The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-26

fortunately lost At the mouth Of the Umpqua, DUR
ing the last year. He subsequently procured the
schooner Mary Taylor. and, since the beginning
Of January last, has been actively engaged in his
duties. To him We are indebted for the discovery
Of what IL known a. the south channel, leading
from Clatsop Point, or Point Adams a. 1t il usually
called, directly TO Astoria; which, for facility and
safety, places our Columbia river upon equality
with almost the best Of the Atlantic coast. This
channel, IL should b observed. differs materially
from the South or Clatsop channel of Captain
Wilkes's chart, . change having taken place in
the sand since his observations were made It is
straighter and wider. we'll a. deeper, and so sit
uated that the prevalent winds of the coast lead
ing ones At the same time to vessels entering and
going out, while excellent anchorage exists with
in, completely sheltered from the winter storms.
The old North channel, leading into Bakers bay
and under Capa Disappointment, which, by its in
tricacy and windings, subjected vessels TO great
detention, often amounting to several weeks. il
now almost abandoned. = A very thorough survey
Of the entrance and bay Of the Columbia was, du.
ring the past summer, conducted under the dircc-
ton Of Lieutenant Commanding William p. Near
thur. Of tho United States schooner Ewing, the re-
rults Of which have been highly lAtteripg Captain
Macarthur giving his opinion, with regard to the
new channel, that the difficulties, dangers, and
river, have decreased at least seventy five per cont
since this discovery" The charts Of this exami-
nation have been forwarded to Washington by the
hands of Lieutenant W. A. Bartlett and it il hoped
will At once BIO published. A lighthouse has been
ordered TO be erected on Cape disappointment, and
anchors for the buoys on the bar are now on their
way from San Francisco. s
Under the circumstances of a regular and ample
system of pilotage, and of an improved naviga- 1
ton, the time seems to have arrived when the very
heavy premiums upon the trade of this river, do
manded by the eastern Offices, should be dimin-
ished. Az they now stand. vessels bound into or
from the Columbia. particularly the regular pack
ets, are compelled to 60 uninsured. Since the e.
tablishment of agencies at San Francisco and the
opening of monthly communication by mail
steamers between Oregon and California, pro-
6table business could probably be opened, were
any encouragement given to our merchants.
The list of vessels which have entered and de-
parted tho river Columbia, in l850-amountng in
all to hndrsd and sirty sol and Of over eighty
housGnd tons burden Of American shipping (sail
and steam,) and which send to our delegate in
Congress for the inspection of the Committee on
Commerce. quite too long to expect you to pub
sh it. Suffice it to say that this large feet has
passed the bar in entire safety in all the months of
the year, with nearly an equal number in each
month, without solitary accident to a vessel or
cargo. nor m hours delay to those who took pilots
for the south channel. In several instances the
captains piloted themselves equally without dam
ger. OF this number, Of ono hundred and sixty
sal of vessels crossing the bar Of the Columbia one
hundred and forty four, all but sixteen, took tho
south channel; among them the ship Magnolia. with
draft ofseventeen and haffeet; the United States
ship Massachusetts, Captain Knox, United States
navy, seventeen feet; the United States ship Fal
mouth. seventeen feet and other large vessels both
sail and steam.
Ofthe sixteen sail which used old North channel
four only passed the bar under SAIL the other twelve
being stsamers-thus proving what was long since
predicted, "that the bar of the Columbia would be
found very easy Of navigation when steam should
Be applied to it,
This years commerce also proves, that the off,
GERS Of the coast survey. who made the survey of
| the bars last summer, were right when they de-
elarsd that the South channel was the natural com
mercial channel Of the Columbia river.
During the last year two steamers, the" Column
bia' and the Whitcomb" have been built for the
river trade, and are now actively employed.
The 6rst was built at astoria, and launched in
July last.
steam saw-mill has been erected at Astoria,
snbstantial stone and timber wharf built out to
deep water, and stores, hotels, workshops. and
other appliances of business built and occupied.
Astoria II destined to be largo commercial posi-
ton; it l. the same site, with the same anchorage
selected by John Jacob Astor's agents in 1908 for
The principal depot Of his fur trade, and has been
occupied since it, purchase in 1912 by the Hudson's
! Bay Company. The solitary fact, that the Hud-
sons Bay Company madci their principal depot,
10 tho best evidence needed to convince commercial
msn of it, being safe harbor and healthy point.
u l., tto of II,
past year, ask you 10 remember the fact that, in
| 1876. when the United States schooner Shark was
lost ON the Middle Sands. and her crew transferred
10 tho Hudson's Bay Company's brig Cadboro,
drawing only seven feet water, her captain, in
pursuance Of the old cautions system of that COM
pany's agents, actually lay at anchor in Bakers
bay for cghtyfour days, before he would venture to
put 10 sea to carry the 'Shark's" crew to San
Francisco. How many ships, think you, we should
get In and out per year II they now waited three
4 months before vsnturing in out3 Before we had
our good pilots hero the companys vessels have ac-
tually cruised of and for one hundred days be-
fore they would take the bar; now the pilot is out
side In less than hour after he sails from Astoria,
and in another hour frequently anchors an inward
bound vessel In front of the custom, house.
II has been rumorcd here that certain designing
spectators have been log rolling in Washington
Tor the purpose of changing tho port Of entry and
distributing post Office, &C., &C., to the paper
city, or Pacific city Bakers bay. solitary
reference TO tho locality. and tho known expert
encs of shipmastcrs who were once compelled to
anchor there for weeks before they could go out Of
the North channel, Il sufficient security against
any such changs-but in case IL should not be quite
clear in Washington atmosphere, a memorial,
| dgned by numerous shipmastsrs and steamship
commanders, has been sent forward, respectfully
demonstrating against any such outrage being in
aicted on the commerce Of Oregon. So confident
are the msmorialisp that all sxpsrence u in favor
Of Astoria 10 the commercial site, that the petit