, 1877-12-15

COLUMBIA RIVER BAR.-The Colo
mist adds its testimony against tn
perils of the Columbia river ba,
navigation, and in favor Of the un
obstructed harbors of Puget Sound
thus: "Sooner or later a consider
able portion of the commerce tina
now penetrates Oregon by way O.
Columbia river will be drawn tt
Puget Sound. The perils attending
the crossing of Columbia river bal
cannot be exaggerated. and vessels
have been known to lie many day.
at Astoria or off the bar awaiting {
favorable opportunity to cross. The
expense attendant on such an emer
gency are very great, and so are the
pilotage and towage charges that are
imposed on all vessels which sur
mount the perils and reach Portland
in safety. The last trip of the new
steamship City of Chester: in cross
ing the bar was attended with fright
full consequences. The sea was run
ming mountain high on the bar, and
breaking fearfully. The first sea
which struck the vessel stripped the
railing off the starboard bow, stove
in the starboard gangway, swept the
decks clean of every movable article.
and swamped the cabin and state
rooms. At the same time, a number
of horses hitched on the lower deck
were thrown about like toys, one oi
them being killed outright, aud
others more or less injured. A man
named Mosher, the ships butchers
assistant, was crushed to death at the
same time, and after calling the roll
of passengers, when near this port,
one of the steerage passengers was
found missing. On making an in
vestigation it was certified to by some
of the passengers that he was wash
ed through the guardwaY overheard,
when crossing Columbia river bar.
Another mana member of the
opera troupe -
narrowly escaped being washed over
board in the same way. The ship
ping port of the future for Oregon
grain will be somewhere on Puget
Sound, where there exists the happy
combination of a good harbor and
easy rail communication with Port
land. Tacoma may not be the fav-
ored spot; for it is the opinion of
many nautical men that port lying
nearer the ocean will be finally Sc
lected."
HoRRIBLE.-An Indian of the Son.
yish tribe, British Columbia, insane
from the use of the villainous COM
pound that is manufactured and sold
to Indians by unprincipled white
men thereabout, entered his lodge
the other night, and seizing his
poor old squaw-a deserving and
hardworking woman-thrust her
into an open fire that was burning
in the centre of the lodge, and held
her there until she was so dredfully
burned that life, if not ultimately
destroyed. will henceforth be bur-
then to her. The police took the
Indian into custody, and he will be
punished. But what will be done
with the man who made and vended
the liquor?
The most important provision
of the Steamboat bill, now be-
fore Congress is a provision linn
iting the liability of steamboat
stockholders to the amount they
have individually invested in
stead of as at p resent, holding
any stockholder liable for the
whole amount of loss or damage
caused by neglect or accident.
ENTERTAINMENT The ladies of the
M. E. Church are preparing liter
ary and musical entertainment to be
given in Yesler's Hall on Friday
evening next. The admission will
be 25 cents, and supper will be extra.
The proceeds of the entertainment
will be applied to the church debt.
About $50 tickets have already been
disposed of.
THE reliable" youngster who
runs the Post Office Tribune, told us
that the Zephyr would bring the
mail down about S o'clock last night
but it was brought down by the
Aida, as usual. We would advise
Capt. Starr not to do thusly. He
is apt to make fool out Of Post
master Tommy.
Mr.. FREEMAN, of the Pioneer Va
riety Store, has so filed his show
windows with novelties for the holi.
days, that the old gentleman who
has so long aud so faithfully marked
the passing time there is compelled
to stepto the rear. His former place
is occupied by Boss Tweed, who i;
looking after his bank account.
THE steamer Empire, which came
to our city for a cargo of coal some
weeks ago, has resumed her former
route from Coos Bay to San Fran
cisco.
The steamship California has beer
reported lost off Columbia bar, bu
this is not correct, as she has arriv
ed in Victoria.
They have a "veiled woman
in Eureka, California, who play;