Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board for 1903

Excerpts from the "Annual Report of the Light-House Board for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1903"

Third District

This district extends from Elisha Ledge, off Warren Point, Rhode Island, to a point on the coast of New Jersey, opposite Shrewsbury Rocks, and includes the ledge and the rocks. It embraces all aids to navigation on the coast of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, and of New Jersey northward of the point opposite Shrewsbury Rocks, and on all tidal waters tributary to the sea or Long Island sound between the limits named, together with the aids on Whitehall Narrows and on the United States waters of Lake Champlain and Memphremagog.

It now includes the light-house service of Porto Rico, and the adjacent islands, and the waters of the islands lying east of the seventy-fourth meridian of longitude west of Greenwich, which were ceded to the United States by the Government of Spain by treaty entered into on December 10, 1898.

Inspector.---Capt. Wiliam M. Folger, United States Navy.
Engineer.---Maj. William T. Rossell, Corps of Engineers, United States Army.

There are in this district---

Lighthouses and beacon lights, including 101 post lights 285
Light-houses in Porto Rico 24
Light-vessels in position 7
Light-vessels for relief 3
Day or unlighted beacons 44
Fog-signals operated by caloric or oil engines 30
Fog-signals operated by clockwork 60
Electric-lighted buoys up to March 15, 1903 11
Gas-lighted buoys 21
Whistling buoys in position 8
Bell buoys in position 32
Other buoys in position 649
Steamer Armeria, used for supplying the light-stations of the Atlantic and Bulf coasts 1
Steamers Larkspur,John Rogers and Cactus, buoy tenders, and for supply and inspection of light-stations. 3
Steamer Gardenia, buoy tender and for freight 1
Steamers Misteltoe and Iris, used for works of constructions and repair of light-stations, fog-signals, and day beacons. 2
Steam launch Daisy, for supply and inspection of lights and buoy services on Lake Champlain and for light freight and work in New York Bay. 1
Steam launch Nettle, for works of constructions and repair on Lake Champlain 1

NOTE--the numbers preceding the names of the stations in this report correspond with those in the List of Lights and Fig-Signals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the United States, corrected to June 30, 1903. and in the List of Lights and Fog-Signals on the Northern Lakes and Rivers, corrected to the opening of navigation.


425. Goose Neck Point beacon, No. 11, N.J.
426. Cooks Sedges beacon, No. 13, N.J.
427. Sands Point beacon, No. 4, N.J.
429. Great Beds, N.Y. and N.J.
433. Bergen Point, N.J.
434. Corner Stake, N.J.
435. Passaic, N.J.
436. Elbow Beacon, N.J.

LIGHT-VESSELS.

375. Sandy Hook light-vessel, No. 51, off the entrance to New York Bay, New York.--This steel steam self-propelling light-vessel was built in 1892, and is of 283 tons gross burden. Her light is electric, fixed white, with eclipses, and her fog-signal is a 10-inch steam whistle. She was damaged April 7, 1902, by a scow in charge of a tug, necessitating repairs to her frame and plates near the water line on her starboard bow. To have these repairs made, at the expense of the owners of the tug, the light-vessel was brought to the general light-house depot on April 9, 1902. She also received other repairs at public expense, and was returned to her station, when light-vessel No. 16, which had taken her place, was withdrawn. She was furnished with needed stores and fitments. She was not off her station during the year except as previously noted.
377. Scotland light-vessel, No. 11, entrance to New York Bay and seacoast of New Jersey.--This wooden light-vessel was built in 1853, is of 320 tons gross burden, and her fog-signal is a bell. She was put on this station December 2, 1902, taking permanently the place of light-vessel No.7, which was brought inn and laid up at the general light-house depot. Light-vessel No. 11 was run into March 10, 1903, by a schooner, and received slight damage to her stern and port cathead, which will be repaired when the vessel is next brought in. She was not off her station during the year except as stated.
--. Relief light-vessel, No. 7.--This wooden vessel was built in 1854, is of 142 tons gross burden. She was on Scotland light-vessel station until december, 1902, when she was relieved by light-vessel No. 11. She was then prepared for service as a relief ship and as such was put in her old station on June 8, 1903, in place of light-vessel No. 11, brought in to be repaired. No. 7 will be kept at the gneral light-house depot for temporary duty as long as she lasts.
--Relief light-vessel, No. 12.--This wooden vessel, worn out by 57 years of service, and deemed as unfit for further repair, was sold at public auction on February 9, 1903, and the proceeds thereof were covered into the Treasury.
--Relief light-vessel, No. 16.--This wooden vessel which was built in 1854, is of 250 tons gross burden, and has a steam fog-signal. She is kept at the general light-house depot in readiness to relieve any one of the four vessels equipped with steam fog-signals. She was on duty on the Fire ISland light-vessel station from July 15 to September 11, 1902, and on the Sandy Hook light-vessel station from April 9, to June 8, 1903.
--Relief light-vessel, No. 20.--This wooden vessel, which was built in 1857, is of 105 tons gross burden, and has a bell fog-signal. She is kept at the New London, Conn., light-house depot for the relief of the light-vessels not equipped with steam fog-signals nor flashing or occulting lights. She served at Cornfield Point light-vessel station from June 8 to June 30, 1903.

