1821-1897
Location & historical notes: Virginia, on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay, off to the south side of the Potomac River entrance. The lightship was moored about three miles offshore guarding the shoal area off Smith Point and served as a reference mark for the southern approach to the Potomac River, and as a waypoint for north-south traffic using the main Chesapeake Channel. The station was no longer needed after the establishment of the Smith Point Lighthouse.
Lightships assigned:
1821-1861: "B "
Note: In 1838, Lt William Porter USN, upon arrival at the Smith Point (VA) light-vessel for inspection found the Captain and entire crew absent for a week with the vessel left in charge of a 14 year old boy. The vessel was found in poor condition, and the boy was incapable of hoisting the lantern up to its night position.
Funds appropriated: 1820
Tonnage: 120; wood hull
Station: 1821-1861: Smith Point (VA)
Note: Sunk by Confederate forces, 1861
1861-1862: station vacant
1862-1868: LV-23
YEAR BUILT: 1857
BUILT AT: Dorchester County (MD)
BUILDER: Unknown
APPROPRIATION: None
CONTRACT PRICE: $7,500 (repairs to former brig) (Used current operating funds of Lighthouse Establishment)
SISTER VESSELS: None
DESIGN: Wood- oak & yellow pine, 10 iron knees on each side; bowsprit; 2
masts, day
marks at both mastheads - (Documented as the schooner A.J.W. APPLEGARTH, acquired by the US in 1862 and converted for use as lightship)
LENGTH: 94'6" (lbp), BEAM: 24'11, DRAFT: 96",TONNAGE: 186 gross, (203 tons as built)
PROPULSION: Sail- schooner rig, fore and main carried on spencer masts
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 2 lanterns, each with 8 oil lamps
FOG SIGNAL: Hand operated 667 lb bell
CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 23-
1862: Ex-schooner converted to
lightship use- $7,500 for wages and materials-
1873: "Thoroughly repaired and refitted" at Norfolk VA. - $1,800-
1874: General overhaul-$5,437, prior to transfer to 3d District-
1876: Hauled and re caulked-
1880: Hauled at Greenport (NY), stern repaired, planking replaced, re
caulked,
running rigging replaced-
1882: Rebuilt - $12,281.04-
1895: May 15-Jun 14, repair and refit-
1901: Jun-Aug, fitted with new masts and spars, sheathing repaired-
1918: Equipped with 10" air fog whistle and associated machinery-
1919: Equipped with radio; discontinued Aug 19, same year-
1923: Fog signal changed back to bell, illuminant changed to acetylene
STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 23
1862-1868: Smith Point (VA)
1868-1872: Willoughby Spit (VA)
1872-1874: Relief (VA)
1874-1876: Wreck of Scotland (NJ)
1876-1882: Relief (3d District)
1882-1892: Cornfield Point (CT)
1892-1894: Relief (CT)
1894-1925: Ram Island Reef (CT)
(Ram Island Reef station
discontinued Apr 4, 1925; replaced with lighted bell buoy - light operated
by acetylene; bell mechanically operated by carbon dioxide gas)
(Prior to 1867 when No. 23 was assigned, official records identify this
vessel as "Smith Point")
HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 23-
1862: Mar, placed on Smith Point
(VA) replacing vessel sunk by "insurgents";
"a competent military guard has been detailed for duty" aboard the
lightship-
1867: Jan 19, caught in moving ice, slipped chain and drifted for 2 days;
towed
to Great Wicomico (VA); returned to station Feb 23-
1868: Withdrawn when Smith Point Lighthouse completed-
1868: Placed on Willoughby Spit (VA)-
1872: Withdrawn when Thimble Shoal Lighthouse completed. Reported as "the
only
lightship in the 5th District"-
1874: Sep 10, Placed on Wreck of Scotland (NJ)-
1876: "now at Staten Island (NY)"; "is used for a Relief vessel"-
1878: "now at New London (CT) as a Relief-ship"-
1882: Sep 6, placed on Cornfield Point (CT)-
1889: Appropriation requested for replacement vessel; $70,000 approved
1890-
1891: Mar 19, in collision with scow under tow; withdrawn and returned May
27-
1892: Dec 15, replaced by new LV 51; LV 23 assigned Relief duty-
1894: Dec 8, placed on Rain Island Reef (CT)-
1904: Feb 23-26, withdrawn to avoid moving ice fields-
1925: Apr 4, Ram Island Reef station discontinued and replaced with LEE
More notes:
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1925
AGE: 68
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: Annual Report FY 1924-25 states "surveyed and
condemned, to be sold". No later reference to the vessel was found.
COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 23
1896 (2 mo.): Wainwright B Cummings, Mate
?-1913: John S Gunderson, Mate
1913: Hugh Donovan, Mate
1913-1914: N D Hooper, Mate
1914-1917: James Quirk Mate
1917-1921: John Holmes, Mate
1921-1923: Arthur Daunt, Mate
1923: Christofore Lasdine, Mate
1923-1924: Alfred M Haynes, Mate
1868-1895: station remained vacant
1895-1897: LV-46
YEAR BUILT: 1887
BUILT AT: Linwood (PA)
BUILDER: Houston & Woodbridge
APPROPRIATION: $60,000
(Approp. Aug 4, 1886 "for Cape Charles lt-ship station")
CONTRACT PRICE: $60,000
SISTER VESSELS: LV 45
DESIGN: Composite- steel frame, iron hull sheathed w/yellow pine; fastened
with iron rivets and screw bolts; 2 masts, day marks on both; stack ahead
of mainmast; 2 aux. steam boilers steam pump
LENGTH: 124'6" (loa); BEAM: 27'0; DRAFT: 116"; TONNAGE: 401 displ
PROPULSION: Sail-schooner rig; fore and main carried on spencer masts
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 2 lanterns, each having 8 oil lamps with reflectors
FOG SIGNAL: 12" steam whistle; hand operated 1010 lb bell
STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 46
1888-1891: Cape Charles (VA) -
(station locally called Smiths Island Shoal)
1891-1893: Bush Bluff (VA)
1893-1895: Wolf Trap (VA)
1895-1897: Smith Point (VA)
1897-1898: (laid up at Portsmouth, VA)
1891-1901: Overfalls (DE)
1901-1922: Tail of Horseshoe (VA)
1923: Relief (laid up)
HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 46
-1888: Feb 17 placed on Cape Charles (VA)
-Parted chain and off station 1888 Mar 16-28; again in 1889 Oct 23-Nov 5
-1891: Jul 16, placed on Bush Bluff (VA)
-1893: Jun 7-Jul 5, "relieved" Cape Charles LV 49; (C&GS schooner Drift
marked
Bush Bluff during this period)
-1893: Jul 31, "moored off Wolf Trap" (VA) during lighthouse
reconstruction
-1893: Aug 28, boiler explosion killed engineer and seaman; fog signal
disabled
-1893: Dec 10-Mar 16 1894, withdrawn for repair; relieved by schooner
Drift
-1895: Feb 14, placed at Smith Point (VA), marking Lighthouse carried away
by ice
-1897: Sep 17, in collision with barges under tow
-1897: Oct 15-Sep 15 1898, laid up in charge of watchman at Portsmouth
(VA)
-1898: Sep 15, transferred and towed to 4th District, then overhauled
-1898: Dec 2, placed on Overfalls (DE)
-1899: Feb 11-Mar 14, carried off station by ice
-1901: Transferred to 5th District; Jun placed on Tail of Horseshoe (VA)
-1904: Oct 23-Mar 22 1905, withdrawn for repairs; relieved by LV 7
-1918: Jan 4, carried off station by ice moving out entrance to Chesapeake
Bay
into shoal water off Cape Henry; picked up and towed in by ORCHID Jan 6
More notes: LV 46
-1922: Withdrawn from Tail of Horseshoe; station discontinued
-1923: Designated Relief and laid up
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1923 AGE: 36
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: Not listed after 1923, probably sold that year
COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 46
1899-1901: Samuel S Baxter, Master
1906-1913: Walter S Barnett, Mate
1913: William Mullen, Mate
1913-1915: Anelius Anderson, Mate
1915-1922: Anelius Anderson, Master
1915: George B Reynolds, Mate
1915-1917: Benjamin L Harris, Mate
1917-1918: Ernst Brownley, Mate
1918-1919: Robert A Dixon, Mate
1919: Luther Muse, Mate
1919-1920: George K Rollinson, Mate
1920-1922: James Lufton, Mate
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