The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-06-27
AnerssrNrs y FAvoa % roulwElrnun

For the past two weeks the Board OF
u. S. Engineers have been in session
in san Francisco, aud We infer from the
dispatches that strong pressure has
been made lay Cahfornians TO secure the
selection Of the proposed harlpr Of rct.
uge ia that Stat. Every ship master
er captain oil '1,luuger' along the
o,,ast has hren before the Board u The
interest OF Trinidad or some othet CAT
ifornlan port, aad all the sea eqaa,"s
who could be induced to say u word
ecs,torlally in favor of the California
coasthave been brought into ielaisition.
No more solid argument could be made,
or was made, in favor of any point
south of Coos Bay, in Oregon, and lay
ing all prejudice aside we believe that
Capt. J. j. Winant's claims for Cape
Foulweather, or Yaquina Bay, were the
best arguments made before the Board.
Below are his reasons why Foulweather
or Ysquina Bay should be selected:
FfrSt-Beeause Il Is the most northorly
point, and therefore iarthost TO leoward In
heavy Southerly weather of any yet con-
templated for the purpose. Whom wrote
that 1 did net think or Columbia river be.
ing spoken tf as harbor OF refuge, and
for this reason accessible to larger mum.
Der of vessels. The tlne of bad weather
being in the vicinity of Cape Mendocino,
and the storms heavier and of longer dura-
tioA As we get further north, Cape Foul.
weather becomes, in this respect, the most
central point.
Second-lt is claimed by the engineer
Mr.. Habel sham, who made the survey
| that break water eau be constructed herr
at u cost far below the estimate of any 9TH
r er point yet named.
Ihird-Yaquina Bay, four miles south o
the cape, Is already good hnrbor for snal
vessels, aud eau be entered by such YES
seis in stOrny weather when no other OF
the coast IL accessible. This can be estab
iished by positive proof.
Z The channel OF Naquiua Bay Is open e
= the south, and vessel an enter undel
any sail, or eyed might enter without any
). IL it 50 happened that her sails had beer
, blown away. The bar has only about II
or IL feet of water on il at high water;
G this could be deepened To - or 50 feet
harbor of refuge would DO provided capa
u bic OF accommodating all the vessels OF
II
about 20 miles. IL seems simply ques
: ton for engineers to decide whether
= channel could be male. and whether th
outlay would not be less than TO consiruc
c a harbor entirely outside. 4 loige q
rocks on the north side prevents the chan
n nel from shining in that direction. Thi
!, shifting of channels by moving sand bar
Is the greatest annoyance at most oI tn
i harbors on the northern coast. One Incl
, dent alone is sufficient 10 illustrate the al
/ vantage that Iaquina has over other place
q en- the coast Rs barber of last resort
During the winter OF 1878 several vessel
& were seen OF CO0s Bay in distress Amou
:, them WAS the schooner Lizzie Madison
She was entirely disabled and leakin
II badly. Tine captain finding IL impossibl
to Coos Bay, Umpqua. or any other piase
! finally ran for Yaquina, which he entere
/, without difficulty, thus saving his VessG
and tho lives OF his crew.
ID F0urth-both Cape FoulweatheF an
, Yaquina Bay have better opportunities 70
y communication with the interior than an
IF other point under consideration, and theT
is natural pass through the csast rang
Il good wagon road connects ii with th
a Willamette Valley and = railroad is bein
built over the same route. Many Of ID
4 objections that weigh against other place
ON the coast will not apply to this. Their
, fore, in accordance with the expresse
Ie wish OF the honorable Board Of Engineer
for information on this suhjea {. tho aboy
reasons are respectfully subaIitted.