1821-1893

Location & historical notes: Virginia, on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay, about seven miles northeasterly from New Point Comfort.  Moored four miles offshore, about 1.1 miles and 095 degrees from the present Wolf Trap Lighthouse.  Used as a guide for passing clear of Wolf Trap Channel.  The station was no longer needed when the Wolf Trap Lighthouse was activated about 1.1 mile and 2.75 degrees from the lightship station.

Lightships assigned:

1821 - ?: "S "

Appropriation: Used same 1819 appropriation as "C"
Built: 1820
Station: 1821- ?: Wolf Trap Shoal (VA)

1855 - ?: "T "

Built: 1856 at Philadelphia Navy Yard
Length: 81'6"; Beam: 21'6"; Depth: 10'6"; Tonnage: "about" 150; wood hull
Stations: During the period 1856-1861, used on both Wolf Trap (VA) and York
Spit (VA)
Note: Removed, sunk or destroyed by Confederate forces, 1861

1861-1864: station vacant

1864-1870: LV-22

(REFER TO LV 12 (II) FOR HISTORY OF LV 22)

1870 -1893: station vacant

1893: 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.