brick tower |
| Number of Separate Lights: | None |
| First Built or Established: | 1874 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Good |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Conical. Base of tower polygonal, base of parapet polygonal |
| Form of Tower: | Conical |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | 100' |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 141' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Rolling land for about 5 miles then mountains |
| Color of Tower: | White, with black trimmings |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Whitewash & black paint |
| Tower Connection: | Detached |
| Object of Navigation: | General navigating purposes, seacoast of CA. |
| Building Materials: | Brick & cast iron |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 4' 10" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 18" |
| Diameter at Base: | Inside dia. 24' |
| Diameter at Parapet: | 12' 2" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Cast iron half spiral from landing to landing |
| Number of Landings: | 5 |
| Size of Glass: | 7 1/4" x 13" - 11" x 12" |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 8 - 2' 6.5" x 18"; 6 - 3' 1.5" x 2' 3/4" |
| Number of Doors: | 1 double door entrance to tower 7' x 23" |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Concrete |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Rocky |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Yes |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 1st order, polygonal |
| Shape of Lantern: | Polygonal |
| Diameter to Glass: | 12' |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | 16 |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 10' |
| Number of Plates in Height: | 3 |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | 3 |
| Thickness of Plates: | 3/8" |
| Size of Plates: | Lower 31" x 28"; Middle 29 1/4" x 28"; top 44" x 28" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | 3 |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | All glazed |
| What Bearings: | |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Iron, copper roof brass |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Round copper roof, lined on inside with zinc. |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | 30" copper ball |
| Lightning Spindle: | Copper |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | None |
| Balustrade: | Cast iron |
| Lantern Doors: | No door in lantern |
| Floor of Lantern: | Corrugated cast iron & deck lights. |
| Watchroom Doors: | Wooden door, wood casings. |
| Parapet Diameter: | Round 18" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | Lower part of lantern |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | Patent rollers |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | 1 locker with 3 doors for storing lamp tools etc. |
| How is Relief Called: | Intercommunicating telephone connecting signal, tower & keeper's quarters |
| Where is Call System Led: | Signal - tower - keeper quarters |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | 3 hrs |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry LePaute |
| Year Made: | 1872 |
| Marks and Number: | |
| Order of Apparatus: | 1st |
| Inside Diameter: | 4' 10" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed white varied by white flash |
| Time of Revolution: | 2 min |
| Flash Interval: | .25 sec |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | 22.5 degrees |
| Number of Panels: | 16 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | 8 |
| Arc of Each: | 11.5 degrees |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 16 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 18 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 8 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | True |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | 12" x 2' & sits on top of clock case |
| Service Table: | Cast iron |
| Draft Tube Description: | Russia Iron stove pipe 5" dia 6' long & portable. Sits in sleeve in damper pipe & extends up into the ventilator ball. |
| Revolving Machinery: | Revolving clock work machinery |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | Chariot wheels. |
| Chariot Description: | 10 Chariot wheels 5.5" dia. solid brass wheel round bearing surface. |
| Length of Drop Tube: | 34" |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | 3 hrs |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | Encased in round iron & glass case with 4 doors |
| Regulated: | By ball governor & weights on rod. |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | |
| Red Sectors Description: | |
| Where Color Attached: | |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | 1st order - 5 wicks French lamp. |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1 |
| Number of Spare Burners: | 3 |
| Candle Power: |
| Clock Cord Description |
| Revolving Cord: | Steel cable |
| Size of Clock Cord: | |
| Length of Clock Cord: | |
| How Led: | From drum of clockwork to base of tower through sheave on weights then up to first landing. |
| Diameter and Length of Clock Drum: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | 1 closet in bottom of tower fitted with shelves & drawer for storing wicks, chimneys, & etc. |
| Oil House Description: | No oil room or house. Oil is stored in bottom of tower. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | None |
| Suitability: |
| Fog Signal General |
| Fog Signal Kind: | 1 20 HP Hornsby Akroyd oil engine 10" whistle; 1 25 HP Meitz & Weiss oil engine 10 " whistle |
| Time to Start: | 20 min |
| How Long Will Pressure Last: | |
| Manufacturer: | De La Vergne Mfg Co., NY & August Meitz, NY |
| Year of Manufacture: | |
| Characteristic: | 2 sec blast every 20 sec. |
| Duplication: | Engines & compressors |
| Timing Device: | Crosby |
| If whistle, siren, or trumpet, Pressure at Which Blown: | Whistle - 10" 40 lbs pressure |
| Height Above Water: | |
| Compass Direction: | |
| Location: | Entrance to San Simeon Bay |
| Distance and Direction: | 170' W of tower |
| Water Supply: | Water from fog signal roof |
| Reached from Lighthouse: | By trail |
| Description of Fog Signal Building: | Red brick truss roof (5 trusses) |
| Pressure And Recording Gauge: |
| Compressed Air |
| Compressed Air Machinery: | |
| Kind: | 1 Hornsby Akroyd 20 HP; 1 Meitz & Weiss 25 HP |
| Manufacturer: | Hornsby-Akroyd & Meitz-Weiss |
| Date Made: | |
| Nominal Size: | |
| Horsepower: | 20 & 25 HP |
| Compressor: | Bury |
| Compressor Manufacturer: | Bury |
| Compressor Bed and Gear: | 1 geared; 1 by chain belt driven |
| Whistle Signal |
| Whistle Diameter: | 10" |
| Whistle Height: | 20 |
| Whistle Orifice: | 3" |
| Whistle Tone: | |
| Whistle Chime: |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Old dwelling 50' NE of tower; New dwelling 125' NE of tower |
| Coloring: | White, red trimmings |
| Construction Materials: | Wood |
| Number of Rooms: | Old - 12 + attic; new - 5 & bath + attic |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | Old has 3 assts - 1st asst has 6 rooms, others 3 each. |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Warehouse, blacksmith, 4 wood sheds |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Whitewash |
| Paths and Walks: | None |
| Area Inclosed: | None |
| Area of Garden: | None |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | |
| Area Cultivated: | |
| Character of Surroundings: | Sandy |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | Rain water from roofs of bldgs |
| Quality: | Fair |
| Quantity: | Not enough to supply station |
| Injury Possible: | |
| Purity Precaution: | Cleaning tanks |
| Tank Capacity: | 3 - 10,000 gal tanks back of dwelling; 2 5000 gal tanks back of new dwelling; 1 - 5000 gal tank at fog signal |
| Tank Material: | Redwood |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | 5 5/8" casing 65' deep water not fit for use. |
| Well Diameter: | 5 5/8" |
| Well Lining: | Well casing |
| Pump or Bucket: | Pump & windmill |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: | 300' |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthy |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | |
| Recommended Improvements: | No |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Landing for supplies on lower end of station with derrick - no winch. Wharf is built on rocks but doesn't project over water. Steamer landing at San Simeon 7 miles. Road sandy & dusty & in winter boggy & generally poor. |
| Distance and Direction: | Lighthouse landing 200 yds from tower - no road. Steamer landing 7 miles by wagon road. |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: |