1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

Journal of Light-house Station at Cape Foulweather Oregon

May1891

10 Light to moderate and fresh breeze N.W. these 24 hours. Thick fog most of 24 hours - Sea very smooth - Keeper and Mr. I.L. Smith went clamming. General duties for the day - 1st asst went to Newport.

11 Moderate and light N.W. wind with frequent light fog showers during 24 hours. Sea very smooth - General duties for the day - Keeper & the 1st asst went fishing - Keeper & Mr. Smith cutting wood on the beach.

12 Light N.W. wind & calm with fog showers first part of 24 hours - Last part of 24 hours light to moderate breeze N.W. fair weather - Sea very smooth. Keeper went fishing. Mr. Smith painting in his quarters. 1st asst keeper working in the garden He also went to Newport.

13 Moderate and light to fresh breeze N.W. these 24 hours first part of 24 hours little damp - Last part of 24 hours fair weather - Sea smooth - Steamer J. Chance crossed bar today - Keepers painting the barn and store house.

14 Moderate and light to fresh breeze N.W. these 24 hours clear fine last part of 24 hours - First part cloudy - Sea smooth - Keepers painting in Keepers dwelling today. Half and hour late in lightning and something got into the supply tube had to take it apart and put it together again.

15 Light N.W. winds to variable wind and calm these 24 hours cloudy but dry and warm weather - Sea very smooth - Steamer Willamette Valley arrived this morning - Keepers painting on the dwelling today.

16 Light variable winds and calm with heigh dry fog first part of 24 hours - Last part of 24 hours light to moderate breeze N.W. clear fine weather - Sea smooth - Keepers painting on the Dwelling and 1st asst Quarters - Also cleaning out the lamp in ???

17 Moderate to fresh breeze N.W. these 24 hours with clear fine and warm weather. Sea smooth - General duties for the day - Had 8 visitors - Keeper went to Newport today.

18 Moderate breeze N.W. these 24 hours with clear fine weather during 24 hours - Sea very smooth. Steamer Willamette Valley and Mischeif sailed yesterday - Keepers whitewashing fences today.

19 Moderate breeze to light N.W. wind with fog showers during first part of 24 hours - Last part of 24 hours light to moderate and fresh breeze N.W. clear fine weather - Sea smooth - Keepers whitewashing fences and oil-house also painting the south end of oil house - 1st asst went to Newport.

20 Moderate to fresh and strong breeze N.W. these 24 hours with fair weather during 24 hours - Sea smooth. Keepers cleaning in the lantern getting ready to paint and mixing paint - 1st asst also working in garden. Keepers also polishing the reflectors and illuminating apparatus and oil carriers and cocks to oil butts.

21 Fresh breeze to light N.W. wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light to moderate and strong breeze N.W. clear fine weather - Sea smooth - Keepers painting the lantern inside with white paint today.

22 Fresh and moderate breeze N.W. these 24 hours with heigh dry fog during 24 hours - Sea smooth. Keeper went fishing - Mr. Smith getting wood off beach - 1st asst went to Newport - Keepers painting pane of Lennes and cleaning it also painting the pedestal green.

23 Moderate and light N.W. wind these 24 hours first part of 24 hours damp fog - Last part of 24 hours fair weather - Sea smooth - Mr. I.L. Smith went to Newport after some supplies 1st asst painting the water tank - Keeper went to Newport after some supplies - Left the station at 8:30 A.M.

Journal of Light-house Station at Cape Foulweather Oregon [marked 1893, was actually 1894]

January

1 [continued from preceding page] and fresh breeze N. to N.West with rain showers. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. Keeper and 2nd ass't went to Newport after supplies and to mail the Quarterly & monthly returns. 1st ass't cleaning oil cans, oil filler lanterns & storm pane clamps.

2: Light variable winds with damp weather during first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours fair weather with light variable winds. Sea little rough. Keepers cleaning lamp and reflectors. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 1st ass't also went to Newport after mail.

3: Light wind to moderate & fresh breeze W. to N.W. these 24 hours with frequent rain & hail squalls. Sea rough. General duties for the day. The barometer down to 29.72 Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport after supplies & to get checks cashed.

4: Strong & fresh breeze N.W. with rain & hail squalls first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light N. West wind with light snow squalls. Sea rough. General duties for the day. 1st ass't went fishing today.

5: Light East to S. East and South these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours clear and cool. Last part of 24 hours light snow in the air. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 1st also went to Newport after mail.

6: Strong to fresh breeze S.E. to S.S.W. & West with snow & rain during 24 hours. Sea quite rough. General duties for the day.

7: Fresh and moderate breeze West these 24 hours with frequent rain & hail squalls. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. 1st ass't went fishing.

8: Light N.W. to East & S.East wind first part of 24 hours. with damp weather. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds, fair weather. Sea smooth. General duties for day. 1st & 2nd ass'ts cleaning house. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing.

9: Moderate breeze S. to N.W. & North first part of 24 hours with rain. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds, fair weather. Sea smooth. General duties for day. 2nd ass't cleaning windows on dwelling. 1st ass't went fishing and to Newport after mail. Keeper went fishing. Had 6 visitors today.

10: Fresh breeze South E. to South with rain during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing.

11: Light wind to moderate & fresh breeze South with rain during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing.

12: Gale these 24 hours with hard rain most of the time. Sea rough. General duties for day. The barometer is 29.57 at 3 P.M.

