The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-10-17
AsronrA coRREspoNpnNcF.
ASTORIA, Or, Aug. 16, 1873. 2
Editor Democrat. lOla

| FfH ASTORIA COAthESRONO1lNCFs t
|
ASTORIA, Or, Aug. 1O, 1873.
Editor Democrat: 4Oa
Agreeable to my promise some
days since, / now take the trouble TO
reply through your columns TO one
styling himself B., in an attempt to
belittle and besmear the report of a
committee to the "Astoria Chamber
of Commerce. on shipping, etc. /
reply to the said review, not because
of any merit it possesses, but for the
reason that it gives an opportunity to
place before the producers Of Oregon
correct statement of conditions as
they exist, and a few deductions there
from. / have no idea who this reUieso-
er is, but one thing is evident, he is
totally ignorant Of the matter in hand.
Every statement made in the report
is a fact, and the business men of
Portland will not attempt their de-
NAL. The statement that our harbor
is secure, is verified by over twenty
years experience.
The ship, "Windward,' . cited by B.,
as having been thrown on her beam
ends a year ago and disabled, was
riding at anchor nine miles below AS
toria, just inside the bar, where there
is no protection, and none claimed
1t would be equally fair to say that
Astoria harbor was not harbor, be-
cause a vessel was dismasted off Cape
Horn, on her passage to the Colum-
bia river Then comes the following;
Second Hogs Back formed by annu
freshets, at lower end Of Cathalmet Bay-
Dredging useless" &C. The explanation given
of the situation of affairs here assumes that
there is an animal mud deposit, and these
wiseacres are hasty to presume that dredging
will do no good; let them wait a few weeks un-
til Uncle SANS a foot dredger proves the
falsity of their statement; as well for this as
all the other bars named from there TO Port
land.
Here is what the Committee said
in their report:
About six miles above Astoria, at the COM
mencement Of Cathamet Bay, is the hogs
back, a bar some gu arter OF a mile in length,
with ten feet of water at low and eighteen feet
at high tide. This is the most dangerous point
on the river and the most skilliul pilots rarely
attempt its passage In the night, either with
sale or steam IL is formed OF shifting sands,
deposited by the meeting of the tide with the
annual freshets OF the river as Cathlamet
bay is ten miles long up and down the river,
and from seven to fourteen in width, Thus the
waters OF the river are so spread out that they
lose their force, and the incoming tide washes
the lose sand into Irregular bars that change
their position from year to year, and make
dredging useless Steamers are nearly always
detained at Astoria, for tide to cross this bar,
and should one arrive here, say at Y NJ. when
high water occurred at 10 A. NJ. she would
have to wait until IL A. M. next day, as she
could not proceed on the high tide OF the night.
This bar has been known for years, but
as the draft of steamers and vessels now come
ing into the river is greater than formerly, the
difficulties are becoming more and more ap-
parent. -H
The above is an intelligent explana-
ton of the situation, and in accord
ance with the facts.
We have waited twenty-five years
for Uncle Sam "a foot dredger, to
no purpose. Shall we wait twenty
five years more? The gods forbid.
The veraeous Committee next set to work to
find out how much more it costs a vessel to go
to Portland than to stop at Astoria. They as
sumo that 900 ton vessel draws IL feet, which
is nine times in ten incorrect. Pllotage "a 81
per It. each way, SIPS tonnage, which for both
ways overstates the actual charges by slVO,
$780, This makes Sl2S, which including the
misstatement as to draft is at least Sl25 exag-
geratedi but to the Si2S they have eoncOcted,
which did not seem very large to them, they
have added an item of six days demuTrage "a
$50, total $780, There is not man on that
COmmitte that can give any intelligent reason
why that item WAS added except that they
wanted to reach a charge Of four cents per bus
nl n that chiuiS OnlVnrl bound. which
is manifestly unfair.
The average draft of ships, taken
from the American Lloyds, (compe7
tent authority is, for those between
500 and 6O0 tons, lit feet. For
barks, between 500 and 600 tons, 164
feet, Thus placing our statement Of
the average, one foot under the actu-
ality as is every statement in the re-
port. Our estimate of the cost of
towage, up and down-S300, is below
the average for the last twenty years,
as the following shows: m
ASTORIA, Oregon, Aug, Is, 1873
| The undersigned, Masters OF steam tugs do
ing service on the Columbia river, and Cap
tains of steamboats, plying uyon the waters OF
charge for towing six hundred ton yesselIron
Astoria to Portland and back, for the past ten
or twenty years, is above rather than under
$l75, up, and Sl25, down. .Ift' fg
RICH. HOBSON Tug Merrimac.
| @. REED, Formerly Capt. OF John II. Couch.
W. p. GRAY, Tug Yarina. ...Iltli
Because B, is writing upon sub
iect about which he knOaoS nothing, be
assumes that every body else is equal
ly green. 1t seems very strange that
man Of ordinary intelligence should
not comprehend the meaning of the
word demurrage. However, it ex-
plains itself in the report, for the
charge of $50 per day is made on the
average delay of the vessel, caused by
her going to and returning from Port
land. / venture the assertion that
there is not farmer in the William
ette valley who does not recognize the
justice Of paying demurrage when his
harvest hands present themselves, ac-
cording TO contract, on Monday morn
ing, and are compelled to wait until
Tuesday or Wednesday before com
mencing work, by virtue of his not
beng ready. Vessels cost money,
and are built for service, not to lay at
wharves on expense. A vessel OF
5000 tons capacity, at present rates of
freight from San Francisco to Liver
pool, during an average passage,
makes $562,50 per day. Hence her
time IS worth S5625O per day; or
that should be her demurrage, if her
cause, detained in port. Demurrage
on a 600 ton vessel, of course, wonld
be one fifth Of that amount, viz: $Il2,
nearly double the rate fixed by our
Committee. aiar
/ B. then claims five cents per bushel
deduction on account of assuming