The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-10-17

ducts we admit, are carried In sman
vessels, but it is because they are in
terchanged between neigboring ports,
short voyages only necessary. But
the commercial reports OF all nations
show that when long voyages are
made large ships are employed in or
der to promote economy OF transpor-
tation The passage from the Col
umbia river to Liverpool is three
fourths of the distance around the
World, and requires, as above stated,
the largest class of vessels.
Every farmer we'll understands the
proposition when brought home TO
him in an every day transaction. For
instance, here are two neighbors, liv-
ing twelve miles from their Shipping
| point. The one has large span Of
horses, and heavy wagon, and can
haul seventy bushels of wheat at
load, making the trip in one-day. The
other has a small team Of horses, and
light wagon, and can haul but thirty
FIVE bushels of wheat, and make one
trip per day. Is there any difference
to those neighbors in the cost ofdeliv-
ering those 1000 bushels OF wheat to
market? They readily perceive that
the one is % days occupied, while the
other Sc. There is the same relative
difference in the cost ofcarrying wheat
from Oregon to Liverpool, or other
distant ports, in large and small ves-
sells ..rr
BY careful inspection of the ship
ping registers, we find the average
draft of all vessels now in use, ranging
between 1000 and 1900 tons, to be
20t feet, and the average of all larger
ones 21b feet. While thousand ton
ship is full larger than can reach Port
land, or any other point above Asto-
ria, loaded, on account OF depth of
water, a vessel of 5000 tons can
always come to Astoria. whatever the
stage of water. Thus, with point
higher up on the river, the export trade
must forever be carried o. 10 small
vessels, while from here Il |iipping
of the world mayr n feights.
To prov - on it is
but nGc~, 1ebth of
water Z, 81 Columbia,
above - C' ,re is the fol-
loving named uepths of water at the
points mentioned at high tide:
Walkers Island, loft. forNmlle below Rainier
Qarr's woodward g 81 above e
s.. Helen. II #. fora " "
Mouth WiImt " /"
Post Office....... Is y "
Swan Island.... u "
The channel is often crooked, and
difficult of navigation, and the bar at
the mouth of the Willamette river is
subject to annual deposits of sediment
from back water of the Columbia
1t is well to add right here, that the
Committee gave each of the bars
named, the benefit of the fractional
foot, the water being less by from six
to ten inches than than is above given.
This settles the question, that deep sea
vessels cannot go TO Portland.
b. B. next attempts to show his wit,
at the expense of the committee and
endites as follows:
Inow copy from their manifesto the follow
| ing choice gems of thought; "Again, deep-sea
vessels never like to leave the salt water coas-
ters are willing to steamboat 1t, but large ves-
sells avoid steamboat grounds In fact the un-
derwriters do not allow deepsea vessels to ven
ture from their natural element at will" If q
ships natural element is water, it is too true
| that they never like to have ship leave 1t, as
| then they always have insurance losses to meet
| but the statement in gross above extracted Is
untrue in every particular. 3i DN AN'st"A
The above puerile attempt at witt.
cism is not only fiat, bnt is purely
without point. The committees state
ment is this "The underwriters do
not allow deep-sea vessels to venture
from their natural element at will. A
wayfaring man though a fool, can
read as he runs, and see that the
phrase "national element" refers d.
rectly back to deep-sea, or salt water,
Being agent for the Now York Board
Of Underwriters, and having some
knowledge of these matters, | corrob-
crate the committeess statement, and
say farther, that every policy written
on ships bottom contains restric'
tions relative to the entry of shallow
bays, and the crossing of bars, which
virtually prevent long-legged vessels
from navigating where there is not
always a greater depth of water than
the deepest draft ofthe vessel Not
only 80, but the navigation of such
rivers as the Columbia by large craft
is effectually barred by the rulings Of
the courts of Admiralty and the de-
cisions of all boards of ftrade. For in
stance, by the memorandum in the
policy, the underwriters are not liable
for partial loss, on the articles emu
merated, which covers most commod-
tiles, unless general average, or the
ship be stranded. 1t is not every
touching or striking upon fixed body
in sea or a river, that will constitute
a stranding. GAS, where, in the prog
ress up river harbor with pilot on
board, the vessel took the ground for
eight hours, and next day again took
the ground, and again third time,
when about to discharge her cargo,
when she lay on her broadside two
whole tides, and her cargo was dam.
aged; this was held not stranding,
but what occurs in the ordinary navi-
CATION Of the river.harbor. (Hearne
VS. EdmundsI l. B. B. 3S8). And where
a vessel entered a tide-harbor, and
was moored in place pointed out by
the harbor master, but taking the
ground on the ebbing Of the tide, she
struck on some hard substance, which
made two holes in her bottom, and
the cargo wasdamagod; this was not a
stranding, the vessel having taken the
ground merely through the ebbing Of
The tide. and in the very place where
it was intended she should. (KiDgs-
ford ys. Marshall, 8 Bring. 45S).
These things are known to all intelli-
gent ship masters, and ship owners,
and understood to mean, that il their
vessel grounds on our bars, and sus-