13: Heavy Gale first part of 24 South. Last part of 24 hours strong breeze & light Gale South with rain during 24 hours. Sea rough. General duties for the day. The barometer down to 29.35 during 24 hours.

14: Strong to fresh breeze South to light S.E. & East wind first part of 24 hours with frequent rain showers. Last part of 24 hours Gale S.E. to South with rain. Sea rough. General duties for the day. The barometer is down to 29. at 3 P.M.

15: Moderate to fresh and strong breeze S.W. to S. with rain showers first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours Gale to fresh breeze S.E. to S. and West, fair weather. Sea rough. General duties for the day. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport after supplies.

16: Moderate to fresh breeze W. & S.West these 24 hours with frequent rain & hail squalls. Sea very rough. General duties for the day. The barometer is 29.70 today.

17: Fresh and strong breeze S.W. to S.E. first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours Fresh breeze to Gale & moderate breeze S.E. to South, with frequent rain, snow, & hail squalls. Sea very rough. General duties for day. 1st ass't went to Newport after the mail.

18: Fresh to moderate breeze W. to S.W. and South these 24 hours with frequent rain and hail squalls.Sea very rough. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport on business. The barometer is 29.85 today. The steamer Dell Norte arrived off the Yaquina bar from San Francisco for Yaquina bay after wheat.

19: Gale and fresh breeze S.East to S. these 24 hours with rain. Sea rough. General duties for day. The barometer stands 29.46 today.

20: Fresh to moderate breeze S. to N.W. first part of 24 hours with rain. Last part of 24 hours light wind to moderate and fresh breeze S.E. to S. rain. Sea moderately smooth. General duties for day. Steam Schooner Del Norte went into Yaquina at 8 A.M. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport.

Journal of Light-house Station at Cape Foulweather Oregon 1894

February

10 [continued from previous page]: General duties for the day. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport. Steamer Del Norte arrived at Newport at 1 P.M.

11: Moderate & fresh breeze to a light Gale with some rain first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours fresh to moderate breeze S. to S.W. & West with rain & hail squalls. Sea quite smooth. General duties for day. Keeper went fishing.

12: Moderate and fresh breeze West N. West first part of 24 hours with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds, fair weather. Sea rough. General duties for day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing 2nd ass't went to Newport.

13: Fresh to moderate breeze S.W. to South with rain first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light South wind, little damp. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. The barometer 30 today.

14: Fresh breeze to heavy Gale South these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours rain. Last part of 24 hours little damp. Sea quite rough. General duties for the day. Keeper and 2nd ass't went to Newport after supplies. The barometer down to 29.65

15: Fresh breeze S. to S.W. and West these 24 hours with rain, hail, and snow squalls. Sea rough. General duties for the day. Keepers putting 200 Gallons of Mineral Oil in Oil Room. Keeper and 1st ass't went fishing today.

16: Fresh breeze to light wind West first part of 24 hours with rain, hail, & snow squalls. Last part of 24 hours Fresh & strong breeze S. West with rain. Sea rough. General duties for the day. 1st ass't went to Newport. Keeper went fishing.

17: Strong to fresh & moderate breeze West to S.W. & South these 24 hours with frequent rain & hail squalls during 24 hours. General duties for the day. Sea rough. Keeper went fishing. The barometer stands 29.42 at 2. P.M. Steamer Del Norte laying at Newport bar, to[o] rough to cross out; there is a large land slide North East of barn [unintelligible]??? slid into the Ocean today.

18: Fresh & strong breeze to gale S.W. these 24 hours with frequent rain & hail squalls. Sea very rough. General duties for day. The barometer is 29.68 at 3. P.M.

19: Moderate & fresh breeze to gale East to S.W. and West with rain, hail, & snow squalls during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General dutie sfor the day. Keeper went fishing. 1st ass't went to Newport. The barometer 29.70 and going up.

20: Light wind to moderate breeze N. to N.W. with fair weather these 24 hours. Sea very smooth. General duties for the day. Steamer Del Norte sailed today for San Francisco. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport. 1st ass't went fishing today.

21: Light East wind these 24 hours with clear, fine, and cold weather. Sea very smooth. General duties for the day. Keepers digging a grave one mile East of the Cape and Burying a Mr. Megginson that got Drowned in the the Siletz river Sunday. Had 18 visitors today.

22: Fresh and strong breeze East these 24 hours with clear, fine, but cold weather. Sea very smooth. Keepers cleaning Lamp reflectors, Burner and Etc., today. Keeper went fishing. The barometer stands 30.10 today.

23: Moderate breeze East to light S. East wind these 24 hours with fair and cool weather. Sea very smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper and 1st ass't went fishing. 2nd ass't Isaac L. Smith went to Newport.

24: Light S. East wind with fair weather these 24 hours. Sea very smooth. General duties for the day. 1st ass't working in the garden & went fishing. 2nd ass't also went fishing. Keeper scrubbing Office hall and Oil room floors.

25: Light wind to modearte and fresh breeze South these 24 hours with light rain. Sea moderately smooth. General duties for the day.

26: Fresh breeze these 24 hours South with rain during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport after supplies. Steamer Holmes arrived at Yaquina from San Francisco. 1st ass't went fishing.

27: Fresh to strong breeze South with rain first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds, cloudy & damp. Sea moderately smooth. General duties for the day. 1st ass't Edward Rice went to Newport after the mail & supplies.