The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-05-06
STATE OF OREGON, | :.
County OF LINN, 10
cory AFFIDAVIT.

49, a A%@ "a OAtA6OAtg
County OF LINN, '9'
/, John NJ. Ayles of Benton County
aforesaid being duly sworn make oath
and say as follows:--
l was at Newport on Yaqnina Bay
in Benton County on Monday the llth,
day of April 1881, | found there the
General Wright, U. s. Government
tug-boat which came down to New
port from the sawmill at 0neatta some
six miles up the Bay.
The captain and two seamen of tho
vessel had been drowned on the previous
Thursday in attempting to cross in over
the bar in heavy sea in small boat
Being well known to Mr.. j. j. Polhe.
mus the Government Engineer in
charge of the harbor improvement
works at Yaquina he asked me to take
'hargo of the vessel and to take her
out to the U. s. Coast Survey Steamer
Shubriek which was lying OF the
harhor mouth waiting to deliver stores
ttended for the harbor works.
declined to take charge of the ves-
,el unless he Mr.. Polhemus, went out
IS pilot, as he was so thoroughly ac-
luainted with the bar. This he con-
sented to and we left the wharf at
Newport about 10 o'clock in the morn
az it being then nearly high wgter.
There was not much sea on tue bar.
rhe lead was hove, all the time that
We were nearing and crossing the bar.
The least water We got was twenty feet
,ud that only at one cast OF the lead.
We went out with perfect ease at
iull speed ahead the whole time and it
vas about twenty minutes from the
,me we left the wharf at Newport till
we were over the bar.
We proceeded in company with the
hitbTick to position about south
east of Cape Foulweather ard about
three miles from the bar. Both vessels
anchored there and the stores intended
for the works were transferred FROM
the .Shubrick to the General Wright.
We remained at anchor till 6 o'clock
and then proceeded to the mouth Of
The harbor TO ascertain If it were prac-
ticable to enter. Finding that it was,
Mr. Polhemus decided that he would
take the vessel in. IL was now just
two hours flood with good sea run
ming. The lead was kept going the
whole time we were near or on the bar
The casts were taken as rapidly as
possible and the water shoaled to twelve
feet at one cast only, deepening again
Immediately, and this cast was taken in
the trough Of the sea.
The channel il clear and well
defined from any position aloft or
even from the deck of a moderately
high vessel. The approach is easy and
the entrance safe for vessels Of any
length not exceeding fifteen feet in
draught. On smooth day vessel
drawing seventeen feet could enter at
the top of high water.
have had thirty Eve years expe-
rienco at sea ~ an officer aud in cdss.
mand. commanded clipper ships on
long voyages for upwards Of fifteen
years, and have had ten years expert
ence in steam vessels sailing across the
Atlantic, to the West Indies, and Gulf
Of Mexico, and also through the Straits
# Magellan and thence through
Smyth's channel entering and anchor
ing in all the small harbors in those
waters. am also familiar with most
of the Coast harbors in Australia and
New Zealand.
Speaking in general terms on the
basis of this experience | consider the
harbor at Yaauina, even as it is, per-
fectly safe for steamers and for sailing
ships with the aid of q tug not drawing
more water than above indicated to
enter at proper time of tide of course
making due allowance for the weather.
The ofIing is good and vessels having to
wait for the tide can either anchor or
stand off and on either to the north or
south of Cape Foulweather.
| consider that the improvement
now in progress will begin almost at
once to deepen the water on the bar
and on completion OF the jetty or
breakwater ! am confident that the
sand will be prematurely removed from
the bar, and that the rock now forming
its core, is very narrow, and easily re-
moved. / base this opinion on the
rapid deepening of the water on each
side of the center of the bar.
(Signed) john NJ. AYLEs.
Sworn before me this 22nd, day of
April 1881.
p. w. WILSON,
County Clerk.
of Benton Co, Oregon.