The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-05-13
Ya9g.aA BAY,

We are in receipt of the following
affidavit OF Capt. John NJ. Ayles of
Benton county an old and experienced
seaman. 1t is III reference to the har-
Dor and bar at Yaqnina and will be
of great interest to esas- readers.
COPY OF AFFIDAVIT.
STATE OF OREGON,
County of Benton.
!, John NJ. Ayles. of Benton coun-
ty aforesaid, being duly sworn, make
oath aud say as follows:
/. was at Newport. OH Yaqnina
Bay, in Benton county, oaa Monday
the Ii til day of April, 1881. found
that the Gen1 Wright, u S. Govern
ment iugboat which came down to
Newport from the saw mill at Oneats
ia some six miles up the bay. :
2. The Captain and two seaman o
the vessel had been drowned on the
previous Thursday in attempting to
cross III over the bar in a heavy sea
i'll small boat. Being well known
to Mr.. J. S. Polhemus, the gov rnmen'
engineer in charge OF the hai bo. I'M
pro, enent works at Yaqmn, he
asked me to take charge of the yes
sci and to take her out to the U. 5.
coast survey steamer Shnbrick, which
was lying to off the harbor mouth,
waiting to deliyer stores intended for
the harbor works.
8. [ declined to take charge of the
vessel unless he, Mr.. Polhemus, went
out as pilot, as he was SO thoroughly
acquainted with the bar. This he
consented to, and we left the wharf
at Newport about 10 o'clock in the
morning, it being then nearly high
water. There was not much sea on
the bar. The lead was hove all the
time that we were nearing aud cross
ing the bar. The least water we had
was twenty feet and that only at one
cast of the lead.
4. We went ont with perfect ease
at full speed ahead the whole time,
and it was about twenty minutes from
the time we left the wharf at New
port until we were over the bar.
5. We proceeded in company with
the Shubrick to a position about
south east Of Cape Foulweather, and
about three miles from the bar. Both
vessels anchored there and the stores
intended for the works were trans
ferred from the Shubrick to the Gen'l
Wright.
6. We remained at anchor till six
o'clock and then proceeded to the
mouth Of the harbor to ascertain if it
werespracticable to enter. Finding
that it was. Mr.. Polhcmus decided
that he would take the vessel in. 1t
was now just two hours flood with a
good sea running. 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 immediate
! ly, and this cast was taken in the
troagh Of the sea.
Z. The channel is clear and well de
fined from any positionsaloft orr 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
high water.
s. I have had thirty-fve years ex-
perience at sea as an officer and in
command. I commanded clipper
ships on long voyages for upwards OF
fifteen years, and have had ten years
experience in steam vessels sailing
across the Atlantic, to the West In
lies and Gulf of Mexico, and also the
Straights of Magellan. and thence
through the Smyth's channel, enter
ing and apchoring in all the small
harbors in those waters. am also fa-
miliar with most of the coast harbe-
in Australia and New Zealand.
o. Speaking in general terms on the
basis of this experience, ! consider
the harbor at Yaquina, even as it is,
perfectly safe for steamers and for
sailing ships with the aid Of tug not
drawing more water than above in
dicated, to enter at proper time OF
tide of course, making sdne allowance
for the weather. The ofing is good
and vessels having to- wait for the
tide can either anchor or stand off
and 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
sbreakwatcr am confident that the
sand will be permanently removed
from the bar, and that the rock now
forming its core, is very narrow, and
easily removed. / base this opinion
on the rapid deepening of the water
on each side of the center of the bar.
(Signed) JOHN III. AYLEs.
Sworn before me this 22nd day of
April, 1881. B. w. WILsoN.