1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

The Light-House Board. Washington, D.C.

Sirs:

I have the honor to confirm the following telegram sent this day:

"No bids received from local mills for lumber for Yaquina head. Request telegraphic authority for open market purchase not to esceed one hundred eighty dollars."

Respectfully yours,

S W Roessler

Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers, U.S.A. Engineer 13th Light-House District.

Department of Commerce and Labor

Telegram

4PO HO C 31 Collect Govt Portland, Ore, June 28, 1907.

Light-House Board,

Washington, D.C.

No bids received from local mills lumber for Yaquina head request telegraphic authority for open market purchase not to exceed one hundred eighty dollars.

Roessler,

Engineer

835am June 29, 1907

Department of Commerce and Labor Light-House Establishment Office of Engineer, 13th District Portland, Oreg. May 25, 1907

1 Inclosure

The Light-House Board, Washington, D.C.

Sirs:

I have the honor to report that the fences and windbreaks around the dwellings at Yaquina Head Light-Station, Oregon, are decayed and beyond repair. The estimated cost of their renewal is $480.00, per detailed estimate herewith.

Authority is respectfully requested to carry out this work by hired labor and purchase of necessary materials under existing regulations. The cost to be paid from funds now on hand belonging to the appropriation, Repairs & Incidental Expenses of Light-Houses, 1907.

I hereby certify that, in my opinion, this method is the most economical and advantageous to the Government.

Respectfully yours,

S.W. Roessler

Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers, U.S.A. Engineer 13th Light-House District.

United States Senate Washington, D.C. April 6, 1907.

Hon. Lawrence O. Murray, Assistant Secretary, Department of Commerce and Labor.

Dear Sir:

On March 8th I received a letter from you in reply to a letter which I addressed to the Secretary on March 4th, asking that permission be granted Mr. B.F. Jones to use a part of the light-house reservation at Newport, Oregon. you then advised me that your Department had been informed by the Light-House Board that this reservation was transferred in 1888 to the War Department for its use until need by the Light-House Board, and, therefore, you were not able to grant the request.

I then took up the matter with the Secretary of War and today received a letter from Hon. Robert Oliver Shaw, Assistant Secretary, stating as follows:

"It appears from the report of the engineer authorities that there is some question as to whether or not this reservation is under the jurisdiction of the War Department or the Department of Commerce and Labor, and pending the solution of that question, the War Department does not feel at liberty to grant any privileges on the property."

I would be very greatly obliged if you would have the Light-House Board go into this question carefully and then decide whether or not the Newport Reservation is properly under your jurisdiction or that of the War Department. I have made a similar request of Secretary Oliver, and sincerely trust that some definite decision may be reached in the near future, as I am anxious that the application of Mr. Jones be passed upon at an early date. I assume that he would like to have this privilege

Department of Commerce and Labor Light-House Establishment Office of Engineer, 13th District Portland, Oreg. May 4, 1906

6 Inclosures

The Light-House Board, Washington, D.C.

Sirs:

In compliance with the instructions contained in the Board's letter of April 25, 1906, No. 1053, we have the honor to submit the following report in the matter of leasing or selling the Yaquina Bay Light-House Reservation.

This part of the state is rapidly settling up, the coastwise commerce is increasing, and a coast line railway will probably be constructed in the very near future, all of which indicate the dawn of an era of prosperity such as this part of the state has never seen. Local commerce will unquestionably increase, necessitating, sooner or later, the establishment of harbor lights upon the present reservation. For the above reasons it is not deemed advisable either to sell or lease the reservation at the mouth of Yaquina Bay.

The six papers accompanying the Board's letter are returned herewith.

Respectfully submitted,

F.J. Werlich Commander, U.S. Navy Inspector 13th Light-House District.

S.W. Roessler Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers, U.S.A. Engineer 13th Light-House District.