1898-99 Keeper Logs

JOURNAL of Light-house Station at Yaquina Head Oregon

1898

August 30: Light South wind these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours fair and thick weather. Lasat part of 24 hours light rain showers. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. 1st Asst showing fifteen visitors in the tower. Keeper went to Newport to take Mrs. Plummer as she is going to Portland. Barometer 29.90

31: Light variable winds these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours rain. Last part of 24 hours light rain showers and fair weather. Sea quite smooth. Keeper went to Newport to mail monthly report to Engineer & Inspector. 1st Asst slakeing line & showing 5 visitors in tower. Barometer 29.70.

Special Entry:

August 22: Mr. Frank M. Plummer Keeper Yaquina Head Light Station Newport Oregon. Sir: You are herby authorized to destroy all the empty mineral oil cans to such an extent as to be useless, after which to throw them into the sea, and to use the transportation cases for firewood at the station. By order Commander John C Morong Inspector 13th Light & House District.

JOURNAL of Light-house Station at Yaquina Head Oregon

1898

September 1: Light wind to moderate and fresh breeze North these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours clear fine weather. Last part of 24 hours thick damp fog. Sea smooth. Keeper showing 11 visitors in the tower. 1st Asst repairing his wood shed. Barometer 29.70 to 29.75 today.

2: Fresh and moderate breeze North to light South sind these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours thick fog. Last part of 24 hours heigh dry fog & fair weather. Sea smooth. 1st Asst repairing his wood shed. Keeper showing 10 visitors in tower & repairing workshop door. Barometer 30.05.

3: Light South wind to moderate breeze North these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours thick damp fog. Last part of 24 hours fair weather. Sea smooth. 1st Asst repairing and painted his wood shed. Keeper & 1st Asst putting hay in barn for Keeper. Barometer 30.07 today.

4: Fresh to moderate breeze North with clear fine weather these 24 hours. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. 1st Asst showing twelve visitors in the tower. Keeper went to Newport after supplies. Barometer 30.05 to 29.93 today.

5: Moderate breeze to light North wind these 24 hours with fair warm & smooky weather. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper showing 12 visitors in the tower. Keeper digging his potatoes. Barometer 29.80. 1st Asst went to Newport after supplies & post mail.

6: Fresh breeze East with clear fine and warm weather first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light South wind thick fog. Sea smooth. Keeper & 1st Asst digging potatoes and showing twenty two visitors in the tower. General duties for the day. Barometer 29.90.

7: Light South and North wind with thick fog these 24 hours. General duties for the day. 1st Asst renailing shingles on roof of his dwelling and went fishing. Keeper working in his quarters. Barometer 29.95 to 29.85 today.

8: Light South wind and calm these 24 hours with thick damp fog. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport after supplies. Barometer 29.85 today. 1st Asst showing sixteen visitors in tower & working in garden.

9: Light South wind and calm these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours damp fog. Last part of 24 hours heigh dry fog. Sea smooth. Keeper showing five visitors in the tower. 1st Asst went fishing. General duties for the day. Barometer 29.98 today.

10: Light South wind and calm these 24 hours with smooky and some fog. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper working in his part of garden. Barometer 30.05 today. 1st Asst went to Newport after mail & supplies. Also went fishing.

11: Light South wind and calm to moderate breeze North these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours cloudy fog & smook. Last part of 24 hours fair weather and smook. Sea smooth. Keeper went to Newport after supplies. 1st Asst went fishing. Barometer 30.05.

12: Moderate breeze and light North wind these 24 hours fair and thick smooky weather. SEa smooth. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went fishing. Barometer down to 29.83. Keeper showing visitors in the tower. Had seven visitors.

13: Light South wind these 24 hours fair weather cloudy and thick fog. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper cleaning up his part of garden & showing visitors in tower. 1st Asst showing visitors in tower & throwing coal oil cans in the sea. Barometer 29.85. Had 15 visitors.

14: Light variable winds first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours moderate to fresh breeze North with thick fog during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Had one visitors. Keeper went to Newport after mail & supplies. Barometer 29.97 today.

15: Moderate breeze to light N. wind clear fine weather first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours moderate to fresh breeze North thick damp fog. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper showing 6 visitors in the tower. 1st Asst went fishing. Barometer 30.00 to 29.90.

16: Fresh and moderate breeze North these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours clear fine weather little smook. Last part of 24 hours thick damp fog. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport after mail & supplies. Barometer 29.85.

17: Fresh and moderate breeze thick damp fog these 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Barometer 29.90 to 29.80 today. Had eight visitors. Keeper showing visitors in the tower. 1st Asst went fishing.

JOURNAL of Light-house Station at Yaquina Head Oregon

1898

September 18: Fresh breeze North to light South wind these 24 hours with thick damp fog and smooky weather. Sea quite rough. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport after mail & supplies. 1st Asst showing ten visitors in tower. Barometer 29.70.

