The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-06-13
A Safe Harbor.
TIE YAQUINA BAR AND HARBoR PROVEN
TO EE SAFE AND RELIABLE FOR
LARGE VESSELS.


| The late successful entrance of the o. II.
Co.'S steamship Yaquina to the harbor
at Yaquina Bay is source of universal
satisfaction to the citizens of the central
valley, and has fully demonstrated the fact
that the future oi Yaquina Bay and her
harbor is glorious one. This being the
first entrance Of steamer of any note was
looked upon as great event, and since the
entrance was made with such fatterlng
success, it has fully demonstrated the real
merits of the harbor, which are 10 longer a
question of doubt, but a fixed fact. Upon
the completion of the o. P. r. R. from the
Bay to Corvallis early in October next, a
new channel of commerce. will be opened up
to this valley which will afford us means of
transportation for our immense wheat yield
to San Francisco, Eastern, as well as foreign
ports at greatly reduced rates, thereby
securing to the faImer a greater profit on
the fruits of his industry. 1t is with
pleasure that we append letter addressed
to T. Egenton Hogg, President of the O. P.
r. r. Co., by Capt. Thos. FL. Mo. ton, who
was in command OF the Steamship Yaquina
from the time she left New York I'LL she
arrived at the Co. s dock at Yaquipa City;
and who has been in the employ of the Pa
cifc Mail and other teanship companies as
commander for twentysix years.
and print aletter from Capt. W. E. Plummer,
who is now in command o. the steamer, and
who was in the employ of the Pacific Coast
S. s. Co. till he resigned that position to
take command of the Yaquina. Both os
these captains are sea faring men of known
qualifications aod integrity, and their letters
speak volumes FOR the future of Yaquira
Bay and her halbor.
STEAMER YAo0INA, YAoU1NA Cry, Or.
June lst, 1854.
We arrived off this barbor at 7 A.
NJ, of the 3Ist ult. It being thick and
fogGy we could see nothing to determine
our position. Later in the day the fog
cleared away, and at 3 P. M, it then be;oS
scarcely hall neap tide, we started il, en-
tirely und.er my command the tug boat fol-
lowing us in--crossiog the bar fifteen min
utes later at full speed, not finding less than
II feet wafer, ard 20 minutes later the ship
was secured to the wharf.
l can scarcely express the surprise I feel
on accomplishing such an easy passage flom
the sea to the wharf. The channel crossing
the bar is perfectly Straight, with it's banks
distinctly defined, requiring no plotting
after once entering, and ioS me does not
capable OF handling a steamer oc any other
vessel. But my surprise was sill greater
on finding such a magnificent harbor inside,
with not less than % feet water at low
feet in width. To- day took the tug and
went out at low water to determine the
depth all over the bar. On each side the
channel the sea was breaking on the banks
the same as yesterday, while all over the
channel the sea was smooth. 1t is now
neap tides, and the least water 1 could find
going from one side to the other of the
channel was Is feet, and at high water there
must be % feet. should have no hes "a
ton to bring in craft of 10 feet. The reef
of rocks that run parallel to the coast, a
half mile beyond the bar, is n ,tural break
water. and wards off the heavy seas that
break constantly ON this entire coast.
Finally I consider this harbor capable of
holding securely more than SEQ vessels of
every description. 1 would recommend
here the establishment of a large buoy on
the outer southern edge of the bar, as a
better guide for vessls entering this harbor
YAQUtNA. o., June 3, 1884.
Report of, w. E. Plummer now in
command of the steamship Yaquina, have
been eleven years in the employ of TIE P.
C. S. s.. Co. as commander, and 1 resigned
from my command in that company ON
May 26, 1884 TO take charge of the steamer
Yaquina, with a great many atlvices tEat l
was doing wrong to leave such a company
to take charge of a steamship that was
likely never to enter Yaquina Bay. Eut TO
nv surprise, on our arrival at the bar, being
low water, we waitei until one-half tide
and then steamed in without the least diff
Guilty. with II feet on one-half tide, az I
threw the lead myself. l find the bottom
20 be sandy and only one. rock anywhere,
and that is led feet from the channel with
large buoy on it. 1 think the bar quite
safe with ship of l5 or l6 feet at common
high tide also went next day alter our
arrival, sounded the bar from a tug boat
aud found l3l feet at quite low water and
also found the bar to sea quite straight:
only about three points turn in the bar.
And I find after getting in over the bar
plenty of water inside, and plenty of room
for most any sized chips. The bar being
quite safe from ever being the least danger
of losing lie, as the bar is within one-half
mile of clear beach.
(Signed) WIN. E. PLUMNEa,
Commander of Steamship Yaquina.