The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-04-30
YAorINA nAY.
An Interesting Communication from 4. q.
uawley. Correspeutlent OF the
\. q. Bnltettms

for the commerce of Central Oregon, do not
know that would feel called upon to rise to
alauestiOn Of privilege on this occasion. But
the fact is pride myself upon the careful
attention pay to the statements | make
public in my capacity as newspaper cores
pondent. Except in the case Of one land
speculation in Southern California, with re.
gard to which the most astute were deceived,
do not recall any prediction | have ever
made concerning the value of any locality
which subsequent events have not fully veri.
fed.
With regard to what | have already said
about Yaquina Day am of the same opinion
still.
II was therefore with no small surprise that
read the following extraordinary statement
which was recently fired across tho continent
by the aid of the telegraph. A dispatch 10
the S. +. Chronicle of the l4th inst says:
The secretary of war, in response to tho
senate resolution of the 18th uitimo, calling
for data respecting the entrance to YaquinA
Bay, Oregon, transmitted to the senate let-
ter from Gen. Wright. chief Of engineers,
submitting copy OF letter from Lieut.. Col.
{. S. Stewart senior member Of the board Of
engineers of the Pacific coast. and also re-
port Of George W. Wood upon the survey OF
the bay, dated Nov. 2S 1879. FROM an ex..
animation Of these it is found that bar OBJ.
structs the entrance which is not fixed in po.
sition, but is rapidly movable within rather
wide limit. Col. Stewart states that the
material Of which it is composed shifts back
and forth under varying forces which act
upon it Its outflow from the bay IL not suf.
tcient to keep the entrance free from sand,
50 as to enable vessel to carry in At low
water more than nine feet. He concludes by
adding that an artificial channel. excavAted
from deep water inside to deep water outside
would not in the opinion Of the board OF en-
gineers, with the data before il. remove per-
manehtly the Obstructions to the entrance. !"
When the above first met my eye felt n
good deal as the gentleman Marx Twain tells
about must have felt, when he rushed into
the zanctum which Marx was temporarily
occupying. and requested him to read his cele-
brated article on Garden Sass. in order to
convince him that he, the visitor, had read
Marks lucnbrations Alright The whole state
ment was. and is so utterly at variance with
what saw and what was told ma at the Bay.
and afterwards repeated and confirmed by
Capt Wood to ma personally at CorVsllis.
that settled down after dozen readings Of
the dispatch. to the firm conviction that
things had either got mixed coming across
the wires or that they were very badly mixed
before the operator got hold OF this alleged
| am Of the same opinion still
Aud should be IS badly perplexed to-day
! I h. F~b I
had not happened upon the Corvallis Gs=,fss
Of the o3l inst.
My friend Carter. Of that wide-aWake
Journal. goes for the dispatch in most ap-
proved style. lie says
.'Col. Stewart could not. Of his own per.
soaal observation. state that tue obstuctions
- the entrance Of Yaquinz are ''SoF FIXED
in position, but rapidly movable within \
rather wide limit Himself and party were
landed at Cape Fouiweather. four miles north
of Yaquina Bay; took carriage aud were
driven to Newport; went up the bay few
miles, and returned TO Fonlweather, same
afternoon. This i all the opportunity Col
Stewart had for observing the DISTRACTIONS
~ Yaquina Bay.
Soon after this official visit TO Yaquina
Nr r A. Habersham was ordered 70 make
= survey Of the Alsea bay and entrance, some
Is miles to the south of Yaquina. Here was
found q MOVABLE oEsTRrcTToS.' shifting
sands; aHd Col Stewart, without any intention
of g7listateBleJst, has, undoubtedly, got the two
places confused in his mind, and the state
ment he makes above, shonld apply to ALsEA,
and not Yaquina-"
The remarks by Mr. Carter which have
quoted, furnish me with a possible key to the
extraordinary dispatch referred to. They
leave room to suppose that there may have
been mistake instead of most unpardOn-
able perversion of facts. quote again from
the Ga.ette which says:
''As positive aud Rnanswerabls proof
that the Constructions to Yaquina bay ARE
not MOVABLE or shifting, It Is only necessary
to state, a. fact, that the rasges and bea-
cons erected by Lieut. Chase, in 1868, were
found by Capt. Wood, in 1879, to be correct,
remain unchanged, and have been used by
mariners all that time. We assert, upen tho
authority of both Chase and Wood, and with
out fear Of successful contradiction, that the
oesTKUcTIoSs to YaQuina hay are soft, shelly
rock, easily removed, Il Is sunken reef or
ledge Of rock, enc hundred and fifty yards
across from deep water outside TO deep water
inside. The only sand that il, or could pos
sibly remain, upon this obstruction is found
in holes or pockets in the rock.
happened to be in Corvallis at the time
Capt. Wood went 20 Yaquina 70 make the
examination referred to. was 10 Corvallis
when he returned. had sent my letter on
the subject to the Bulletin the day before aud
If he had satisfied me that was wrong 10
my impressions | would have telegFaphed to
that journal to eliminate nay remarks on that
branch of the subject. have not the slight
est desire to be relieved from my connection
with that journal by reason Of statements SC
glaringIy incorrect as mine would be if the
dispatch quoted contained the facts in the
case.
Whea Captain Wood returned from Va
quina he was kind enough to accord me soy
eral lengthy and most agreeable interviews
He was as enthusiastic on the subject Of Va
auina as ! had been, was thsn, and still ap
He stated positively that as above stated,
the ranges and beacons erected by Chase il
1863 were correct; that if the ledge Of rOcl
referred TO in the extract from the GGzeft
last aboge quoted was removed, that eYeI
supposing large quantities of sapd to be sWeP
out from the bay and adjacent headlands, th
force of the current would carry the san
seaward, inasmpeh as they WOBld not AM
could not find lodgment, or pile up, on th
rocky bottom. As for the outflow" referrei
to in the dispatch have only to say that
saw the tide go ont at Yaquina aud it wa
not good day for tides either. 1t went on
with rush and a roar that completely swep
the buoy in front Of Newport under. A bel
ter current for securing purpose that the oui