Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-24

xAQUIxA RAY.

Yaquina bay, now attracting SO much
attention as a port, is destined to be-
come a still more important receiving
and shipping point for the Willamette
valley than il now IL. as soon as the
projected improvements, now far ad
vanoed, are completed not only that,
bat when the harbor is rendered inac-
cessible to large ocean sailing ships, and
the railroad connections spoken of be-
low are made, IL is expected to take
rank as a port for foreign commerce, TO
pass over a transcontinensal route of
which this will be the deep water ter
minus. At present Yaquina Bay can be
entered only by vessels of draught mp
to Is or 16 feet, bat it is susceptible OF
great Improvement. A sand Cliff rises
abruptly on the north side of the en-
trance TO a hight of 200 feet, while on
the south the land is comparatively low
and fat. In this respect il sonewhat
resembles the entrance to the Colum-
bia. materially differing from it. how
ever. in width. The channel across the
bar outside the entrance is about 1000
feet long, 10 narrow and straight. and in
rough weather is clearly defined by a line
of breakers on either side. All bat 600
feet OF this distance is comparatively
deep, the remainder being shallow, and
unsil the Government works now in
progress were undertakes was, within
certain and regular limits, shifting.
In summer the north winds we're 40
customed TO pile the sand in from that
direction, gradually pushing the channel
to the south, while the southerly gales
of winter forced IL back again. More
properly speaking there were three chan
nels-" North" -" south" and Middle"
each of which in its turn received the
main current. 1he bar consists Of saud
resting upon q ledge of rocks, being
now II TO Is feet below the surface at
low tide, and the rocks "a, the rocks be.
ing occasionally swept bare by action
OF the current. To make this action
permanent one is the design of the work
nov In progress by the Government en-
gineers. A jetty is being run from the
be extended distance Of 1900 feet
directly west to deep water outside OF
the bar. This CLOSES up the South
channel completely, and by fore
ing the water through the middle
one tends 10 clear il Of sand and
deepen is. Work was began in 1881,
uD0cs an hRtfuFzta*k1a VI T1",eTeS AS11o
the year before. The next year an al
lovance OF $1,000 vas made, and &C.,
900 In fSS2. In 1883 no appropriation
was made. but the present year $50 GOO
was gwen by Congress TO carry on this
work. The work 10 nov well progressed
and its effects are already noticeable in
an increased depth on the bar at low
tide. Another jetsy will probably be
constructed from the north point, pro-
tecting the channel from sands from
that direction and combining the water
in one single channel. Il Is expected
that by these means the current will
strip the rocks bare OF sand. when by
blasting the ledge along the channel
the proper depth win be attained. The
resalts already accomplished are great.
assuring the cofnpiete success OF the en-
cinsers' plana The bay itself 10 rough
IL shaped like an L. With the lower right
hand extremity towards the sea, and IL
covers an area Of Is square miles The
chip channel. which ia nowhere less than
100 feet vide, follows the north side Of
the bay. cuts across the corner and
strikes the eAsG side Which IL follows 70
the mouth OF the YaQuina. 13 miles from
the ocean. The depth b generally over
50 fest. only In one place beinz - shall
Loo as Is fesa. and the bottom afIors1s
secure holding for an anchor. Vessels
Ling on the inside are protected by the
low hills from ocean winds. and are -.
cure in the exormiest weather.-Frop
tA< Psrfiansf 4 Or. IFssf Shovv.