The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-11-18
STATUS OF THE OREGON PACIFIC
RAILROAD.

STATUS OF THE oREeoN PACIFIC
RAILROAD.
Active ProEre.. g g. rannei ,E.. Es.:--;Pre- =
the Spring, Etc.
CORVALLIS, Oct 20.
Yaquina bay is deep and narrow harbor in the
Oregon coast one hundred and twenty miles south
of the Coiumbia river and about one-third Of the
distance along the ocean shore from the northern
toward the southern limit Of the state. Its shape
is not unlike bsby's stoekingtoe to the sea, heel
to the northeast with ankle reaching inland toward
the southeast-ana its area is about fifteen square
miles. Much Of this place Is shoal fiat. but deep
ship range nowhere less than twelve hundred feet
wide. and broadening in places to double that width
extends from inside the bsr to where the bay mar
to the Yaquina river, distance about six miles
This channel s nowhere interrupted by shoals, Its
depth varies from to eight fathoms and Its bot
tom affords 3 secure hold for anchors. On all sides
hills rise with gentle slope from the wster line to
q considerable height completely land-locking the
harbcr and protecting it from the norwest gales Of
summer and the southerly storms of winter. One
river the Yaquina, pours its flood into the ankle
extremity Of the gurative stocking and three large
tide sloughs almost rivers in volume, empty into
its northern and southern Sides These tributaries
disgorge large streams, which, with the ebbing
tides, rush deep, swift current through the bay
and out into the ocean.
THE ENTRANCE
To Yaanina bay has been much written about and
much lied about. 1t has been Ignorantly sneered
'schooner channel" and Its friends retorting
have represented IL as much better than it Is in
fact. Its surrounding features much Ike those
at the mouth Of the Golumbia river but on much
abruptly to height of 200 feet In appearance very
much like Cape Hancock and the southern side ts low
and hat not unlike Point Adams The distance
across from land to land is half mile. The chan
mel from deep water inside deep water outside Is
1000 feet long. Its is south from point
midway between the beadlands out half mile from
the shore Iine it's outer end being of shore quar-
ter of mile Of the southern point. II Is straight
and narrow and In rough weather is clear Iy marked
by the breaker line ON either side of it. During the
greater part OF its 1000 feet the water is conpara
lively Deep and for only 600 feet s 1t dangerously
shoal. This Is the channel at the present time. Its
southeriy trend is due to the force of the summer
north Winds which pile the sands in from the north
side, but the winter gales from the south will force
the sand In from the shore the south side and by
the LIST of February the channel will have shifted
quarter of mile toward the north
The bar ia Of sand overlyinG q rocky ledge and
the lead-line at extreme low water shows depth of
nine feet which the tidal variation deepens to Is
feet at high water. This Ia increased at rare
times when the underlying ledge s cleared OF sand
10 "a feet and this depth At high tide is expected
by
THE GOVERNMENT WORE
Nov In progress TO make permanent. 1t is proposed
to build from the point the south side OF the en-
trance etty three thousand feet city west and
out through the surf into the Its purpose 10
to up the present south channel aud divert
the flow westward in straight line from point
midway between the headlands. This will afford q
channel which neither the summer winter
storms can change, and will by confinement and ln-
creased acceeraton of the currents seour the sand
from the underlying rock ledge and keep the ledge
clear. Work this jetty commenced In 1881
and it has been built out i've hundred aud fifty feet
from the high water line. The first appropriation
for the work was $4,000, two-thirds OF which was
required for plant-docks, tugs, scows donkey en-
zines. etc and the second appropriation. last year,
only $i0,uVO The appropriation for this year is
$60000 which will extend the jetty seven or eight
hundred feet. Work commenced on the 1st inst.
