The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-01-30
THE MEMORIAL.

The undersigned inhabitants of the State of
Oregon, sheweth:
l. That the population of the State is in
creasing at a very rapid rate, an immigration
of upwards of $1,000 persons having been re-
ceived in the year 1878, as proved by the
statistics of the Portland Board of Trade.
q That the principal towns of the State
being situated and the larger portion of the
population settled in the Willamette Val
ley, the exports and imports from that coun-
try are being SO largely increased that the
need of additional outlets for the traffic of
the State is severly felt, practically passen-
gers and goods having now to pass both in
wards and outwards through the port of
Portland, situated on the Willamette river
only l2miles from the northern boundary of
the State.
3. That by opening of the harbor called
Yaquina Bay, a port will be provided, only
sixty miles from the center of the VILLAIN
cite Valley, never closed by ice, render
ed inaccessible by stormy weather, and offer
ing natural facilities by the safe deep water
channel, commodious anchorage, and abun-
dant space for all the shipping that will re-
sort there.
T. That railroad is already in progress
connecting the port of Yaquina Bay with
the town of Corvallis, ON the Willamette
T1V6T Uldb ny Guc use VI IillS IOutS d say
ing will be effected of 22l miles in actual dis
tance, and of the tedious, costly, and occa-
sionally dangerous, railroad or river journey
down the Willamette Valley to Portland,
and the voyage down the Willamette and
Columbia Iiyers to the ocean, the crossing of
the Columbia bar. and the ocean voyage down
the coast Of Oregon past the point in ques-
tion.
s. That the survey of Yaquina Bay re-
Gently made under the instructions of the
Board of Engineers entrusted with the selec-
tion of the point on the Pacific coast best
adapted for a Harbor of Refuge, has proved
that the obstruction to the entrance of the
harbor' only consists of a reef, sandstone rock,
easily removable by blasting, whilst there
are no shifting sand banks to contend with,
and the entrance is covered by reef about a
mile off at sea, affording the protection of a
natural breakwater.
6. That the same survey has proved the
present boundaries of the channel, giving a
depth of twelve feet of water at low tide,
with an average rise of seven feet eight
inches to high tide, which channel has not
changed in position or depth since the coast
survey in 1868, and has been, and is now, in
constant use by coasting schooners and small
steamships.
Z. That the opening of Yaquina Bay by
the removal of the obstructing reef will not
only develop tht resources of the Bay dis
trict in lumber, coal, oyster and salmon fish
cries, grain, wool, fruit, butter, and agricul-
tural produce generally, but will open up
the tract of fertile country between the Will
lamette Valley and the Bay, exceeding 50O,-
600 acres in extent.
s. That your memorialists pray that
Congress, in its wisdom, will now devote q
sum ofss240, 600, to be expended in blasting
operations on the reef now obstructing the
entrance to Yaquina Bay, the operations to
be carried out under the superintendent of
the q. s.. Engineers in charge of the district
And your memorialists will ever pray.