19: Moderate breeze to light South wind with rain showers these 24 hours. Thunder & lightning first part of 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport after supplies. Barometer 29.70 to 29.80.

20: Moderate to fresh breeze South these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours little damp. Last part of 24 hours cloudy & fair weather. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went fishing and showing visitors in the tower. Had four visitors. Keeper went to Newport after mail & supplies. Barometer 29.80 to 29.70. Mr. Breatherton hauling his household goods from Newport.

21: Fresh breeze South these 24 hours hard rain first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours thick damp fog & cloudy weather. Sea quite rough. General duties for the day. Barometer 29.95 to 29.70. Mr. Breatherton completed moving over from Newport today.

22: Fresh and moderate breeze South to S. West these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours rain showers and thick fog. Last part of 24 hours fair weather. Sea rough. 1st Asst went to Newport after mail & supplies. Keeper showing 6 visitors in tower. Barometer 29.60 to 29.84. Mr. Breatherton went on Watch and duties at the station to learn everything so that the Keeper could leave the 1st Asst on his 30 day leave of absence.

23: Light S. East wind these 24 hours fair and warmer weather. Sea rough. Steam Schooner laying off Yaquina Bar waiting to enter. 1st Asst showing six visitors in tower. General duties for the day. Barometer 29.80 to 29.60. Keeper & Mr. Bretherton went to Newport after supplies.

24: Light East to S. East wind with frequent light rain showers first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light N. West wind fair and warm weather. Sea rough. Steam Schooner came out & went to Yaquina. Barometer 29.56 to 29.70. 1st Asst working in garden. Mr. Bretherton working in shope.

25: Light wind to moderate breeze North these 24 hours with clear fine weather. SEa little rough. General duties for the day. Keeper and 1st Asst showing fourteen visitors in the tower. Barometer 29.90 to 29.80. Keeper working on quarterly returns.

26: Moderate breeze to light N. wind with thick damp fog first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable and South wind thick fog & cloudy. Sea very rough. Keeper & 1st Asst and Mr. Bretherton put 200 gallons of mineral oil in oil-butts. Keeper went to Newport to post & get mail and supplies. Mr. Bretherton & 1st Asst working in garden. Barometer 29.80.

27: Moderate breeze to light North wind these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours frequent rain showers. Last part of 24 hours clear fine weather. Sea very rough. Keeper & 1st Asst and Mr. Bretherton changing lenns lamp. 1st Asst went to Newport after supplies & showing 3 visitors in the tower. Barometer 29.90 to 30.15.

28: Light wind to moderate & fresh breeze S. S. West these 24 hours with frequent rain showers. Sea quite rough. 1st Asst and Mr. Bretherton polishing oil-carriers measures stop-cocks on oil-butts. Keeper went to Newport to post mail. Barometer 30.06 to 29.85.

29: Moderate to fresh breeze S. West to South these 24 hours frequent rain showers during 24 hours. Sea rough. General guties for the day. keeper makeing out quarterly & monthly reports. Barometer 29.90 to 29.82. Mr. Bretherton went to Newport today.

30: Light wind to moderate breeze West these 24 hours with frequent rain showers. Sea very rough. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport to post quarterly returns. Barometer 29.62 to 29.72 today.

JOURNAL of Light-house Station at Yaquina Head Oregon

1898

October 1: Moderate to fresh breeze S.W. to South East these 24 hours with rain hail thunder and lightening. Sea rough. General duties for the day. Mr. Bretherton working in shope. Barometer 29.52. 1st Asst went to Newport after the mail.

2: Light S.E breeze with rain showers these 24 hours first part of 24 hours heavy rain showers. Last part of 24 hours light showers. Keeper Frank M. Plummer left Station 10 A.M. for San Francisco on business. General duties for the day. Sea rough. Barometer 29.72.

3: Light to strong South Easat wind with rain showers for lthese 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light South East wind with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours strong S.E. wind with showers. Sea rough. Barometer 29.88.

4: Light S.E. wind with rain showers to dry fog these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light S.E. wind with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. wind with showers to dry. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for mail. Sea moderately smooth. Barometer 30.80.

5: Light S.E. to East wind clear to cloudy for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light S.E. wind clear. Last part of 24 hours light East wind cloudy. General duties for the day. 1st Asst house cleaining. Mr. Bretherton working in shop. Sea smooth. Barometer 29.90.

6: Light S. to N.W. wind cloudy to dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light E. wind cloudy to dry. Lat part of 24 hours light N.W. wind dry. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went fishing. Mr. Bretherton went to Newport for mail. Sea smooth. Barometer 29.90.

7: Light variable winds and dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light variable winds dry. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds dry. General duties for the day. Mr. Bretherton wheeling wood to cellar. Sea smooth. Barometer 29.90.

8: Light N.W. to strong S.W. wind dry to rain for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light N.W. to S.E wind dry. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. to strong S.W. wind dry to rain. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for the mail. Sea smooth to rough. Barometer 29.72.

