The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-01-25
A Letter tom Capt. starrets,
To THE EDITOR OF THE AsroRrAs,

To THE EDIToR OF THE AsroBIAN,
SIg:-I notice in the Oregonian Of
Jan. 2lst.. an article on the Colun,-
bia River Bar. in which he says, ''The
Burgess case seems to be merely
the fear OF ship master that vessel
drawing twenty-one feet cannot pass
through twenty-three foot channel,
where the pract.cability Of the passage
has been demonstrated eccre of
times, and within week under our
own observation. Next, he says,
"With depth ef twenty-three feet
on the bar, at mean high tide, a ship
drawing twentg-one feet need not
hesitate To enter" | do not know
the editor of the Oregonian, and can.
not think he is acquainted with me,
as have only visited this port but
once before and then did not take my
ship to Portland, and | am at loss
to understand why he should attribute
the long stay of the Burgess, off
this port solsly to my timid,ty, while
at the same time. vessels drawing only
thirteen feet have remained outside
twenty-three days, with pilot on
board, and several days with fair
wind tn enter. As | said above,
have not the pleasure nf his acquaint-
ance, but if he is gentleman. he will
apologize for this slander. Evidently,
he does not know what he is talking
about. Any ship master uu the Pa
cifc Coast will tell him that ship
twenty-one feet deep cannot PASS
through twenty-three foot channel.
On the 18th day of December. 1874, [
left this port in the ship Frank n.
Thayer," drawing twenty-one feet and
six inches; at that time there was
thirty feet Of water on the bar. The
ship in passing out, struck four times
very heavy, and barely escaped sink
ing outside, as other skips have done.
Now this gentleman Wishes to inform
me, and other ship masters, that
twenty-one feet draft can pass through
a twenty-three foot channel.
Ibid not fear the tugs lacked power;
on the contrary, the greatest fear was
that the hawser, though it was only
three weeks old, and q 1l-inch one,
would part. The tug that towed my
ship in had to slow down tn prevent
this accident, though she had 130
fathoms. The "Vesuyius,, is still
outside, drawing cnly nineteen feet.
She has been there during all the last
high tides with several fair winds to
enter. Why does she not come in2
"Timidity Of her master" though she
has an experienced pilot ON board.
The Reporter is still outside. draft
21l feet. On Saturday; the day I
came in. two steam tugs went 10 him.
The bar was as smooth, and some say
smoother, than when my ship came in;
still he did not como. Perhaps this
gentleman will be kind enough to
inform the public why the Colum-
bia, drawing eighteen feet, re-
manned at Astoria five days waiting
for chance to get over the bar. He
mentions the Beecroft passing out
safely, but takes good care to say
nothing of the Rainbow that went out
about the same time drawing 10 feet
and striking several times. But it is
useless to argue point with a man
that knows nothing about the subject
on which he is talking. Any ship
master on the Pacific coast wall INFORM
the gentleman that 2l fo"t ship eau
not pass through 90 foct channel.
l also notice the following: ''Ths
American bark Vesuyius which put
into Puget Sound q few days ago, left
for the Columbia river again and was
reported outside yesterday. The own
ers, very much dissatisfied with Capt.
Calls action, discharged him, and the
vessel came around under new
master" Capt. Call is still in the
bark and will remain in her. VIII
the gentleman correct that slanderl
Respectfully, H. A. STARsxrr.