The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-08-29

vary from to 20 feet, the bottom being
very uneven, and in some places rocky
The bay is 81 miles long and from 20oo
to 1000 feet across at high tide AT low
tide large extent of mud flats Is lett bare,
forming islands, between which the chan
nels are so shallow as to admit onIy small
boats and scows.
For a mile inside of the bar there Is good
anchorage, with a depth of from IL to ~
feet at low water, constituting harbor OF
about so acres area. sheltered on all SIDES.
Immediately inside of the bar is deep
hole 1000 feet long and 300 feet wide, at
the curve of Is feet depth, in which no bot;
tom was found at So feet.
The above data concerning the bay were
obtained from the chart of the survey made
in 1875 under the direction of your prede-
cessor, Mai N. Michler. At the head of
the bay in the principal channel there is a
bar J mile long, an which l found only
feet at low water. This point is not In
cluded in the limits of the survey.
Between the mouth of Drift Creek and
the head of tide water IL miles, the river is
inclosed on both sides by hills ranging from
800 to 600 feet in height, thickly covered
with salal grass, fern, and young thicket.
On the left bank the slopes of the hills reach
generally to the waters edge On the right
| bank strip of level bottom, several feet
feet wide, extends throughout this section.
broken at points by projecting spurs from
the ridge. This strip is all taken up under
the homestead and pre-emption laws, and a
portion ia under cultivation. 1t is all allu-
vial soil, producing excellent corn, vegeta-
bles, and fruit and wheat equal to any that
have seen in Oregon.
! The river is the northern boundary of the
Alsea Indian Reservation.
| For 80 miles from the coast inland, the
greater portion of the large timber in the
| valley has been destroyed by fire.
| Forty miles from the bay, measured along
the river, is the valley of Upper Alsea, COW
ering 300 square miles, in which some fifty
| families are settled. ITS PRINCIPAL products
are wheat, flax, oats. and cattle. The
| wheat crop of the present year is estimated
at &c, 600 bushels. A wagon road is now be-
ing opened to connect with tide water. AT
present there is no outlet from the upper
valley save by wagon trail, almost intran-
stable in summer and quite so III the winter,
| across the Coast Range to Corvallis in the
Willamette Valley. Last year only about
one third of the wheat crop could be gotten
| to market before the trail was made impas-
sable by the winter rains.
| The principal value of the Alsea country
is in its forests of fir and cedar, which COW
er the country above the burnt district, the
timber being of the best quality and of
large size.
Salmon visit the river in large numbers.
| The season commences between the Goth
and 30th of August and lasts two months.
The information concerning the Upper
Alsea country was furnished by Mr.. Thomas
Russell, an old resident and postmaster at
Tidewater on the Lower Alsea
1t was not possible to make personal ex-
animation of Alsea Bar, owing to the prev
alance of heavy fog, rough seas, and bad
weather generally, and for the want of a
suitable boat. I however engaged two of
the residents of the vacinity to go out on
the bar the first calm day and run line of
soundings across out to deep water. From
them the following information has since
been received least depth on bar in chan
mel at low tide, feet width of entrance,
1000 feet; distance across the bar, 800
feet.
No survey has ever been made Of. this bar,
nor has any project for its improvement
been suggested All that the parties inter
ested request from the government is that
the depth of water be officially declared and
the entrance buoyed, owners of steamers in
San Francisco having assured them that
when this is done they will send ligh lraught
steamers to carry off the products of the
valley.
| Up to the present time only one vessel, a
/ small schooner built III Alsea Bay, has cross
ed the bar.
Respectfully submitted.
ROBERT A. HABERSHAM,
Assistant Engineer.
| Col JOHN NJ. WILSON
Major Corps of Engineers, U. s. A.