Albert H. Joost

The Bureau is advised that Mr. Albert H. Joost, Keeper of the Southampton Shoal Light Station, died in the Marine Hospital in San Francisco at 10:21 PM, December 25th, as a result of burns sustained by him in an accident at his station on the afternoon of December 23d.

It appears that about 4:20 PM, while Mr. Joost was using a gasoline torch to heat a soldering iron placed on a bench on the deck around the second floor of the building, gasoline which had been spilled from the torch was accidentally ignited and the flames immediately enveloped him setting fire to his clothing and burning him severely, but he, assisted by his wife, managed to extinguish the flames by the use of a fire extinguisher.

It appears that as soon as Mr. Joost had extinguished the fire on his clothing, he ran to the lower floor, obtained another fire extinguisher and returned to the upper deck and extinguished the fire which had been started by the burning gasoline. Following this he managed to lower the station launch with the help of his wife and proceeded alone in it to Fort McDowell on Angel Island, a distance of 1-1/2 miles, where he was given first aid treatment in the Post Hospital and subsequently removed by launch to the Marine Hospital in San Francisco where he arrived about 7:30 PM.

Since Mr. Joost upon leaving the Station had insisted that Mrs. Joost remain there to care for the light and fog signal, arrangements were immediately made to relieve her at the Station. The Launch LOCUST was dispatched about 6:15 PM from the Yerba Buena Depot with an auxiliary crew from the Tender LUPINE and with Mr. A. N. Speelman, Keeper of the Yerba Buena Light Station on board to relieve Mrs. Joost. Upon arriving at the Station, Mr. Speelman took charge and Mrs. Joost was returned by the Launch to San Francisco.