and will be continued through the winter months
with force of twenty-five men. They will do moth
ing the jetty ITSELF hnt will lay in large store of
rock to be used when good weather opens In the
durable, and Is brought by scows from quarry on
the Yaquins river fourteen miles from the point,
and landed the inside shore of the point half 8
nile from the work itself. The task of Transporting
the rock ia slow and expensive in fact the most diff
hcult and costly item of the improvement. The
jetty is built of brush mattrasses cribs and heavy
Etone, is from sixty to hundred feet wide st the
built up to high water line 1t pushes out into the
surf aud mus stand the tremendous pounding OF
the waves with the added force OF the currents as
they rush in and out. 1t stood through last winters
storms without break or damage and now appears to
be solid as the eternal hffis From the beginning
Mr.. J. +. Polhemus. @. an attache Of the United
States engineer ONCE at Portland has had charge of
the work. found him buslly engaged In the hard
work of preparation for next springs extension sno
he seemed TO be doing it thoroughly and we'll. II
pleasure to ttnd in this important place mar
thoroughly fitted for 1t and SO enthusiastic in 1t
THE neck LEDGE
which forms the backbone of the Ysquina bar, is
series of comparatively sharp points which could
easily be blasted out. Expert engineers who have
examined It. variously estimate the cost at from
nearly approaching the cost But until the business
of the bay is greatly increased, 1t is moi
that the ans oss1 ssn % worn II
Three Quarters Of mile from the shore line and
directly opposite the entrance sunken reef lies
parallel TO the coast line. It s composed of series
of ledges upon of which the water is but eight
cen feet deep at low tide. In rough weather the
surf breaks heavily upon this reef, but the waves
spend their force there and even in the most bois
terus storms tho space inside the reef and between
1t and the entrance is comparatively calm. Vessels
entering sail south of this reef and before reaching
the pass into the space protected by It. This
Is peculiar advantage which no other harbor in
the world possesses and is of the highest value
There is no tug on the bar, but pilot lives upon
the point near the government work and he can cas-
lily be nailed by approaching vessels; but they toe
often trdst to their charts and to luck and come un
piloted While was at the bay little steamer
The 0na entered. guided by an Indian sailor whose
only knowledge of the channel had been gained by
one or two former visits Such recklessness is un-
just to the of vessels and likely to hurt the
reputation of the bar. Ship masters have no right
TO put property in peril to jeapardtse the good
fame of the bay
So much for the entrance 1t is now eighteen feet
deep at high tide, its depth will be permanent
ly increased to twenty four feet and by the expend
iture Of less than half million dollars 1t can be
maoe uoep enough nOet tnc deepest tnhL
the ocean.
YAQUINA RIVER,
Which empties into the bay at it's southeastern ex
tremity is at its mouth about equal in width to the
Willamette at Salem aud its volume is much greater
It. with its tributaries. the Big Elk and Little Elk
aud great number of creeks, drains great section
Of country west Of the Cascade mountains and pour
out their gathered waters in swift. deep stream
1t is nsvigable to point twenty miles absve fts
junction with the bay. Two small steamboats, pl,
regularly upon 1t, and schooners haye frequentl,
ascended as far as Elk City, twenty five miles from
the ocean. There s some tide-dat and bottom lant
along its banke. but the greater distance they rts
from the water line to steep hills, clothed TO thei
sumrits with a thick under growth. which, at thi
season. presents beautiful variety of autumn tints
There is no single landscape feature the rive
which may be called grand, but along its Who'll
course the views are fine. Neat homes dot the al
luvial patches contiguous to 1t and even smong tn
high lands there many good places.
In another letter l shall write of the industrial
commercial and social conditions of Ysquins bay an
of the western part of Benton county, and of i'm
portant railroad operations now In progress there
A H.
CoRyAILIs Oct. 30.
Yaquina bay Ike all the other harbors along tn
coast is rich In resources but unlike most of then
IL has no great store of timber. Good patches Of
and cedar there are but the area Of forest is limited
The whole country shows the marks Of great fores
fires. and thousands of desolate white tree trunk
standing memorials Of forests gone. dot the countr
over The shores of the bay present fine Weiss
tude OF elevation, outline and color but are slmos
wholly barren OF large trees. Along the It'd
slouehs, however and In the gulches. fine timber
In working IL. Three sawmiils of comparativel
in operation, their added dali