Treasury Department of the United States and The Lighthouse Establishment
Soon after the formation of the federal government of the United States the management of the lighthouse system was placed in the Treasury Department. The secretary of the treasury administered lighthouses personally for several years. Due to growing commerce in the United States, the lighthouse establishment required more time to detail of operations. As a result, the commissioner of revenue handled every day management until 1802. Then in 1802 the responsibility of lighthouse system was transfered between the secretary of the treasury and commissioner of revenue took place between 1802 to 1820.
In 1820 the lighthouse system responsibility was turned over to the Fifth Auditor of the treasury, Stephen Pleasonton. The lighthouse system at that time consisted of 253 lighthouses, 30 floating lights and a substantial number of beacons and buoys. Pleasonton appointed local supervisors who handled all personnel matters, sites for lighthouses and other related structures, repairs to lighthouses, expenditures and inspections.
Stephen Pleasonton, Fifth Auditor click on his pictrue to read more about US colonial light house history.
Pleasonton's lack of technical and maritime experience caused the administration a variety of problems. Also, Pleasonton usually accepted all complaints and reports made by local supervisors. Under this administration due to this lack of experience the maintenance of the lighthouse system was inadequate but yet economical. One such example includes when Pleasonton wrote France in 1830 inquiring about the Fresnel lens, but after being informed of the cost of the different lenses he decided they were to expensive.
The lighthouse and maritime standards were much higher in other countries than the Lighthouses in the U.S. Thus in 1838 inspections were made on the lighthouse system to upgrade. After this initial inspection Congress passed an act in 1838 which divided the Atlantic Coast into six districts and the Great Lakes into two. Each district was inspected by a naval officer, where conditions of lights were found to vary from poor to good. The inspections found that due to substandard construction techniques and materials used were the basic cause of these conditions. Lightships were also in generally poor condition and in some cases the crew were not very dedicated. No action was taken by Congress for years later.
Four years later Congress appoints a committee to investigate the operation of several governmental departments and make recommendations. The committee concluded to take lighthouse duties from the fifth auditor and re-assign them to the commissioner of revenue, which would do nothing to improve the lighthouse system. But these recommendations were not implemented.At the same time the committee was conducting its investigation, a study was released which embellished the good condition and classifications of the lighthouse system. The committee believed the study and decides the navigation system works "tolerably well."
Again Due to criticism in the 1840's Pleasonton and his lighthouse system came under investigation again in 1851. In 1847, construction of new lights were placed under the jurisdiction of the Corps of Engineers. 1851, Congress authorized and required several civilian, naval, army engineers and technical to investigate every aspect of the lighthouses system. This included construction, management, lighting, efficiency and comparing the U.S. system to other countries.Reports of poor spacing or seamen could not see or distinguish lights, poor construction, keeper training, qualifications or incompetence, lightships were defective, distribution of supplies was insufficient. The board proposed a complete revamping of the system and to follow other noted countries examples. [2]
At last something was to be done. There was a Proposal of a nine member lighthouse board be established with a variety of experts from civilian, army and treasury departments. The board would have control over all aids to navigation, issue rules and regulations and instructions to light keepers.
Hand lanterns were issued to each lighthouse in a set, a number one [1] and a number two [2] hand lantern marked as such. Pictured to the left is a number one hand lantern. Lanterns were marked so as to not get them confused with the other style when they were needed. A keeper could say "get the number one lantern" and anyone he asked would know which one to get.
This type of lantern was hung in the lantern room above the lens as the keeper was lighting the lens lamp for that evening and was readily accessible if the light were to go out. It could be hung in view of the water in the lantern room. This was a back up if something were to happen to the main lens lamp to temporarily get the light out while re-lighting or repairs were made to the main oil lamp. Normal hand lanterns for everyday station use since no electricity was available at the time or in later times in case the power did go out. Other household lanterns and outside lanterns did exist we know.
Just like any other building Lighthouses needed maintenance. In order to do maintenance, a keeper needed tools. The Lighthouse Service issued a wooden toolbox to lighthouses and lightships for daily routine repairs. This wooden box was typical of the construction at the time with nice dovetailed joints, deep enough and strong enough to hold the tools with a sturdy bottom. Within the inside of the box was a few dividers used to separate tools. The lid had a lock mechanism installed with one of the old time skeleton type keys. The boxes varied slightly in size depending on who made them. Some were contracted out to box manufacturers and then the US Lighthouse Establishment brass tag was secured to the top of the box in the center. Brass or bronze handles were installed on the sides to help with lifting the heavy chest and the lid was hinged in the back.
