, 1880-12-24
CAPTAIN BUNSBY'S DEFENSE Of the
COLUMBIA RIVER BAR,
AN OPINION AS is AN OPINION.

acle for the "Oregonisn," has btched
up his tsrry trowsers, rolled over his
plug OF navy twist, and thus speaks
in the issue of that josrnal OF Dec.
Goth:
"For years past it has not escaped
notice that losses of vessels at the
entrance to Puget Sound have been
fully AS numerous, perhaps In the
aggregate more numerous, than like
losses at the mouth of the Columbia
river. The loss of the David Hoad.
ley, last Tuesday, at Point Wilson,
just below Port Townsend, may be
a further reminder to journals OF Pu-
get Sound, which are SO much dis
tressed about the dangers of the
Columbia bar, that ships will wreck
even at the entrance of the finest
body of water in the world. If com.
parison Of marine loss proves any.
thing, it proves that the entrance of
the Columbia river is at least as safe
as that Of Puget Sound"
1t will be observed that the words
"ept,snce to Puget Sound" ten
trance to the Columbia river" occur
in the above short paragraph, show.
ing conclusively that it was the en-
trance to Puget Sound which Capt.
Bunsby had in his mind when he
thought by his dogmatic assertion to
prove that the entrance to Puget
Sound is as dangerous as the en-.
trance to the Columbia river. o.
Now, without claiming the nauti.
cal experience or geographical
knowledge Of Capt. Jack Bunsby,
or his equally erudite friend, the
learned and veracious Captain Cut
tie, we hope we may, without giving
offense to the Thunderer of the
North coast, venture the asser-
tion that the place where the bark
David Hoadley was stranded is near
ly ninety miles inland from the en-
yrance TO Puget Sound. We doubt
whether either of those old tarpau.
lin oracles ever have seen in the Pu-
get Sound journals, when alluding
to the grounding of vessels at
Tongue point, or the various shoals
In the Columbia or Willamette riv-
ers, any statement that such frequent
occurrences are evidences of the
dangers of the Columbia river bar
at the entrance to that noble stream.
Puget Sound editors know better
than to make such stupid assertions.
The same gale of wind which parted
a defective cable Of the Hoadley
and made her drag on the beach also
waited the U. S. Mail steamer Dis
patch ashore in Dungeness Bay,
mhere che remained one tide; and, il
Capt. Bunsby had known of that oc-
cureDce, he would have made anote
of ir and added it 10 the memorable
wreck of the schr. Blue Jay, In
Swinomish Sloagh or some where
back of Wildly island, when Blue
Jay jimmy IS Captain. with difficulty
saved SOW, ibis only passengerl,
and thus swelled the list OF disasters
TO prove that the entrance TO Puget
Sound is as dangerous as the CoIum.
hia river bar. IL the salt. water ora
cles Of the ''Oregonisn" will over
haul their charts Of Fuca Strait. and
of the mouth OF the Columbia river
the Government charts, not school
atlas maps-they will Gad that the
'''enrrance" 20 Puget Sound has a
depth Of water varying from ffty
fsthons to one hundred fathoms
while the entrance TO the Columbia
river has depth rarely exceeding
-four fashOms al the most favorable
times; aud during the prevalence of
South wesC winds the great rollers
from the Pacific ocean break with an
irresistible fury in ten fathoms Of
water far outside the Cape, and in
series Of breakers on the bar and
sands, making the entrance 10 the
Columbia river q terror % mariners
aud dread TO underwriters.
If the wrecks of the Hoadley, the
Washington Libby and Others which
have taken place on Fuca Strait
far inside the entrance, prove anv.
thing, it is the necessity OF having
competent aad efficient pilots to nav
igate our waters and not that there
is any real danger to vessels when
handled by skillful and experienced
Davigators. Gales Of wind have oc.
eurred on tie Willamette and Nj