9: Strong S.W. to light S.E. wind rain to dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours strong S.W. wind & light S.E. wind rain to dry. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. wind dry. General duties for the day. First Asst went to Newport for the mail. Sea rough. Barometer 29.98.

10: Moderate S.E. wind with rain showers for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours Moderate S.E. wind with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours moderate S.E. wind with rain showers. General duties for the day. Mr. Bretherton went to Newport. Sea rough. Barometer 30.20.

11: Light S.E. wind with rain for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light S.E. wind with rain. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. wind with rain to dry. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for the mail. SEa very rough. Barometer 30.12.

12: Light S.E. wind dry to damp fog for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours dry to damp fog. Last part of 24 hours light South East wind with damp fog. General duties for the day. Mr. Bretherton working in shop. Sea rough. Barometer 29.98.

13: Light to strong S.E. wind with damp fog these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours strong S.E. wind with damp fog. Last part of 24 hours strong S.E. wind with damp fog. General duties for the day. Mr. Bretherton went to Newport for mail. Sea rough. Barometer 29.78.

14: Strong S.E. to light N.W. wind with rain to dry for these 24 hours first part of 24 hours. Strong S.E. wind with rain to dry. Last part of 24 hours light S. West to N.W. wind dry. General dutirs for the day. 1st Asst went fishing. Sea rough. Baromoter 30.80.

15: Light N.W. breeze & dry for these 24 hours. Mr. Bretherton received his appointment as 2nd Asst and went on duty today. Weather clear and warm. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for the amil. Sea rough. Barometer 30.34.

16: Light variable wind and dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light N.W. to S.E. wind dry. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. to S. and N.W. wind dry and warm. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for mail. Sea rough. Barometer 29.96.

17: Light E. to N.W. wind with rain showers to dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light E. wind with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours light E. to N.W. wind dry. General duties for the day. 2nd Asst went to Newport. Sea quite smooth. Barometer 30.12.

JOURNAL of Light-house Station at Yaquina Head Oregon

1898

October 18: Light to fresh N.W. breeze and dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light N.W. breeze dry. Last part of 24 hours light to fresh N.W. breeze dry. General duties for the day. First Asst went to Newport for the mail. Sea rough. Barometer 30.20.

19: Light N.W. breeze dry weather quite warm and clear for these 24 hours. General duties for the day. 1st Asst breaking up coal oil ???. 2nd Asst wheeling wood into cellar. Had one visitor today. Sea very rough. Barometer 30.40.

20: Light to fresh N.W. breeze dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light N.W. breeze dry. Last part of 24 hours light N.W. breeze to fresh dry and warm. General duties for the day. 2nd Asst cleaning celler and yard. Sea very rough. Barometer 30.00.

21: Light to moderate N.W. breeze light fog for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light N.W. breeze light fog. Last part of 24 hours light to moderat N.W. breeze light fog. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for mail. Sea rough. Barometer 29.75.

22: Moderate N.W. breeze with rain showers for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours moderate N.W. breeze with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours moderate N.W. breeze with rain showers. General duties for the day. SEa moderately smooth. Barometer 29.80.

23: Light N.W. to S.E. breeze rain showers to dry for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light N.W. to S.E. breeze with rain showers to dry. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. breeze dry. General duties for lthe day. 1st Asst went fishing. Sea quite smooth. Barometer 30.20.

24: Light S.E. to E. breeze dry and warm for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light S.E. to E. breeze dry. Last part of 24 hours light S. breeze dry and warm. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for mail. Sea smooth. Baromter 30.50.

25: Light E. to S.E. breeze dry for these 24 hours first part of 24 hours light E. breeze dry. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. breeze dry. General duties for the day. 2nd Asst went to Newport for mail. 1st Asst went fishing. Sea quite smooth. Baromter 29.89.

26: Light variable winds with rain showers for these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light S.E. to N.W. wind with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours light N.W. to S. E. wind with rain showers. General duties for the day. 1st & 2nd Asst filling oil-butts. Sea rough. Barometer 30.12.

27: Light S.E. wind with rain showers for these 24 hours. First pat of 24 hours. Light S.E. wind with rain showers. Last part of 24 hours light S.E. wind with rain showers. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport for mail. Sea rough. Barometer 30.12.

28: Light North wind these 24 hours with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea smooth. Genera duties for the day. 1st Asst went fishing. Keeper Frank M. Plummer returned to the station at 2:30 P.M. from Oakland Cal. & Portland Oregon. Barometer 30.08.

29: Fresh breeze to light East wind these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours clear fine weather. Last part of 24 hours cloudy & fair weather. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went fishing. Barometer 30.00 to 29.70 today.

30: Light South to N. West wind these 24 hours fair weather first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours rain. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. Barometer 29.70 to 29.93 today.

31: Light W. to S. East wind with frequent light rain showers. General duties for the day. 1st Asst went to Newport after supplies. Barometer 30.10.