The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-20
REPORT OF Mr.. R. A. HABERSHAkl,
ASSISTANT ENGINEER.
UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

PORTLAND, Dec. 5, 1913.
Colonel: l hare the honor to submit here
with the chart of Alsea bar and harbor,
drawn from the survey made in pursuance
of your letter of instructions, dated Augu st
II, of the present year.
The bar is situated l23 miles south of the
Columbia, and IA miles south of Yaquina
bay. A full description of the bay and the
country tributary to it. its sources and pro-
ducts, has been given In the report of your
predecessor for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1879.
The portion of the bay included in the
survey, referred to as the harbor, comprises
all anchorage ground for sach vessels as can
crsss the bar that is, whose draught does
not exceed II feet. 1t covers an area of 90
acres, with depth of from 10 to Is feet at
low tide. The tidal range is feet during
neap, and 8 feet during spring tide.
The entrance to the harbor lies between a
bold headland, 60 feet high, on the south,
and a long low sand spit, covered with drift
wood, ON the north. It is narrow, being not
more than 200 feet between the l2-foot
curves, and from 25s to. defect deep.
From the entrance toward the bar the
channel wideps to 400 feet, curving sharply
hoin west to north northwest, and back to
west northwest, crossing the bar on the last
named course. The bar lies 5000 feet out
side of the general line of the shore at high
tide, connecting the south shore and north
spit, its axis being nearly parallel with that
of the latter. 1t is 500 yarls In length, and
700 yards in width between the curves of
II feet.
The ship channel shifts constantly from
one place to another, a heavy wind lasting a
few days, being sufficient to cause it to
move several hundred feet northward or
southwark. Generally the southerly wealth
er which prevails during the winter drives
it nofthward, and the northwest winds of
summer force it southwark 1t is easily
found, however, on the south half of the
bar, the southerlya winds and currents being
strongest and prevailing during the greater
part of the year. At the time of the sur
vey the channel crossed the bar near the
extremity, with width of 800 feet between
the 6-foot curves, and least depth of 7a
these dimensions do not change. The dis
tance across the bar, varing with each new
direction of the channel, ranges from 300
to 800 feet
The steam-launch engaged for this survey
failing to arrive, a 6-oared boat was the only
craft that could be obtained for sounding
In this it was not safe to venture far outside
of the bar, for fear OF losing the intervals of
smooth water necessary to enable us to re-
cross the bar, which occurred very rarely
in fact, only three times during the two
weeks / spent IN making the survey, and
|asting less than an hour on each occasion.
1t was not possible, therefore, to snrvey the
approaches to the bar; but as no breakers
were seen, even in rough weather, outside
of those on the beach. It is safe to con-
clude that the foreshore slopes uniformly,
with a tolerably smooth bottom If the
survey could have been made in the month
of June or early in July, more complete in
formation could have been obtained
There are no outlying reefs nearer than
the seal rocks, four miles north of the bar.
These are piliicles, rising out of the sea to
the height of from 10 to 30 feet at low tide,
distant from the shore from one-eighth to
one-fourth of mile, and are portions of
ledge of basaltic rock which forms the
rugged shore line for an extent of about a |
mile opposite the rocks During ordinary
weather the bar may be safely crossed by
steamers drawing not more than II feet at /
high tide !; sailing craft larger than fishing
boats should not attempt to enter without a |
tug, except with west wind and tolerably |
sm both bar, but may cross outward at any |
time when the wind comes from the east, |
northeast or southeast.
The promontory which marks the south /
side of the entrance to the harbor IS formed |
Of course soft sandstone, Containing fossil |
shells and hard nodules; and rests, at the |
level of low tide, on a bed of soft, soapv, /
black shale, inhabited by myriads of rock |
SVsters. The hills around the bay are SINH
al In formation to the promontory, and are
oyered with forests of spruce timber from I
o IL 100 feet high.
Ins1&le of the entrance the contour of the /
ottom ehows marked changes since the /
urvev of g3S75, and the ruling depth is from