The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-09-05
BAY NEWS.


Duncan" will be here about the 4th
of Sept. Steamer "Kate and Anna"
will leave Portland for this place ION
the 10th. Harvesting in the valley
has stopped travel Baywards for a
while. Mr.. Burch caught two sharks
in the Bay, either of which measured
six feet in length. It is said these
are too small to eat bathers; but !
imagine the sight of one preparing
to take "nibble", would have most
exhilarating effect.
r. A. Habersham, u. S. Asst En-
gineer has completed his survey Of
Alsea Bar and will proceed to Ump-
qpa for the purpose Of making sur
vey of the River between the mouth
and Scottsburg. In due time the re-
port of the Alsea will be made public;
in the meanwhile it's enough to say
that the Alsea has an entrance suffi-
cIent to accommodate all her COM
mercial interests.
Asteam propeller passed up thecoast
a few hours ago, coming in between
the outer buoy and the shore E; this is
not prudent or safe thing to do;
one of the outer buoys is in a danger
ous position, having drified there.
The captain OF the steamer Shubrick,
whose business it is to locate bnoys,
found, on examination Of the ground
that the bnoy south of the Yaquina
was among the rocks: and if it was
considered dangerous for a ligh,
draught vessel like the Shubrick to
go there TO raise the buoy, it certainly
is more so for vessel of greater
draught. / have been surprised, sew
eral times, this season, to see vessels
come in close TO the shore "slowing
down" and evidently taking a view
of Yaquina and Foutweather. So
far, this has been harmless, but it is
well enough to know that there Is a
broken reef from Yaquina Point or
Cape Foulweather to Seal Rocks, a
distance of at least seven miles
There is inter, ais of deep water along
the reef, defined when there is little
''sea on or by the bay north of Ya-
quina bar, but when the sea is smooth
these dangers are hidden. Better
keep outside of the reefs, gentlemen,
unless you are looking for a harbor
after severe souther1y gale; then
pass through any Of the intervals on
the reef making Yaquina Bar, work
down behind the reef to the bar, as
did the distressed Lizzy Madison in
1878, and yon can enter harbor of
safety, when such thing would be
impossible on any other Bar on the
coast. Another thing can be said for
Yaqnina Bar. that is this, Capt. A. w.
Chase, U. 6. Asst. Engineer, on his
survey of the bar in 1868, establish
ed beacons and ranges for the bar;
these rotted down, and in 1874 Com
modore Spots, inspector of this dis
trict, had these ranges rebuilt on the
same ground and they are in need of
repairs now, but the position they oc
cupy is correct. Thus for IL years
mariners have nsed the same survey
for sailing in and out of Yaqnina Bay.
This proves conclusively that The cnan
mel DOES NOT CHANGE, and this brings
to mind the marginal note made by
Lieut.. Kempff, Inspector of this dis
trict in 1875, in his circnlar showing
the POSITIONS OF bays, beacons, etc. in
the district, to wit: "vessefs shonld
not attempt 10 cross this Yaquina)
bar without pilot, as it is constantly
shifting" Inasmuch as Lieutenant
Kempff never visited Yaqiina, and
farther as no sucl, note is made in ref
erence to Coos Bay, where the Bar
has been known To change in single
week, keeping vessels in port and
out of port, months at a time, we
think an injustice has been done, has.
ed on irresponsible information fur
nished that officer; and hope the
present efficient inspector of this dis
irict, Com. E. C. Merriman, will ex
anime the matter, and feel confident
that inquiry instituted among men
who have sailed to and from here
will be sufficient evidence against the
correctness of the marginal note" to
have it erased. RIALro.
NEWPORT, Sept. I, 1870.
COAST SURvEY.-Last Saturday
Jack Huffman arrived in the city,