1900-1922

Location & historical notes: Virginia, inside the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, 3.4 miles and 331 degrees from the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Lightships assigned:

1900-1901: LV-71

Shown as Diamond Shoal Lightship 1900 1918.

YEAR BUILT: 1897

BUILT AT: Bath (ME)

BUILDER: Bath Iron Works Ltd

APPROPRIATION: $80,000
(Approp. Jun 4, 1897 for a "Lt-vessel for Overfalls Shoal, Delaware Bay")

CONTRACT PRICE: $70,700

SISTER VESSELS: LV 68,69

DESIGN: Steam screw; composite hull (steel frame & topsides, wood bottom);
2 masts with lantern galleries; stack amidships

LENGTH: 122'10" (loa); BEAM: 28'6"; DRAFT: 13'6"; TONNAGE: 590 displ (depth)

PROPULSION: Steam - one single cylinder surface condensing engine, 22" bore x 20" stroke, 350 IHP; one Scotch main boiler l1'3" dia x 12'2" long; 4 bladed propeller 8' dia; design max speed 8 1/2 knots

ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: Cluster of three 100cp electric lens lanterns mounted in gallery at each masthead

FOG SIGNAL: 12" steam chime whistle; hand operated 1000 lb bell

CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 71
-Steel stem, keel, bilge and sheer strakes reinforced with diagonal steel braces
keel to sheer; wood planked keel to main deck level; steel plated from main
deck level to weather deck
-1904: Jan, supplied with wireless telegraph equipment by Navy Dept
-1904: Fitted with special submersible mooring buoy (See LV 69 for earlier use)
-1905: Equipped with 18" searchlight maintained in southeasterly direction at 45 degrees to horizon while on Diamond Shoal station
-1906: Cluster lights replaced with single 375mm electric lens lantern at each
masthead
-1908: Converted to electric arc lights
-1910: Converted back to electric incandescent
-1910: Submarine bell signal installed
-1912: Equipped with radio provided by USLHS

STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 71
18981-1918: Diamond Shoal (NC)

(From 1898-1900, LV 71 and LV 69 alternately relieved each other on Diamond Shoal station)
(From 1900-1918, LV 71 and LV 72 alternately relieved each other on Diamond Shoal at 3mo intervals. When not on Diamond station, LV 71 was also used to relieve other stations as shown below:
-1900: May ?? to Jun 22, 1901, temporary duty on Tail of Horseshoe (VA)
-1903: Apr 29-Jun 15: temporary duty on Winter Quarter Shoal (VA)
-1903: Oct 14-Nov 29: temporary duty on Overfalls Shoal (DE)
-1905: Aug 1-15: temporary duty on Cape Lookout Shoals (NC)
-1906: Jan 19-Mar 7: temporary duty on Nantucket Shoals (MA)
-1906: Sep 9-25: temporary duty on Cape Charles (VA)
1906: Dec 3-25: temporary duty on Cape Lookout Shoals (NC)

HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 71
-1898: Feb 14, delivered to Edgemoor Depot (DE). Although built for Overfalls
Shoal, LV 69 on Diamond Shoals needed repair so LV 71 was placed there Mar 9,
then alternated with LV 69
-1899: Oct 7, replaced LV 69 which had blown ashore Aug 18; station apparently
vacant from Aug 18-Oct 7
-1900: Dragged off station in heavy weather 9 times during the year; regained
station unassisted on each occasion
-1900: May-Jun 22,1901, temporary duty on Tail of Horseshoe until LV 45 arrived;
showed oil lights while on this station
-1905: While on Diamond station, showed searchlight with beam kept southeasterly
at 45 degrees to horizon "to provide earlier warning than masthead lights"
-1912: Jan 9, rammed by schooner JOHN BOSSERT, considerable damage to starboard
hull plating and to engine room machinery
-1915: Dragged off station during severe coastal storm; regained station Jan 14
-1915: Apr 24, took aboard the Master, his wife and 10 crew from wrecked 5 masted
schooner M D CRESSY; provided food and clothing and transferred to passing
vessel

More notes: LV 71
-1917: Jul, arrangements made with USN and Weather Bureau for provision of meteorological equipment for recording and reporting weather observations twice daily by radio

RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: (1918); AGE: 21

SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: -1918 Aug 6, LV 71 reported by radio the presence of a German submarine which had sunk a passing freighter. Message was intercepted by the submarine U-104, and after giving the crew opportunity to abandon ship in the boats, LV 71 was sunk by surface gunfire.

COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 71

1898: August B Blom, Master (Mar-Nov)
1907-?: George Selson, Mate
?-1913: William L Montague, Mate
1913: John M Kendle, Mate
1913: A T Loss, Mate
1913-1915: C H Pertner, Mate
1914: Ole Axdal, Mate
1915-1916: A M Thistel, Master
1914-1917: Thomas Simmons, Mate
1917: Frederick J Pusey, Mate
1917: William Harvey, Master
1917-1918: Edwin E Holm, Mate
1918: Walter L Barnett, 1st Mate

1901-1922: 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, daymarks 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

CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 46
-1899: Jun 4-24, Boiler repairs at Portsmouth (VA)
-1891: Jun 25-Jul 16, brought in for general repair"
-1893: Dec 10-Mar 16 1894, boilers repaired
-1895: Both boilers replaced prior to transfer to Smith Point
-1896: Jun 19-Jul 16, major overhaul at Baltimore (MD)
-1898: Overhauled and refitted at 4th District
-1901: Mar 1, repairs for collision damage (relieved by LV 69)
-1903: Apr 10-Jun 3, brought in for repairs (station marked by lighted bell buoy)
-1904: Oct 23-Mar 22 1905, repaired and refitted
-1910: Equipped with submarine bell signal
-1910: Equipped with radio

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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Revised: 10/23/06.