The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-02-12
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Regarding a Site For The Navy Yard.
Advantages Afforded by This Vicinity.

will shortly arrive here. They are
visiting the Columbia river and the
Sound to select a site for the navy
yard.
Some time ago they sent questions
to the boards of trade of the differ
ent cities.
The Astoria chamber of commerce
appointed q committee to answer
these questions; the following has
been sent to the naval commission,
and is now published for general iu-
formation:
ASTORIA, Oregon, jan. 18th, 1889.
To the Honorable the Commission for
Selecting q Site for Nary YoTd on the
Northwest Coast.
The following is submitted in answer
to your inquiries concerning the selec-
ton Of site at or in the vicinity Of As
toria, Oregon:
l. From what sources, in what guam
titles, and at what prices, can timber for
ship building purposes be obtained!
Timber, such as is used largely for
ship building purposes on this coast, can
be obtained in illimitable quantities in
this immediate section. There are now
| in operation here five lumber manufac-
turing establishments with yearly out
put of one hundred millions of feet. The
ruling price for the best fir lumber, in
the rough, is now $3.50 per thousand
feet.
2. Can lumber be obtained for wharves,
etc., that is not subject to the action Of
the teredo?
Lumber and piles for wharyes can be
furnished without limit and upon short
notice. AS the teredO IS not known IN
our waters, the lumber and piling of
course are not subject to its ravages.
| There are piles now standing that were
driven thirty years ago, that are still in
q sound condition to the waters edge.
The present market prices for piles of
the best quality are five cents per lneal
foot.
3. What are the sources for supplying
cast and wrought iron and steel? What
quantities can these sources supply and
at what price?
At present the supplies of cast and
wrought iron and steel, like other points
on the Pacific coast, are largely obtained
from eastern markets, but our facilities
for delivery and the cost of transpOrta-
ton are as favorable as the best.
The Oswego Iron Works, located near
Portland, have recently assumed opera
tions and in short time will be able to
place their products on the market, which
can be landed at this point in close COM
petition with other places. Then there
are extensive iron deposits on the Ore
gon shore of the Columbia river between
this point and the mouth of the William
ette, which are now in process of de-
velopment and i'll few years will be
producing large quantities of iron and
steel.
4. From what points can coal be OBJ
tanned and at what price, and in what
quantities by day or month, and what
| quality for steam and manufacturing
| purposes?
The facilities for placing coal here are
| fjrst-class; it can be furnished in any
quantities required, ard of good quail
| ty for steaming and manufacturing pur-
poses. The ruling prices are from $3.50 to
| $3.50 per ton.
8. Is there any lime stone in this
vicinity? If not, from what points is
lime produced and at what price2
There are DO limestone deposits of any
extent within a radius of one hundred
miles, in consequence We are dependent
for our supplies on Puget sound and
southern Oregon. The ruling market
rate is $1.50 per barrel.
G. Are bricks of good quality made hereI
If SO, what do they cost? Capacity of
works for turning out quantities.
AS yet there has been no brick-making
industry developed, we are enabled how
ever, to obtain all necessary supplies of
this article from a short distance up the
Columbia. The price is So per thousand.
Large deposits of potters' clay,lie near by
and now furnish material for export.
7. What building stone is obtained in
the vicinity?
Building stone of excellent quality is
| to be had all around US, and can be fur
nished at a low figure.
8. Is there any hydraulic cement made
in the vicinity?
Hydraulic cement of n superior quality
| has been manufactured from the boul-
ders that lie plentifully along our shores
and should n demand arise, could be pro-
duced in large quantities and at nominal
cost.
Q. What machine shops are there in
this vicinity? and the kind and number
of persons employed?
| There are now in operation here three
machine works engaged in the manufac-
ture of machinery of all descriptions,
covering ship work, boilers, engines, can
ming machinery, ETC., etc. They give
i W OltO anu ulBV
men.
10. What is the population of say
| twenty miles radius around YOUR CITY?
! The population for radius of twenty
miles is at least 10000.
| IL. How many men are liable to draft,
l. e. between the ages of eighteen and
forty-ive years?
There would be available for draft at
any time not less than three thousand
men. Among these are to be found a
greater number of active seamen to the
proportion of the population than could
be mustered by any port of like amount
of shipping.
II. Is there any authentic register of
the temperature, snow, rainfall, direc-
ton and force of winds? If 50, please
| furnish it to US.
The U. S. signal department has had an
observer here for number of years, also
station at Fort Candy at the mouth of
the river, ten miles below this point.
| Temperature, maximum, Sc; minimum,
15; average, 80; snow fall, maximum,
54; rain fall, average from 1884 to 1887,
1854; direction of wind, SW. in winter,
NV. in summer; force of wind, to II.
ID. Where is fresh water obtained in
the vicinity, and in what quantity?
Fresh water in abundance is furnished
the city and shipping from the reservoir
of the Columbia Water Co., which sun
ply is obtained from the surrounding
mountains. Vessels arriving and depart.
ing generally supply themselves from the
Columbia river while at the wharves or
at anchorage in the stream, at nearly
all seasons Of the year. At other times.
however, the water company furnishes
the neaaad e1lpnIv