1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

Journal of Light-house Station at Cape Foulweather Oregon 1894

March

18: Gale South to fresh breeze S. W. & West these 24 hours with rain & hail squalls. Sea very rough. General duties for day. The barometer 29.70 today.

19: Strong & fresh breeze W. to S.W. with frequent rain & hail squalls first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours Gale to fresh & moderate breeze W. to N.W., light rain & hail squalls. Sea very rough. Keeper went to Newport. General duties for day.

20: Light N.W. & North wind to moderate breeze N.W. these 24 hours with clear, fine weather. Sea quite smooth. Had 4 visitors today. Steamer Homer arrived from San Francisco & crossed Yaquina bar. 1st ass't went fishing. Keeper & 2nd ass't hauling wood from beach.

21: Calm & light N. East to East wind these 24 hours with clear, fine weather. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 1st ass't also putting brush in the road. Keeper & 2nd ass't hauling wood.

22: Fresh breeze East first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds with clear, fine and warm weather during 24 hours. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport. Steamer Homer sailed for San Francisco today. 1st ass't spading & planting garden.

23: Light N. East wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours moderate breeze N. West with clear, fine and warm weather. Sea smooth. Keepers spading and planting garden. 1st ass't also went fishing today.

24: Light [N has been deleted] East wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds with clear, fine weather first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours a little fog floating around. Sea very smooth. Keeper & 1st ass't planting garden today. 1st ass't also went fishing and to Newport. 2nd ass't went to Newport. Keeper went trout fishing.

25: Light South wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds with fair & warm weather during 24 hours. Sea very smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 2nd ass't went over on S. beach hunting water agates.

26: Light S. wind first part of 24 hours with fair weather. Last part of 24 hours moderate & fresh breeze S.E. to S. with rain. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. 1st ass't spading & planting garden. 2nd ass't went trout fishing up on north beach.

27: Light S. to S. East & East wind these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours rain. Last part of 24 hours cloudy & threatening weather. Sea smooth. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing today. 2nd returfing his back yard today. The barometer is 29.90 today.

28: Light wind to fresh breeze S.E. to S. & S. West these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours light rain. Last part of 24 hours hard rain. General duties for day. Sea quite smooth. Keeper and 2nd ass't went to Newport on business. The barometer 29.85 today.

29: Light S.W. to West wind these 24 hours with frequent rain showers during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. Keeper went fishing and writing on the Quarterly & monthly reports. 1st and 2nd ass't also went fishing today.

30: Light S. East wind with frequent rain showers first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light wind to moderate breeze N. West, fair weather. Sea smooth. 1st ass't spading garden and went fishing. Keeper working on the Quarterly returns. 2nd ass't went up on the north beach prospecting for Coal on the Indian Reservation. The barometer 29.95 Light House tender Manzanita passed by this Light at 5.20 P.M. from Astoria. She passed by Yaquina going South to Cape Blanco.

31: Light N.W. to South wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours moderate breeze South with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea smooth. Keeper making out Quarterly and monthly returns and spading garden & fishing. Steamer Homer sailed for San Francisco today. 1st ass't spading garden, went fishing, and to Newport after the mail.

April

1: Fresh breeze to gale South first part of 24 hours with rain. Last part of 24 hours Fresh to moderate breeze S. West, fair weather. Sea moderately smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper went to Newport to mail the Quarterly and monthly returns.

2: Moderate and fresh breeze S.W. with hail & rain squalls first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light West wind [continued on next page]

Journal of Light-house Station at Cape Foulweather Oregon 1894

[in the top of the far right "Month" column there appears an unintelligible signature (presumably B. Blish) and beneath it, what looks like "Ass't Inspt, 5 April 1894

April

2 [continued from preceding page] fair weather. Sea a little rough. Keeper putting a shelf in windows in Parlor for Keepers Quarters to put flower pots on. Keepers changing lamp and cleaning Oil buckets, Oil measures and Etc., The barometer went up to 30.30 today.

3: Light S. East wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours moderate & fresh breeze N.W. with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport after supplies 1st ass't spading, planting garden & went fishing today.

4: Light variable winds first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light N.West wind with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea very smooth. Keeper & 1st spading & working in garden. Also went fishing. The barometer stands 29.90 today. 2nd ass't Isaac L. Smith went to Yaquina City on important business. Left the station at 5.30 A.M., returned to the station at 9.45 P.M.

5: Light S. East wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light variable winds with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea smooth. Keeper spading and planting garden. 1st ass't went fishing today. The barometer stands 29,90 and going down. U.S. Steamer Manzanita laying off the bar this morning and crossed into Newport at 9.45 A.M. to do the annual buoy work. Lieut. B. Blish arrived at the station at 3.30 P.M. made inspection and left at 4.30 for Newport.

6: Moderate fresh and strong breeze S.E. to S.S.W. & West these 24 hours with rain. Sea quite rough. General duties for the day. Keeper swing wood in cellar. The barometer down to 29.70 today but going up at 4. P.M.

7: Light variable winds first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light N. West wind with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea quite smooth. 1st ass't throwing rails out of the road & spading garden. 2nd ass't spading garden & went to Newport. Keeper went to Newport after Library and 5 Gallons of Turpentine that the Ass't Inspector left April 5th for this station. U.S. Steamer Manzanita passed by the cape at 2. P.M. going north. 1st ass't hoisted the flag on her approaching [the] station. Had two visitors today.

8: Light wind N.W. to moderate breeze East to South these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours fair weather. Last part of 24 hours rain showers. Sea smooth. Keeper went up on north beach trout fishing. 1st ass't went ocean fishing. 2nd ass't spading garden.