With lighthouses located in remote areas and people being more self sufficient in the old days, lighthouse keepers had to do all minor repair work. If there was a major repair to be done the Lighthouse keeper would have the work if approved to be contracted out or done by a Lighthouse Service Tender crew. For example, a task such as whitewashing the tower was done by the lighthouse keepers, but a major leak in the lantern room tower would be something done by a contractor or a lighthouse tender crew.
The filtering sand storage container was used to store fine grain sand in. These containers were designed to keep the filtering sand in a clean dry place ready for use. I believe the sand was used for spills, to absorb them. These containers were made out of galvanized medal and then had the lighthouse plates soldered onto them to indicate they were for lighthouse use. As with all objects in the lighthouse service, it was marked with a US Lighthouse Establishment plate that was soldered onto the piece indicating it was probably purchased from an outside vendor. These containers were one of the few items that the lighthouse service purchased from outside vendors as they made most everything they needed.
bucket's or pail's would have been used for the obvious, but even more important for such duties as fire protection. Since there were combustible fluids for the lanterns fire was a very important prevention. The 1902 "Instructions to Keepers" notes that at light stations, "Every precaution must be taken against fire. Fire buckets, when provided, must be kept filled with water and ready for use in a fixed place." [2]
On light vessels, the instructions noted "Fire buckets must be kept on deck in the most convenient place for use and when the temperature will permit, filled with water at sunset of every day. They are, on no account, to be kept between decks at night."
Within the working tools of the lighthouse keeper there were other buckets or pails. These pails had been galvanized for many uses in the station. Sometimes these were grouped in three's and filled with sand. Again these buckets were important in fire prevention. The three buckets would have been mounted together in a wooden stand also painted red. The buckets could be painted red and in white block letters was the word FIRE. These were probably used later on in the lighthouse service and the brass buckets used early on.
The Fresnel lens is the 1822 invention of French physicist Augustine Fresnel who invented a lens that would make his name commonplace along the seacoasts of Europe and North America. Most lenses were handmade and shipped unassembled from France. Others were made in England. Early lens designs resembled a giant glass beehive, with a light at the center (see examples below). The lens could be as tall as twelve feet high with concentric rings of glass prisms above and below a center drum section to bend the light into a narrow beam. Later designs incorporated a bull's eye design into the center of the lens shaped like a magnifying glass, so the concentrated beam was even more powerful. Tests showed that while an open flame lost nearly 97% of its light, and a flame with reflectors behind it still lost 83% of its light, the Fresnel lens was able to capture all but 17% of its light. Because of its amazing efficiency, a Fresnel lens could easily throw its light 20 or more miles to the horizon. [2]
U. S. Light-House Establishment Night Watchman’s Rattle. A Night watchman’s rattle was an instrument having at the end of a handle a revolving arm, which, by the action of a strong spring upon two wooden cogs, produces when rotated in motion, a loud, harsh, rattling sound. In this case the rattle is almost entirely constructed of hardwood - maybe maple or walnut. Connected to the wooden handle are two wooden cogs, which beat against two wooden reeds. When the watchman needed to gain attention he would grasp the handle and rotate his hand briskly, causing the rotating cogs to strike the reeds, making a loud noise. The sound created was quite distinctive and would summon aid from the area. [The rattle was used before the invention of the whistle. It was used by watchmen and police departments also] [2]
Log Books, Record of Fog Signal, Annual Property Returns and Record of Shipwreck are just some of the books or journals required to be filled out by the light keeper on a daily basis. Instructions were included with the books as to how to fill them out and what to report.
