The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-12-12
YA4UIxA BAv.
An Account Of She 1seeeat snrvey nsade b
capt. q. W. Weed.

. 1
|
To THE EDITOR or GAZETTE Deai
Sir: My recent visit TO Yaqnina Bay
in company with Capt. q. w. Woo
from the u. s. Engineers Office, Port
land, is 10 interesting in its results t.
all the people Of this district that
thought short account Of il might ap
pear in your widely circulated paper.
Mr.. Wood brought me a letter Of in
PRODUCTION from Col. Gillespie on Sat
urday week aud told me that he wal
instructed by the Commissioners foI
selecting harbor Of refuge on the Pa
citic coast to make careful examine
ton Of the entrance 10 YaqniDa Harboi
within the -four fathom limits. He wal
to construct fresh chart with all need
ful sonndings, specially reporting also
~ "a the natuto, shape and position d
the bar or obstruction and to ascertain
Of what the bar or obstruction consisted
Being most anxious to facilitate hi,
work, ] eDquired first as to any pf0fes
sional assistance ho needed, snd ia re-
sponse To my invitation Mr.. Einar Pill
one Of Our recent Norwegian visitors
at once put himself at Capt Wood,
disposal. infoi med Mr. Wood that
we could obtain for him ON the bay the
steam launch or Mr. Stevens large
boat, If the weather were fine, bot that
probably at this season Of the year 4
larger steam vessel, with more powerful
machinery, would be required.
In anticipation Of Mr.. Woods arriv
al, had arranged with my friend Xii
Abbey to drive him ont, 80 ON the very
next morning after he reached here al
was in readiness for the start.
We got TO Elk City by Mondsy
night, but had TO wait till one next day
before the steam launch was ready z
take us from Elk to Newport. The
day was fine, and the river presented
its usual broad, ample, placid expanse
| was net surprised at Capt. Woods
ejaculation about two miles above Oys
terville. and nearly ten miles from ths
sea, "Wby there is more water her,
than in the Willamette at Portland.
He could not help expressing his sur
prise at the large scale of the river ana
harbor, stating that he was not prepared
for anything like that.
The frst two days after We reache,
Newport were spent by the Captain AM
Mr. Phil in fixing various Poiats OF
the north and sonth shores, and in re
fixing the old marks put up by Mr
/. Chase in 1868, and in building nev
ones; the latter work was enjoyed b.
all hands Of us. The bar still shove,
the effects of the terrific storm whlcl
, had ragged few days before, and it va
too rough for the steam launch or for
, rowing boat. just then the steaH
, schooner, the Kate and Anna, Capt. c
, Lutjens arrived in the bay, with
cargo of merchandise from Astoria an,
! Portland, and our difficulty was thu
solved.
: Capt Wood soon made his arrange
! ments fer the hire of the schooner
The next day, Saturday, at dead lOS
water, we started for the bar. o.
board, in addition to Captain Woo
g aud Mr.. Phil, who managed the sexl
ants, we had the writer to record tn
, observations; Mr.. Mackey TO tune th
: leadsmen and note the soundings, an
Mr.. Stitts and G. 0hlson to cast th
, leads. The last three bal been sim
larly employed under Mr.. Habershan
The first course WAS directly out throHg
. the middle channel ON Mr.. Chase
chart, and over the very line marke
, "heavy and constant breakers" on th
\ sketch laid down by the Shubrick an
veying vessel in 1872, and shown j
the corner of the same chart No
\ came the test. If the Shubrick's info
> nation were correct, we should bs o
the sands in a few seconds and the en-
), mics of Yaqnina would curl their lii
!, with "we told ron so" If the ffien,
:, of Yaquina we're right in their csnstaI
statements that the reef was eorrectl
= shown on Mr.. Chaso's chart; that it WI
\ of soft rock; that consequently I
: change had taken place and none W,
= to be feared; that AZ the present tin
. there We're II feet of water on the 70
Mt dead low water; that the outer re
{, served as breakwater against whiC
), the force of the great rollers was spel
:. and broken, and that there was .
N danger in the white water on the bar
\ now this was all to be proved to abs
4 lutte demonstration or to be disproV,
& once for all.
= The first position in the channel W
: reached and fixed, and the leadsm,
= cast. "Twenty four feet" was the CT
!. In thirty seconds, ''twenty -four feet
!. then sixteen, aud then we were on 4
;. bar The next cast gave twelve; tA'
~ twelve once more; still another twel
- while the little vessel with her feel
steam power crossed full in the face
:, the turning tide. Then the next CT
- gPve eighteen, then twenty-foHr, tn
y thirty, and thirty-two feet, and we we
:, - clear over in deep water faciRg {
r outer reef, ON which the waves w
- surging heavily. The leads stru
81 every time on rock, and their bott'
- ends showed the dints and roHghn
90 caused by the strokes on rock. I
i how wide was this shallow gronn
- Did it deserve the name "bar," VI
% its suggestions of heaped up sands crc
= ing currents, and shifting channe
Or was it what Col. Hogg persisten
called it at all the San Francisco me
,f- ings of the commission, ga mere
IAN structiona" The soundings and obs
no no vations proved it to be not more U
IN. an $50 Yards across, from 90 feet sound
est to 20 feet.
gel After one or two courses outside