A.K.A. Upper Middle Lightship Station

 1823-1875

Location & historical notes: Delaware, near the middle of the Delaware Bay about 21 miles above the entrance off the south end of Cross Ledge Shoal.

The station was also referred to as "Cross Ledge." 

Lightships assigned:

1823-1845: "X "

Built: 1823 by Henry Eckford at New York
Length: 72'; Beam: 20'; Tonnage: 120; wood hull
Station: 1823-1845: Upper Middle Shoal (Cross Ledge) (DE)
Illumination: One oil lamp 45 feet above water Fog Signal: 450 lb. hand operated bell
Notes: Sister to "N". Hull painted straw color. Referred to as "Upper Middle No. 2" (being one of two lightships then in Delaware Bay). There is reason to believe that this vessel may have been rebuilt and enlarged on 2 occasions and later designated LV 19.

1845-1875: LV-19

YEAR BUILT: 1845

BUILT AT: New York (NY)

BUILDER: Henry Eckford

APPROPRIATION: $20,000
(Approp. Mar 3, 1823 "for 2 lt-vessels for Delaware Bay")

CONTRACT PRICE: ?

SISTER VESSELS: None

DESIGN: Wood - white oak framed and planked; double ended hull with bowsprit; 2 masts, oval daymarks at both mastheads

LENGTH: 85' (lbp), BEAM: 25', DRAFT: 9', TONNAGE: 150 (enlarged twice)

PROPULSION: Sail

ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 1 lamp, 12 cylindrical wicks

FOG SIGNAL: 900 lb bell, hand operated

CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 19-

Records are not conclusive on early history of this vessel. It appears that she may have been first built at 120 tons as lightship "X" in 1823; rebuilt and enlarged to 130 tons in 1845 which was very probably a rebuild of lightship "X"; then rebuilt in 1854, and again rebuilt and enlarged to 150 tons in 1876 at Wilmington DE at a cost of $11,000-
1848: Second lamp added with 12 cylindrical wicks-
1868: Lamps converted to reflector type-
Extensive repairs 1860,1863, 1868

STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 19

1845-1875: Cross Ledge (Upper Middle) (DE)
1876-1886: Fourteen Foot Hank (DE)
1886-1894: Ram Island Reef (CT)
1894-1900: Relief (CT) - laid up at New London during entire period

(Prior to 1867 when No. 19 was assigned, official records identify this vessel
as "Upper Middle", "Upper Middle No. 2", and/or "Cross Ledge")
(Cross Ledge station discontinued Dec 8, 1875)
(Four-teen Foot Bank station established Aug 22, 1876)

HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 19-
1875: Dec 9, Withdrawn from Cross Ledge; station discontinued when Cross Ledge Lighthouse activated-
1875: Oct 29, Mate and 2 crewmembers drowned during passage in liberty boat from Little Creek Landing (DE) to the lightship-
1875: During service in Delaware Bay, nearly every winter moving ice caused
LV 19 to be either driven off or withdrawn from station for several months at a time ã "such absence of light is a great Injury to commerce"-
1876: Aug 22, reassigned and placed on Fourteen Foot Bank (DE)
1886: Dec 1, removed from Fourteen Foot Bank, transferred to 3d District-
1886: Dec "9 stationed on Ram Island Reef (CT)-
1894: Dec 8, "permanently" removed from Ram Island Reef & assigned Relief status-
1895 "Rotten" and "weak and worn in every part"; "unfit for economic 1 repair-
1896, 97: "occupies needed space" and "only in the way" at New London dock

More notes

RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1894 AGE: 49?
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION:-
Turned over to Navy Department Oct 31 1900 for use as target ship

COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 19

1893-1895: Nicolas Nelson, Mate

Return to Lightship Stations and the Ships that Served on them.

Copyright © 2004  United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association INC. All rights reserved. Copyrights also protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998
Revised: 10/23/06.