9: Calm and light south to variable winds these 24 hours. First part of 24 hours little damp. Last part of 24 hours fair & warm. Sea very smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 2nd ass't spading garden today.

10: Light wind to moderate breeze South first part of 24 hours with rain. Last part of 24 hours moderate breeze N.W., little damp. Sea quite smooth. General duties for the day. 1st ass't went fishing. 2nd ass't spading garden and setting out cabbage plants.

11: Light wind to moderate breeze N.West these 24 hours; first part of 24 hours light rain showers. Last part of 24 hours fair weather. Sea quite smooth. Keeper grubbing up a piece of ground for a flower garden near the beach for Mrs. M.J. Plummer. 1st ass't Edward Rice went fishing and to Newport after supplies. 2nd ass't planting potatoes in his garden.

12: Light N.W. to S. East wind first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours light N. West wind with fair weather during 24 hours. Sea smooth. General duties for the day. Keeper & 2nd ass't went to Newport after supplies.

13: Light wind to moderate breeze South first part of 24 hours. Last part of 24 hours fresh breeze to light gale South to S. West with rain during 24 hours. Sea moderately smooth. General duties for the day. The barometer down to 29.80.

14: Moderate and fresh breeze W. to N.West first part of 24 hours with frequent rain showers. Last part of 24 hours moderate breeze to light N. West wind, fair weather. Sea a little rough. Keeper & 2nd ass't planting garden. Keeper & 1st ass't went fishing. 1st ass't also went to Newport after the mail.

15: Light wind to moderate breeze N.W. these 24 hours, first part of 24 hours light rain showers. Last part of 24 hours fair and cool weather. Sea smooth. General duties for day. Keeper went to Newport to engage rooms at Grotell?? and teams for L.H. Engineer - Supt of Construction to come to the station & go to Alsea April 24th.

1904 March 18. Gale and fresh breeze S.W. these 24 hours - First part of 24 hours frequent rain and hail squalls - Sea quite rough - General duties for day - Barometer 29.70 to 29.90 - 1st asst spading garden - 2nd asst & Keeper getting wood on beach - Keeper writing in Office 19. Light East to S. East wind with first part of 24 hours - Last part of 24 hours heavy Gale South with rain - The gale today fencing dow all about the Station - Barometer 29.10 to 28.70 - General duties for the day - Keeper working on requisition for supplies - The gale also blew window panes out of windows in Dwelling - 1st asst went to Newport after mail & supplies 20. Gale to fresh breeze S. West and West first part of 24 hours with rain showers - Last part of 24 hours fresh breeze S. West with light rain showers and fair - Sea rough - General duties for day - Barometer 28.70 to 29.56 - Keeper and assts repairing fence that blew down the 20th from bluff to Barn 21. Fresh breeze S.W. with frequent hail & snow squalls these 24 hours - General duties for day - Barometer 29.56 to 29.50 - Sea quite rough - Keeper washing today 22. Fresh breeze S. West to light S. East wind these 24 hours with frequent hail and snow squalls - Sea moderately smooth - Barometer 29.52 to 29.47 - Keeper getting wood on beach & working in shop - 1st asst went to Newport after mail & supplies - 2nd asst putting dressing on the garden 23. Light East wind with snow first part of 24 hours - Last part of 24 hours moderate & fresh breeze South fair and frequent hail squalls - Sea smooth - Barometer 29.47 to 29.55 - Keeper and assts repairing fences that the gale blew down the 19th - 2nd asst working in shop 24. Light variable winds these 24 hours - First part of 24 hours snow and rain - Last part of 24 hours light rain showers and clearing weather - Sea smooth - Baromter 29.55 to 29.72 - Keeper went to Newport after mail & supplies - 1st asst went fishing - Keeper working on requisition 25. Light East and variable winds these 24 hours - First part of 24 hours snow - Past part of 24 hours light snow & rain showers and fair - Sea smooth - Barometer 29.72 to 30.60 - 1st asst went to Newport after mail & supplies - 2nd asst working on road next to beach - Keeper getting wood on the beach 26. Moderate breeze East these 24 hours with fair weather & cool - Sea very smooth - Barometer 30.00 to 30.10 - Keeper went to Newport after mail and supplies - 2nd asst cleaning out barn & working in shop - 1st asst repairing picket fence around Dwelling 27. Fresh breeze & light East wind these 24 hours with rain - Sea very smooth - General duties for day - Barometer 30.10 to 29.66 today 28. Light wind and moderate breeze East with rain first part of 24 hours - Last part of 24 hours light South wind cloudy & fair - Sea very smooth - Barometer 29.66 to 29.35 - 2nd asst working in shop & putting two panes of glass in Dwelling that the gale of the 19th blew out - 1st asst went on the beach at Sta fishing - Keeper getting wood on the beach and working on requisition for annual supplies 29. Light wind to moderate breeze W.N.W these 24 hours with rain and hail showers - Sea smooth - General duties for the day - 1st ast went to Newport after mail & supplies - Barometer 29.35 to 29.70 - Keeper working on Quarterly reports & requisition 30. Moderate breeze West these 24 hours with frequent rain and hail showers - Sea smooth - General duties for the day - Barometer 29.70 to 80.12 - Keeper getting wood on the beach - 1st asst went fishing - 2nd asst cleaning out the Barn - Keeper working on reports 31. Light N. East to moderate breeze East these 24 hours with clear fine weather - Sea smooth - Keeper & assts repairing garden fence - Keeper spading garden & getting wood on beach - 1st asst cleaning in his Quarters - Barometer 30.20 to 29.88 - 1st asst also went fishing - 2nd asst went to Newport to post Quarterly and monthly & requisition reports get mail and procure supplies