Isle Royale Trip 2009 - Part 2

(click on pictures for larger view)

This is just a few pictures to highlight a some of the rooms as you climb the tower.
Enjoy
The cast iron stairway leading to the top of the crib, the crib is 30ft tall and 50ft wide and contains the basement (boiler room) and sub basement (pump room.) The walls of the crib are 12ft thick of solid concrete and lined with brick on the inside and thick iron plating on the outside. 2500 yards of concrete was poured to form the walls of the crib. The crib protects the lighthouse from the thick sheets of lake ice that are heaved up against the light station during the long cold winter months, and also to keep the waves from washing directly against the tower during violent Lake Superior gales.


Looking up at the tower from the top of the crib. The tower walls are 3ft thick at the base are are made with a steel skeletal framework and brick masonry, faced with concrete parching. The lighthouse is 132ft tall containing 10 levels. Sub-basement, basement, engine room, Galley, Office, sleeping quarters, more sleeping quarters, watch room, lower lantern room, upper lantern room.
Chain fence atop the crib.
Engine room, just inside the main storm doors at the base of the tower. The engine room and both basement levels have poured concrete floors.
Engine room ceiling, due to extensive water damage the plaster ceiling is falling in. Notice the structural steel framework.
Galley level is in poor condition with rotten wood floors and extensive water damage.
Lots of paint coming off the walls and fair amount of rust on the cast iron stairs.
Most of the wood floors have rotted away in the galley, office, and both sleeping quarter levels.
There is new metal grating laid over the floors for safety and since all the interior floors are supported by original steel beams they are safe to walk on, as long as you stay on the grating.

The lower lantern room is the only level with an intact wood floor, baseboards and door frames.

Prism glass in the upper lantern room floor is intact and the cast iron stair is in good condition.


Looking out at the Rock of Ages Shoal from the upper lantern level (117ft).
Ladder leading to the roof.
Hope this gives everyone a better idea of the condition of the lighthouse and a better idea of how the levels are laid out.
The next few entries will detail certain areas of the lighthouse, including the dock, the basement levels, lantern room, and more. So stay tuned.

Once again I am asking that if there is anyone out there who has inside or outside pictures of Rock of Ages Lighthouse when it was still manned, or anyone who was stationed at, or has first hand knowledge of the Rock of Ages Lighthouse, please contact us at (rockofagesLPS@gmail.com) We could really use your help piecing together what the inside looked like before automation, as all the rooms have been stripped bare. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Website- http://sites.google.com/site/rockofageslighthouse/
E-mail- rockofagesLPS@gmail.com