Like in all things records must be kept A log book recorded the general station events such as the weather, storms, times keepers left and returned and where they went, even births and deaths were recorded. Light keepers either wrote the minimum required or in some cases filled it out more than anyone could have imagined. One light keeper at the Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse wrote short stories in his log book. One story talked about owls landing on the lantern room railing and what the owl did for a while. Another log book from Waugashaunce was found to contain love notes written back and forth between a keepers daughter and one of the assistants possibly although no last names were specifically mentioned it is what can be assumed. One of the entries asks for her hand in marriage. Log books contain a general overall station history and are very insightful into the daily routine of light keeping.[2]
When fog signals were activated a log book was kept of when it was sounded and any problems reported for instance. Again, details of the amount of fuel used and how long the station was sounding were important to properly budget for supplies such as wood or coal burned in the boilers to make the steam to sound the signal. Annual Property Returns were used to do an inventory of the light station and see what was used during the year. Some stations were very remote and supplies were often limited to what was brought to the station on lighthouse tender ships. Keepers had to help plan on supplies for the entire year. They were filled out by the keeper and returned for evaluation. Daily Expenditure Logs were also kept at each light station and for simple post lanterns located along rivers or piers. These log books noted how many lantern chimneys were used or broken during severe weather along with how much oil a lighthouse lantern burned during the night or week depending on the type of lantern used.[2]
Several types of clocks were used in the lighthouse service and were made by mainly 3 different manufacturers, Seth Thomas, Chelsea Clock Company and E. Howard Company. These clocks were used to keep the time at many stations, lightships and lighthouse tenders. Time was very important to lighthouse keeper's to not only make sure the light was flashing correctly but to note times of significant events at the lighthouse. [ E. Howard Clock Company: This clock company was established in 1842. It had offices in Boston, New York and Chicago. Edward Howard started in business for himself in 1840. During the 1850s he and a partner started making watches. At this time he moved to Waltham, Mass. In 1857 Edward Howard returned to Roxbury and started another factory known as the E. Howard Clock Company, which is still in operation. One of Howard's apprentices was a Joseph Eastman. Eastman started the business that is now the Chelsea Clock Company in 1886.] [2]
Significant events include keepers or assistant keepers leaving the station on business and noting their return, ship wrecks in the area, when storms came in or vessel sightings for instance. Time was important at the lighthouse and for that lighthouses and lightships had official issued clocks. Some were small round brass clocks mounted on a wall in the lighthouse or light vessel. Some of these clocks were used in the tower and a larger wall clock was hung in the lighthouse. These were usually made by The Chelsea Clock Company in Boston, MA. Chelsea is still in business today. [2]
The glass kerosene storage container is not marked in any way. The only way we know they were used in lighthouses are that they have been found in many lighthouses. This glass container is protected with a metal mesh screen to prevent it from breaking. Regular metal cans of the same size were also used we have seen. We do not know much more about these cans functions other than it was to hold kerosene for storage before use and with the small pouring spout we might be able to assume that it was used to pour kerosene directly into lamps or lanterns. [2]
Brass oil cans were a must for every lighthouse in the early days when whale oil and then kerosene were used to light the flame so the light could be seen out to sea. Most brass items were made by the lighthouse service but some were purchased from outside vendors which the lighthouse depot would affix a small tag to designate it as a lighthouse service item. All lighthouse service items were marked or stamped to designate they were for the service and were property of the government. [2]
As oil was a precious commodity at the lighthouse its use was carefully tracked by the station keeper who would then report his usage in reports to the district. As oil had to be acquired and budgeted for the government wanted to know how much was being used, compare it to other stations for efficiency, etc. The government would question when things seemed to be out of line.[2]
Several oil measures were needed to keep track of what was poured into each lamp or can and for that reason all of these measures exist. For instance a couple of small oil measuring cups may have been used at a harbor station while at a sea coast light several small and larger ones may have been used to fill the household lanterns and the beacon lamp. We don't know what was issued to each station as that would be determined when it began operation and would be listed in a property return for each station.[2]
Some black and white scans of other oil measuring devices will be posted here in the future which will be scanned off a drawing that was done on light keeper implements. This implement drawing is a good reference source for the tools used by the light keepers.[2]
Funnels [Shown in picture above] were used exactly like they are used today. The Lighthouse Service had several styles and sizes to fit various applications. Machinery and moving parts all had to be oiled along with filling the lamps for the lens and the house lanterns. Funnels were used to get the oil or kerosene into the small openings to prevent spilling the valuable fuels. [2]
Sources : Public domain or permission granted as a educational site: America's Lighthouses: An Illustrated History (New York: Dover Publications, 1981 reprint); George Weiss, The Lighthouse Service: Its History, Activities and Organization (Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins Press, 1926); and David Reese and Robert Browning,Legendary Lighthouses (Paperback)by John Grant (Author), Ray Jones (Author) Dennis L. Noble - Lighthouses & Keepers : The U.S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy21433. Sapulski, Wayne. [2] LIGHTHOUSES OF LAKE MICHIGAN – Past and Present/National Park Service/U.S. Lighthouse Establishment, Instructions to Light Keepers and Masters of Light-House Vessels, 1902, Reprint (Allen Park, Michigan: Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, 1989) Yocum, Thomas, Bruce Roberts, and Cheryl Shelton-Roberts, Cape Hatteras America's Lighthouse: Guardian of the Graveyard of the Atlantic (Nashville, Tenessee: Cumberland House, 1999)Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U.S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis, Maryland: U.S. Naval Institute Press, 1997) Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1917 and 1933) Clifford, J. Candace and Mary Louise, Nineteenth-Century Lights: Historic Images of American Lighthouses (Alexandria, Virginia: Cypress Communications, 2000) Clifford, Mary Louise, and J. Candace Clifford, Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female Lighthouse Keepers, 2nd edition (Alexandria, Virginia: Cypress Communications, 2001) DeWire, Elinor, Guardians of the Lights (Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, 1995) Some wording used from resources and books might be copied word for word used with permission to do such. Those highlighted in red.