1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

THIRTEENTH DISTRICT, PORTLAND, OREGON OCT 19 1872

???sor Joseph Henry Chairman Light-House Board, Washington D.C.

Sir: I have the honor to make the following Report operations for the month of September 1872.

Cape Foulweather, Lt Station, Ogn. Received 96101 Bricks, & 40 cases containing Lens, &c. Completed Keepers' Dwelling. Repaired Lighters & Tramway.Continued grading around Tower and Oil - house.Hauled from tramway to L.H. site assorted materials received. Commenced putting Cement Wash on Tower & Oil - House. Machinist employed fitting Iron Work. Oil house walls completed

Tower completed 22 feet above floor - Further delay in Transportation has been caused by partial wreck of the Schooner "Elnorah" with materials from San Francisco, with loss of 10 to 12 M bricks bought for this work.

Probable Operations in October Transport balance of materials to Newport, Ogn. & commence hauling from Newport to L.H. site. The dangers attending discharge of freight at Cape and the repeated disasters to Sailing Vessels engaged in

173 1/2

Notice to Mariners (no. )

United States of America {carat: "Northwest Coast. "} Oregon. Light-House at Cape Foulweather (Yaquina Point Head).

Notice is hereby given that a Light-House has been erected Cape Foulweather. (Yaquina Point Head) Oregon, and the lights will be erected on or about the night of the 1st of March 1st of February 1873, and every night after from sunset to sunrise.

The focal plane is 81 feet above the ground, and 150 feet above sea level. The lights can be seen in clear weather from the deck of a vessel, 15 feet above the sea, at a distance of eighteen {carat: "and a half"} nautical miles. The lens {carat: "is dioptic, of the"} a 1st order Fresnel, illuminating of the horizon 240 degrees {carat: "and"} will show a fixed white light.

The tower {carat: "is"} of brick, is painted white, and the lantern {carat: "is painted"} black.

The Keepers' Dwelling, a two-story frame building, east of the tower is painted white.

{circled:A} Latitude 44 {degree symbol} 40' North. Longitude 124 {degree symbol} 04' West.

Journal of Light-house Station at Cape Foulweather Oregon 1894

January

21: Fresh and moderate breeze S. to S.W. with light rain during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. Keeper putting dressing on garden.

22: Moderate breeze South to S. W. and light North wind with rain first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light wind to moderate breeze N.W., fair weather. Sea smooth. Keepers putting 200 Gallons of mineral oil in Oil room. Steamer Del Norte sailed from Yaquina for San Francisco. Keeper putting a pane of glass in 2nd ass't's window.

23: Light wind N.W. to moderate and fresh breeze East to S.East and South these 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours fair weather. Last part of 24 hours rain. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. 1st ass't went to Newport today.

24: Moderate breeze to light wind S.W. to W. N.West with frequent rain showers first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds, damp. Sea moderately smooth. Keeper went to Newport. 1st ass't went fishing. 2nd ass't putting dressing on garden.

25 Light wind to fresh breeze S.W. to S. these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours fair weather. Last part rain. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper went fishing.

26: Light variable winds these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours damp weather. Last part of 24 hours clear, fine weather. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. Had two visitors. Keeper and 1st ass't went fishing today.

27: Light East to S.East wind first part of 24 hours with fair weather. Last part of 24 hours light South wind, rain. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper boiling out burner & went fishing 1st ass't went to Newport.

28: Light S.East wind these 24 hours with light rain first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours thick, damp fog. Keepers went fishing. Sea smooth.

29: Fresh to moderate breeze S. to S.W. first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light S.West wind with rain most of 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Steamer Schooner Del Norte arrived at Yaquina this morning from San Francisco.

30: Moderate to fresh breeze N.W. these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light rain showers. Last part of 24 hours fair weather. Sea quite rough. General duties for the day. Keeper went over to Newport after supplies for Keeper's and to get the mail. 1st and 2nd ass'ts went over to Mr. Brigg's to dig a grave and help bury Mr. Brigg's Daughter she having died of Consumption.

31: Light East to North & N.West wind these 24 hours with clear, fine and cool. Sea smooth. Steamer Del Norte sailed from Yaquina City for San Francisco. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 2nd ass't working in garden. 2nd ass't cleaning his quarters. Keeper repairing a leak in roof leading to tower through [falway?]. February 1: Light wind to moderate breeze North these 24 hours with clear, fine and cool weather. Sea smooth. General duties for day. Keepers went fishing. 1st ass't went to Newport.

2: Light wind to fresh breeze East first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light wind East with clear, fine but cool weather. Sea quite rough. 1st ass't filling up a hole in the ground back of his dwelling. Keepers went fishing today. Had two visitors today.

3: Light E. to S.East wind and moderate breeze South these 24 hours with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea very rough. General duties for day. 2nd ass't went to Newport. 1st ass't turfing the hole that he filled up back of his Dwelling today. Keeper went fishing.

4: Gale to fresh breeze S. east to South these 24 hours with rain most of 24 ours. Sea rough. General duties for day. The barometer hand 29.50 to 29.62

5: Moderate to fresh breeze South to N. West with frequent rain showers first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds, fair weather. Sea very rough. General duties for day. Keeper went to Newport.

6: Moderate, fresh and strong breeze to gale these 24 hours with rain. Sea quite rough. General duties for day. The barometer down to 29.66

7: Fresh breeze S. West to West with frequent rain & hail squalls. Sea rough. General duties for day. 1st ass't went to Newport after the mail.

8: Light wind S.W. to S. East first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours fresh to strong & gale West with rain, hail, and snow squalls during 24 hours. Sea very rough. General duties for day. Steam Del Norte arrived off Yaquina bar, she is laying off, to[o] rough to enter. The barometer is 29.60 today.

9: Light variable winds these 24 hours with snow. Sea very rough. General duties for day. Yaquina bar to[o] rough for Steamer Del Norte to enter.

10: Light East wind these 24 hours with fair and cold weather during 24 hours. Sea moderately smooth. [continued on next page]