1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

Enclosure.

(All communications should be addressed to "CHAIRMAN OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD".)

Treasury Department Office of the Light-House Board Washington, 16 December, 1889

Sir:

The Senate Committee on Commerce referred by its letter of 9 Dec. '89, to this Office for its opinion, Senate Bill 459, appropriating $80,000 for the establishment of a first order coast light-house on the headlands near Newport, at Yaquina Bay, Oregon. A copy of that bill is herewith enclosed.

An Adverse report was made upon this matter from your office by letter of 3 Jan'y '88, and the Board in formal session also made adverse report upon the proposition, but as the matter is again formally referred to this Office, you are again requested to make report upon the matter, taking into consideration any new facts which may have come to your knowledge since the date of the last report.

Respectfully,

???

Commander, U.S.N. Naval Secretary

the question of the necessity for a light at or near Yaquina Bay, Oregon, in connection with a general programme for lighting the Pacific Coast, and as a necessary prelimniary (preliminary???) have secured by reservation a sufficient quantity of land for this purpose. It is not deemed advisable, in advance of the next annual estimates, to call for further appropriation for the Pacific Coast. The subject of the improvement of the harbor of Queenstown, Maryland, referred to in the petition, does not come within the province of the Board. The papers are herewith returned.

______________________________________________

Feb 19th, 1869

From Chairman L.H. Board Adml. W.B. Shubrick

Sir: I have had the honor to receive the letter from H. E. Stilley Esq., addressed to Hon John Poole and referred to this Board for report. The buoys in the District embracing North Carolina are attended ( raised cleaned, painted &c) by the regular Buoy Tender, which vessel, is now provided with a competent master. The letter is returned.

______________________________________________

Feb 19th, 1869

From Chairman L.H. Board Adml. W.B. Shubrick

(in)spection of the premises resulted in the opinion that a change of Keepers at this Station would be for the interests of the service. The Board concurs in this opinion, and begs leave to add that the successor of Mr. Miller should be a person who understands machinery sufficiently to enable him to attend and keep in repair the new fog-signal at that Station, a trumpet sounded by a caloric engine. The letter of Mr. Smythe is returned. ______________________________________________

Feb 25, 1869

From Chairman L.H. Board Adml. W.B. Shubrick

Yaquina Bay - necessity of light for

Sir: I have had the honor to receive the communication from the Committee on appropriations (???), referred by you to this Board for report. The Board has had under consideration the question of the necessity for a light at or near Yaquina Bay, Oregon, in connection with a general programme for lighting the Pacific coast, and as a necessary preliminary have secured by reservation a sufficient quantity of land for this purpose. It is not deemed advisable, in advance of the next annual estimates, to call for further appropriations for the Pacific coast ______________________________________________

Feb 25, 1869

From Naval Secretary Adm. A.A. Harwood. U.S.N Notice of Board (Bd ???)

Sir: I have the honor to state that the regular

be blacked out by the unit having charge of that area. Commanding Officers were instructed to exercise their best judgement in the assignment of trucks, tenders, or small boats and these assignments were determined in advance.

Commanding Officers were further directed to familiarize themselves with the aids in their area, securing keys necessary for entrance to equipment and to properly instruct personnel under their command, in order that the blackout could be carried out smoothly and expeditiously. Sound buoys were silenced by securely lashing bell clappers or air intakes and whistles were wrapped with canvas and securely lashed. The District Coast Guard Office was to be notified by dispatch when the blackout had been effected or aids had been relighted, in accordance with District orders.

In October, 1941, a conference was held at Tongue Point Depot, Astoria, Oregon, to instruct personnel from that area in the operations required of the various types of aids to navigation to effect the Blackout Plan. A blackout drill of all units under command of the Astoria Base was held on October 22, 1941. Each aid was visited and examined by the personnel assigned thereto to ascertain type of equipment, the correct way to make the aid inoperative and the tools and materials required. During the practice, only an examination was made and the operation of the aids was not stopped. This was the only test of its kind in the 13th Naval District prior to the outbreak of the war.

On 9 December, 1941, a blackout was effected in the entire District on instructions from the District Commandant. Three officers, together with a small staff of enlisted personnel, issued instructions to the various Commands from the Aids to Navigation Office. Orders for the blackout were received at 1400 and, by 2200, the blackout was completely effected. Tremendous obstacles were encountered, there having been no previous test of the Plan as set by the Board in September. Bridges throughout the District were blacked out, although no plan had incorporated such procedure and railroad officials as well as highway superintendents offered little cooperation. No word was received from the blacked areas as to the time their aids were extinguished nor was word received that they had been relighted following the blackout. This was due to the inability of telephone and radio facilities to handle such heavy traffic. No report was required concerning the results of the operation and a general blackout, other than tests in various areas, was every made in the District.

-41-

Department of Commerce and Labor Light-House Establishment Office of Engineer, 13th District Portland, Oreg. May 4, 1906

6 Inclosures

The Light-House Board, Washington, D.C.

Sirs:

In compliance with the instructions contained in the Board's letter of April 25, 1906, No. 1053, we have the honor to submit the following report in the matter of leasing or selling the Yaquina Bay Light-House Reservation.

This part of the state is rapidly settling up, the coastwise commerce is increasing, and a coast line railway will probably be constructed in the very near future, all of which indicate the dawn of an era of prosperity such as this part of the state has never seen. Local commerce will unquestionably increase, necessitating, sooner or later, the establishment of harbor lights upon the present reservation. For the above reasons it is not deemed advisable either to sell or lease the reservation at the mouth of Yaquina Bay.

The six papers accompanying the Board's letter are returned herewith.

Respectfully submitted,

F.J. Werlich Commander, U.S. Navy Inspector 13th Light-House District.

S.W. Roessler Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers, U.S.A. Engineer 13th Light-House District.