New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-16
U. s. Coast survcy-Columbia River.


The toliew ng IS me Report Of I.i-u5. " ashing-
ton A. Bartlett u. :. n. Assistant IN tho Coqst
Survey, in relation 70 me d,aughs Of vassals which
can enter the sogth Channel, Columbia River On
trance, Oregon.
WssHtSsroS, Nov So. 1851
FIR, In answer 20 your inqarles as TO tho
3raueht Tor vesgeis which may M any time be car
ried into che Columbia River by the new South
Channel, have to state, that our late survey Of
that channel AID my personal experience in pass.
ing over TIE South Bar in vessels Of deep draught
show conelusiYely tina. vessels drawing seventeen
feet can be tax en- over tue South Bar at onequar-
ter food CT three quarters eb5 without the least
risk OF touching, and twenty feet can pass 1t high
water
In making the preceding statement it is proper
TO say that ! have July considered the drop
which vessel makes when in the swell otthe bar,
which is however much less in the South than in
the old north channel when the wind IS in the
usual northwest quarter.
In the Winteror Spring seasons, when the wind
is in the south or southw west quarter, there is q
lively breaker on the south bar, at which time it
viii be smoothest the north bar and this south
ery wind being then fair for the north channel
there is no occasion 10 take the south bar in south.
erly winds, going n: yet with moderate draught
in sailing vessel, the south channel the south
channel is ever safest IN coming out although the
wind may be dead in to the bar-tbe bar being
so short and quick passed that it is not necessary
to tack in shoal water
The United States steamer Massachusetts and
United States sloop-0t.war Falmouth, each draw
ing seventeen feet water, have passed the bar OF
the soQth channel, into the Columbia river since
our survey was made.
In addition, ] would state that my experience
at the mouth of the Columbia has convinced me
that the south channel is the practicable CONNER.
cial channel OF that river for certainty and satety
81, 81 IV~p..
the passage 10 or from the river without waiting
for particular wind. Ships frequently pass the
bar inward in fifteen minutes after receiving their
pilot and outU ard in thirty minutes after Eetting
their anchors.
A disabled ship that can be sailed SO as to have
good Storage way, can pass over the south bar
in safety, when it would be impossible to Get her
in by the north channel.
From the 18th of April TO the 9Th August, 1850,
there was no day that the south channel was not
practicable for vessels, and was in daily use.
crossed the bar south channel in the pilot
boat Mary Taylor during the heaviest gale that
occurred within the above named period, beating
out with the wind dead ahead.
The principal pilot of the bar is Captain WI ite,
late pilot of New York harbor He is very intel.
ligent and competent to his duties, and no acct
dent has occurred at the mouth OF the Columbia
since September l949, when he commenced his
duties as pilot.
The Commerce of the Columbia River, the great
artery of the fertile valleys of the Columbia andts
tributaries, is rapidly increasing. The Pacific
Mail Steamship Company steamers now proceed
to astoria and return to San Francisco with the
monthly mails. A small steamer has been built
at Astoria, and isnow Employed in the river trade
A second steamer was the stocks when we
left the River.
Regular lines of sailing and steam.propeI yes
sells are also established between San Francisco
ND no orio the Columbia: also, to
Nisqually, and other Points on Puget's Sound.
For further particulars, | have the honor to re.
fer you to my report OF June last.
Very truly, yout obedient servant
WASH A. BARTLETT.
Lieut.. U. S Navy, Asst Coast Surrey.
ProfA D BAcHE, Superintendent L. S. Coas. Survey.