FOURTH DISTRICT

This district extends from a point on the coast of New Jersey opposite Shrewsbury Rocks (but does not include the rocks) to and includes Metokin Inlet, Virginia. It embraces all aids to navigation on the seacoast of NewJersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and the tidal waters tributary to the sea between the rocks and the inlet.
Inspector.--Commander John Hubbard, United States Navy to February 10, 1903, Commander Samuel P. Comly, U.S. Navy, from February 10, 1903.
Engineer.--Col. William A. Jones, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.
In this district there are--

Light-houses and beacon lights, including 5 post lights 71
Light-vessels in position 5
Day or unlighted beacon 3
Fog-signals operated by steam, caloric, or oil engines 8
Fog-signals operated by clockwork 8
Gas-lighted buoys in position 6
Whistling buoys in position 4
Bell buoys in position 7
New model can buoys in position 5
New model nun buoys in position 4
Ice buoys in position 31
Other buoys in position 160
Steamer Zizania, buoy tender, and for supply and inspection 1
Naphtha launch Leal, used for works of construction and repair 1

Some 275 inspections of vessels, stations, and post lights were made, and with one exception the stations were found to be in an efficient condition and the keepers generally attentive to their duties. Frequent inspections of the buoys were made.

LIGHT STATIONS

491. Hereford Inlet, seacoast of New Jersey.--A survey was made and a topographical mape of the station plotted. Repairs were made.
494. Cape May, seacoast of New Jersey.--The erection of the dwelling addition is in progress. The brush, etc., was cleared away, and the west, north, and east boundary fences were rebuilt. Various repairs were made.
513. Egg Island, Delaware Bay, New Jersey.--A galvanized-iron oil house having a concrete floor and iron foundation columns was erected. A survey was made and a topographical mape of the lighthouse site was plotted. The elevated board walk was extended to the new oil house. Various repairs were made.

REPAIRS

486. Sea Girt, N.J.
487. Barnegat, N.J.
488. Tucker Beach, N.J.
489. Absecon (Atlantic City), N.J.
505. Fourteen-Foot Bank, Del.
510. Maurice River, N.J.
511-512. Maurice River range, N.J>
517. Ship John shoal, N.J.
529. Finns Point range front, N.J.
530. Finns Poiint range rear, N.J.
545. Billingsport front, N.J.
546. Tinicum Island range rear, N.J.
547. Fort Mifflin Bar range rear, N.J.


LIST OF STATIONS AT WHICH OIL HOUSES HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN THE FISCAL YEAR
513. Egg Island, Delaware Bay, New Jersey. (see page 9.)

LIGHT-VESSELS

492. Northeast End light-vessel, No. 44, off the seacoast of New Jersey. -- This iron light-vessel was built in 1881-82, and is of 304 tons gross burden, and has a steam fog-signal. She remained on her station throughtout the year. A steel smokestack was furnished, and was installed by her officers and crew. Needed stores and fitments were suppliled.
493. Five-Fathom Bank light-vessel, No. 40, off seacoast of New Jersey. -- This wooden light-vessel was built in 1875, is of 350 tons gross burden, and has a steam fog-signal. She remained on her station throughtout the year. A steel smokestack was supplied, and was installed by her officers and crew. Needed stores and fitments were supplied.

FOG SIGNALS OPERATED BY STEAM, HOT AIR, OR OIL ENGINES

492. Northeast End light-vessel, No. 44, New Jersey. -- The 12-inch steam whistle was in operation some 526 hours, and consumed about 24 tons of coal.

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