The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-01-30
THE YAoulNAs BAY sooMl
As Hast We haye Hopes or an OntIct The
Willamette Valleys Great Opportunity.

congressional AID Tor tho Improvement
of Yaquina Bay-the only hope Of a
convenient outlet to the sen for the
commerce of the Willamette Valley.
Advices from Washington are to the Of.
feet that our Senators and Representa-
tives are urging an appropriation, with
bright prospects of success. 1t seems
advisable, however, that the friends of
this great enterprise should support this
movement by memorialzing Congress
in favor of the appropriation, and to
this end the following document has
been prepared and is being extensively
signed throughout the Valley counties.
Hemorial Of The undersigned iaha5it-
ants Of -- County, State Of Orc
goR, ste,ceh;
l. That the population of the State
is increasing at very rapid rate, an
immigration of upwards of 10000 per-
sons having been received in the year
1873, as proved by the statistics of the
Portland Board of Trade.
.. That the prineinal towns Of the
a-----,- ..sIris situated, and the larger por-
ton of the population settled in the
Willamette Valley, the exports and i'm
ports from that country are being so
largely increased that tho need Of addi-
tional outlets for the traffic of the State
is severely felt, practically passengers
and goods having now to pass both in
wards and outwards through the port Of
Portland, situated on the Willamette
river, only II miles from the northern
boundary of the State.
3. That by the opening of the har-
Dor called Yaquina Bay, n port will be
provided, only sixty miles from the cen
ter of the Willamette Valley, never
closed BY Ice, or rendered inaccessible
by stormy weather, and Offering natu-
raj facilities by safe deep water channel,
eommodious anchorage, and abundant
space for all the anchorage that will re-
sort there.
4. That railroad is already in pro-
gress connecting the port of Yaquina
Bay with the town Of Corvallis, on the
Willamette river; that 10y tho use of
this route saving will be effected Of
% miles in actual distance, and Of the
tedious, costly, and occasionally danger
Gus, railroad or river journey down the
Willamette Valley to Portland, and the
voyage down the Willamette and Co
lumbia rivers TO the ocean, the crossing
of the Columbia bar, and the ocean
voyage down the coast Of Oregon past
the point in question.
>. That the survey Of Yaquina Bay
recently made under the instructisns Of
the Board of Engineers entrusted with
the selection of the point on the Pacific
coast best adapted for Harbor of Ret
uge, has proved that the obstruction to
the entrance OF the harbor only consists
Of reef Of sandstone rock, easily re-
movable by Blasting, while there ate no
shifting sand banks to contend with,
and the entrance is covered by reef
about n mile of at sea, affording the
protection of natural breakwater.
6. That the same survey has proved
the present boundaries Of the channel,
giving depth Of twelve feet Of water
at low tide, with m average rise OF
seven feet eight inches TO low tide,
which channel has not changed in posi-
tion or depth since the coast survey IN
1868, and has been, and is now, in con-
slant use by ting-schooners and
small steamships.
Z. That the opening Of Yaquina
Bay by the removal of the obstructing
reef will not only develop the resources
of the Bay district in lumber, coal, oys-
ter and salmon fisheries, grain, wool,
frnit, butter, and agricultural produce
generally, but viii open up the tract of
fertile country between the Willamette
Valley and the Bay, exceeding 100000
acres in extent.
s. That your memorialists pray that
Congress, in its wisdom, viii now de-
vote sum of $4,000, to be expended
in blasting operations on the reef now
obstructing the entrance to Yaquina
Bay, the operations to be carried ont
under the superintendence Of the u. S.
Engineers in charge Of the district.
And your 1aemorialists will ever
pray.
The memorial was prepared at a citi-
zens' meeting at Corvallis, by Com
mittee consisting of n. Jacobs, J. r.
Bayley, Jno. Burnett, Z. A. Abbey and
Wallis Nash, and local committees were
appointed in the Valley counties to cir
culate the memorial for signatures. The
various county committees are as fol-
lows:
Linn-Jno. A. Crawford, M. v.
Brown, Coll. Van Cleve.
Marion-W. II. olelI, r. P. Boise,
L. S. Scott.
Was1ington-T. B Handley, DR..
Bailey.
nsltnoma1-J. B. congle, NJ. c.
George, J. B. Wyatt.
Lane-Dr. Patterson, J. B. Under
"oou, E D. OuuH.
Kana1U-E. C. Bradshaw, "A. NJ.
Snyder, = Fergusos.
PoU-Ira F. n. Butler, J. J. DAILY,
Geo. E. Good.
Clateop-D. c. Ireland, A. W. Fer
guson, a. Van Dusen.
1t is hoped that the committees will
work diligently, and that all will sign
Al