The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-01-20
VAGINA HaRB0R IMPROVEMENT.
TE.e Opinion Of an Experienced Sea
Captain.

| soPsofhs
EDITOR GAzETTF.-On my last
trip 20 Yaquina Bay I intended te
write you a few lines in regard to
the ha:bor Improvement but in my
hurry neglected to do SO. Perhaps
it is not too late yet to give al
opinion upon this important matter
| am fully convinced after conversing
with Mr. Polhemns, (the Engineer
ir charoe,) and examining his maps
and plans that he has true concep-
ticn of the task he has undertaken
and I fully believe that if he is allow
ed to carry through his work to the
end he will accomplish all he claims
and confer a great and lasting benefit
on the commerce ofOregon.
The work so far can only be con.
silercd preliminary and yet ] was
agreeably disappointed in the
amount performed. To those un-
acquainted with that kind of work
it might seem that the appropriation
had been expended to but little pur-
pose and but little good accomplish.
ed, but | claim to know something
of the nature of the work and the
difficulties TO be overcome and to
my mind a great deal has been done;
a good start has been made, and the
money has been well and cconomiclv
expended. Now if this matter can
be clearly and fully presented to
Congress surely there should be no
hesitation in passing an appropFia
ton for continuing the work next
season in e:rnest.
No trifleing sum will accomplish
any good in this kind of work. The
amount must be sufficient TO carry
The work along thoroughly and
Substantially or it may be money
wasted, ami I may be par,loned for
drawing on my own experience for
an illustration.
Daring the summer of 1875 l had
two Schooners on the beach which
had been driven ashore and which /
was dcsireous Of launching. The task
was difficult as one of them had to
be moved nearly mile aud the 9th
tr still further. my first idea natur-
ally was to save expense and do the
work as cl eally as possible, but
before l got through l saw my mis-
take and as most people do in such
cases paid we'll for my learning
[ found before my work was com
pleted that it would have been
C cheaper to have obtained the best
and most complete outGt
on the start and then do the work
thoroughly as I~went along for / |
found the tides and salt water very !
unreliable and the ocean waves very |
nnmanageable, high tide and rough
water would knock to peices in
ew minutes work that we had been
lays in doing. And although feel
nre that Mr.. Polhemus must have
laf a similar experience with part
If his work yet l notice it stands
lrm and has withs ood t1e force of
The heaviest gales. / feel confident
hat one hundred thousand dol -ars
more expended on this work in the
anne manner ana to the sane purpose
viii show marked Improvement
II the channel over the bar. In fact
immagine that the Bar has already
'een improved by the work done,
Though this would seem hardly
ossible as the distance that the work S
Is Eecn carried out does not seem
efficient to have accomplished any
hing in this direction and yet when :
re consider how small a thing may Y
urn a currant it is possible tha; L
tvorable results may have been T
5tained and if so much greater may |,
G expected Let there be no effort
pared ill getting this matter before
congress in the strongest and most =
ositive manner. And let the peo-
le of the valley not falter in the
ood work they have undertaken.
J. J. WINANT. +
alameda, California, Jan. sth 1882. o
Snow in Southern California.