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Sabine Pass East Jetty, LA  Lighthouse destroyed.   

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Sabine Pass East Jetty Lighthouse

1894 – Sabine Pass jetty light, entrance to Sabine River, Louisiana.—The east jetty projects into the Gulf a long distance and is particularly dangerous to vessels drawing less than 12 feet. A large concrete block has been built on the outer end of this jetty, and with little additional cost, and without interfering with engineering operations, a lens lantern could be installed here which would be of great benefit to commerce. It is estimated that it would cost not to exceed $600, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1899 – Sabine Pass Jetty Beacon, on the easterly jetty at the entrance to Sabine Pass, Louisiana — Materials for use in repairs to this beacon and for a landing were delivered.

1899 – Sabine Pass jetty light and fog-signal station, Louisiana and Texas.—The protecting mat of the east jetty extends out about 4 miles, and the nearest light to its entrance is a small beacon light about 1 ½ miles inside the end, too far inside to serve as a guide to the entrance of the jetty. Sabine Pass as a port of entry has grown rapidly. The receipts and shipments for 1896 and 1897 show an increase from $199,042 in 1896 to $475,288 in 1897. It appears from the records that 99 vessels entered and cleared during 1897, that there were 403 trips made, and that 104,333 was the net registered tonnage. The largest vessel which passed out drew 23.6 feet. The Board therefore deems that the needs of this port require the establishment here of a light and fog-signal. It is estimated that a suitable structure here, similar to the one at Brazos Santiago, Texas, can be built for $40,000. It is therefore recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations called for suggestions from the Treasury Department as to the propriety of passing H. R. bill No. 11357, appropriating $40,000 for the establishment of a light-house at Sabine Pass, and was informed by letter of February 9,1899, that the Treasury Department recommended the passage of the bill in question.

1900 — Sabine Pass Jetty light and fog-signal station, Louisiana and Texas.—The following recommendation made in the Board's last annual report is renewed.

1901 — Sabine Pass Jetty light and fog-signal station, Louisiana and Texas. —The following recommendation, made in the Board's last two annual reports, is renewed.

1902 – Sabine Pass Jetty beacon, Louisiana.—A new wharf 46 feet long and 7 ½ feet wide, extending from the beacon on the jetty out to 16 feet of water in Sabine Pass, was built. It has fender piles at the outer end and horizontal slats on the piles to form ladders for mounting to the top of the wharf. Steps were built leading from the inner end of the wharf to the deck of the beacon. The beacon was rebuilt.

The following recommendation, made in the Board's last three annual reports, is renewed.

1905 – Sabine Pass jetty beacon, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana.—The following recommendation, made in the Board's last five annual reports, is renewed.

1906 – Sabine Pass jetty beacon, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana.—The following recommendation, made in the Board's last six annual reports, is renewed.

1907 – Sabine Pass East Jetty, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana.—The following recommendation, made in the Board's last seven annual reports, is renewed.

1911 – Sabine Pass Jetty, Tex.—The act of May 27, 1908, appropriated $40,000 for a light and fog signal at or near the end of Sabine Pass Jetty. Nothing has been done on the work, in view of the proposed project of the War Department to extend the jetties to the 25-foot contour, a distance of possibly 2 miles. It is considered advisable that this light station be not commenced until the question of the extension of the jetties is settled. On account of the erection of entrance aan northern range beacons for entering and proceeding up the channel, the immediate demand for a light is not pressing. At the close of the fiscal year 1911 no money had been expended or obligated under this appropriation.

1912 – Sabine Pass Jetty, Tex.—The act of May 27, 1908, appropriated $40,000 for a light and fog signal at or near the end of Sabine Pass Jetty. Nothing has been done on this work in view of the proposed project of the War Department to extend the jetties to the 25-foot contour, a distance of possibly 2 miles. It is considered advisable that this light station be not commenced until the question of the extension of the jetties is settled. At the close of the fiscal year 1912 no money had been expended or obligated under this appropriation.

1914 – Sabine Pass Jetty, Tex.—The act of May 27, 1908, appropriated $40,000 for a light and fog signal at or near the end of Sabine Pass Jetty. Nothing has been done on the work, in view of the proposed project of the War Department to extend the jetties to the 25-foot contour, a distance of possibly 2 miles. At the close of the fiscal year 1914 no money had been expended or obligated.

1915 – Sabine Pass Jetty, Tex— The act of May 27, 1908, appropriated $40,000 for a light and fog signal at or near the end of Sabine Pass Jetty. Nothing has been done on the work, in view of the proposed project of the War Department to extend the jetties to the 25-foot contour, a distance of possibly 2 miles. At the close of the fiscal year 1915 no money had been expended or obligated.

1915 – At Sabine Pass Light Station the keepers maintained the characteristic of the light by hand when the vibration of the tower put the clockwork out of order. At Sabine Pass, LA., the wharf, walk to house, and outbuildings were carried away. Both entrance range lights, the East Jetty Light, the Inner Range Lights, and the channel light at Sabine Pass were all washed away.

1916 – Sabine Pass Jetty, Tex.— The act of May 27, 1908, appropriated $40,000 for a light and fog signal at or near the end of Sabine Pass Jetty. Nothing has been done on the work, in view of the proposed project of the War Department to extend the jetties to the 25-foot contour, a distance of possibly 2 miles. At the close of the fiscal year 1915 no money had been expended or obligated.

1922 – Sabine Pass Jetty Light Station — See Annual Report, 1920, page 49. The War Department completed extension of the jetties in 1920, and after allowing settlement, investigation of the site was made by the Lighthouse Service in 1921. Plans have been prepared and approved for an unwatched acetylene light and automatic fog bell operated by carbon-dioxide gas.

1924 - Sabine Pass Jetty Light Station — See Annual Report, 1922, page 43, and previous references. The act of May 27, 1908, appropriated $40,000 for a light and fog signal at or near the end of Sabine Pass Jetty. Work on this project was deferred until 1921, pending completing of this jetty by the War Department, and was completed this year, the light being placed in service on March 8 and the fog signal on April 18, 1924.

The structure consists of a heavy, stepped concrete foundation, bonded into the riprap composing the jetty, surmounted by a substantial superstructure of 8-inch solid wrought columns, braced with tie-rods and provided with a deck of cast-iron floor plates on steel I-beams. This deck supports a 20-foot iron pipe tower, carrying a 500-millimeter lantern for the acetylene light, also a 1,000-pound fog bell operated automatically by CO2 gas and a cast-iron shelter for housing the gas tanks supplying the light and fog bell.

The light, which is 50 feet above the water, shows a red flash of 270 candlepower to eastward of jetty, and a white flash to westward, both of three-tenths seconds duration every 3 seconds. The fog bell strikes a single blow every 20 seconds.

Total amount expended to June 30, 1924, $32,730.

Keepers:

  • Head: Alfred Hoyer (1896 – 1899), Robert G. Miller (1901 – 1903), William J. O'Brien (1903), Charles W. Heartt (1903 – 1904), Kristian Andersen (1904 – 1906), Kristian Andersen (1908 – at least 1913).
  • Assistant: Fred Shuman (1909), Nick Malidan (1909 – 1910), Albert B. Modawell (1910 – at least 1912), Christian T. Thomasen (at least 1913).

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