1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

Cape Foulweather, sea-coast of Oregon.---An estimate was submitted last year for a sea-coast light at this point. A reservation of the necessary land has been made. This being one of the outlying points on the Pacific coast upon which a first-class light must be placed, sooner or later, and in consideration of the commerce of that coast, the estimate is renewed this year.

408. Cape Foulweather, sea-coast of Oregon.---For the erection of a first-class sea-coast Light at or near this point there was appropriated at the last session of Congress $90,000. It is proposed to erect a brick tower eighty feet from the ground to the focal plane, giving the focal plane a height of about one hundred and fifty feet above sea level. The plans have been completed; work was commenced about September 1, and will be completed during the present fiscal year.

Yaquina Head (Cape Foulweather) Light Station List for 1893 N.E. by N., 2 miles.

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YAQUINA HEAD LIGHT-STATION, OREG., NE. by N., 2 MILES 1897 ??? 1901

Notice to Mariners (No. 90.) United States of America - Pacific Coast

Oregon - Yaquina Bay

Notice is hereby given, that a light will be exhibited on the evening of October 1, 1871, and on every evening thereafter, from sunset to sunrise, from a recently erected low square wooden tower, rising from the keeper's dwelling (painted white) on the north front of the entrance to Yaquina Bay, Oregon.

The structure stands 120 feet above the mean sea level, and the light 40 feet from the base of the tower, giving a focal plane of 160 feet above mean sea level.

The light will be a fixed white (underlined) light, of the 5th order of Fresnel, illuminating an arc of 240 degrees of the horizon.

The dwelling and tower are painted white (underlined). The dome of the lantern and gallery balusters are painted red (underlined).

Notice to Mariners No. 34, of 1873

United States of America - Pacific Coast - Oregon

Fixed White Light at Cape Foulweather, (Yaquina Head)

Notice is hereby given that, on and after the evening of August 20, 1873, a fixed white light will be shown from the tower recently erected on Cape Foulweather, (Yaquina Head,) Oregon.

The focal plane is at a height of 81 feet above the ground and 150 feet above sea level. In clear weather, the eye being 15 feet above sea level, the light should be seen at a distance of 18 1/2 nautical miles.

The illuminating apparatus is a lens of the 1st order, fixed, illuminating 240 degrees of the horizon.

The tower is of brick, painted white, and the lantern is painted black.

The keeper's dwelling, a two story frame building east of the tower, is painted white.

The approximate position of the light-house is as follows:

Latitude 44 degrees 43' 30" North Longitude 124 degrees 5' West

From the light-house, Cape Disappointment (Hancock) light-house bears N. by W. 3/4 W. 94 nautical miles; Yaquina (Harbor) light-house bears S.E. by S. 1/4 S. 3 1/4 nautical miles; Cape Perpetua bears S. by E. 3/4 E. 24 nautical miles; Cape Arago (Gregory) light-house bears S. by E. 84 nautical miles.

By order of the Light-House Board:

Joseph Henry, Chairman

Treasury Department Office Light-House board, Washington, D.C., July 25, 1873

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Distance to the nearest public road, railroad station, or steamboat landing, and to which. The distance to the nearest public road, at Newport in Yaquina Bay, is five miles.

Tower or other means used for supporting the lantern and apparatus. Tower

Number of separate lights. One

When first built or established. 1870

When last thoroughly rebuilt, repaired, or renovated. Slight repairs made in 1880

Condition at this date. Good

Shape of tower in plan. Circular

Height of tower from base to focal plane of lantern. Eighty one (81) feet

Height of focal plane of lantern above the mean sea or lake level. one hundred and fifty one (151) feet

Back ground of the light-house, upon which it is projected, as seen from the sea or lake. Dark

Color of tower. White

Color of tower, how produced. Painted

Tower—connected with keepers’ dwelling, and how, or detached. Detached

Object: sea-coast, lake-coast, bay, harbor, channel, or range; for general or local navigating purposes. Sea Coast

Materials of which the tower is built. Brick

General description, embracing— Thickness of walls at base. Three (3) feet Thickness of walls at parapet. Twenty (20) feet Diameter of tower at base. Twenty eight (28) feet Diameter of tower at parapet. Sixteen (16) feet

1873 say that the manufacturers have templates for the posts, so that they can get the sizes and positions of the holes in the lantern posts exactly, but this is not the case in regard to the rafters. The manufacturers state that a Scotch drill complete, with all necessary drills and tools (to do the drilling by any ordinary workman) can be packed with the lantern posts and rafters and will cost eighty (80) dollars.

If you should conclude on receipt of this to do so, you can telegraph to the Board in time to order them.

Feb. 28 From Engineer Secretary Major G.H. Elliot To Major H.M. Robert Corps Engineers Sir: You will please report to the Board, at your earliest convenience, your opinion of the necessity of a Light House at the mouth of the river Umpqua, on the coast of Oregon, the interests of commerce and navigation such Light House would subserve; the proposed height of the focal plane if a Light House is built: and the estimated cost of the work.

You will please report, also, whether a screw-pile Light House which can be removed, when the shifting of the site upon which it is erected requires it (such a one as is used in eastern harbors and bays) would not, in your opinion be suitable for such a locality.

Your full investigation and report are requested.