The morning call., 1891-05-17
HUMBOLDT BAY
IMPROVEMENTS.
Opening n Harbor for Deep.
Water Vessels.
A Gigantic Scheme Undertaken by the Gen.
sral Governmental Will Cost at Least
Two Millions Of Dollars.

Probably no feature of coast improve
ments is attracting more general attention
presently than the G overnment work at the
mouth of Humboldt Bay. This beautiful
inland body Of water has all the natural
advantages of commodiouS and perfectly
protected harbor, with the one serious-it
might almost be said fatal-obstacle of a
difficult and dangerous entrance. At pres
ent only light-draught shipping can gain
the harbOr at all, and under the most favor
able circumstances the attempt is perious.
The comparatively limitless resources of
Humboldt County and that vast northwest
section make it extremely important for
their development that Humboldt Bay
should be made what nature 30 richly in
tented-an easy h2rbor for all kinds of
deep-water shipping and a general port of
entry for the commerce of the world. To
this end the Government is now giving
splendid encouragement. and in two or
three years more, If there is no serious in
terruption, another center will have been
opened second to but very few on the West
ern Continent.
AN OUTLINE OF THE WORK.
Hon. }. f. Thompson of Eureka, editor
of the Daily humboldt Standard has been
in this city for the past few days, and in
conversation with a CALL reporter yester-
day gave a general outline of the great
work now under way. Its successful COM
pletion means the expenditure of at least
100000 but he estimates even that round
sum will be insignificant compared with the
endless resources it will be the direct means
of developing.
At present the entrance to the harbor
is tortuous, shallow and Irregular due, of
course, to the tides and changing currents.
Even the light dranght coast steamers dare
not undertake the passage without tug to
nj hn MO md orlr nj
straight, wide and permanent channel once
established there and the great problem is
solved. The Government Board Of HarbOr
Engineers is confident that it is feasible, and
this is their plan:
Two enormous spits, or bulkheads, will
be projected into the ocean, not straight out
at a right angle with the coast however,
but at an angle OF about 400 nOrthwestcry.
The main, or outside spit, will be 1900 feet
long, and the other one at least $500 feet.
This will extend them safely into deep
water and beyond the drifting bar.
SPITs TWO RODS WIDE.
These spitS will be about two rods wide
and so solidly constructed that all the
storms of the Pacfi will not shake them.
Piles are first driven to serve as stays for
heavy mattrass of brush, say four or i've
feet thick. Then rock and sand are thrown
on. This forms the first layer; the other
LAYERS are formed in like manner, and the
sand up against them and forming huge
sand peninsulas mile into the sea. The
filling in of brush, rock and sand is done by
a railroad out on the piles to the very end
Of the spit.
This will form a straight and permanent
channel and it is maintained that the ebb
and flow of the tides through this channel
at the rate OF one million gallons second
will keep it clear and safe and give from
four TO five fathoms Of water at the lowest
tide.
There has been already expended on the
work about $250,O00. and there is still unused
Of the last appropriation about $4,000 for
the next year. The Board of Engineers will
recommend 10 the Government an appTopri-
alton of 500, 900 for The following two years.
The unfayora6le tides for some time has
prevented operations, but the work Will be
pushed with increased energy from this
time on.
ANOTHER COMMERCIAL CENTER.
The young and prosperous city OF Eureka,
the chief port of Hum bOldt Bay, is looking
forward to its completion with intense
interest
at will simply mean" said Mr.. Thomp-
son earnestly, the eSta blishment Of another
commercial center in Eureka open to the
world, and give us a chance to make ready
and excellent use Of our vast resources that
are now to great extent tied up. We have
thirty billions feet Of redwood timber I'M
cut; we have as hne rultgr0wlng lands as
the State possesses; new colonies are spring
ing up and new industries only waiting for
chance.
with good harbor railroads will tumble
over one another in their scramble 10 be
there first. There is already more or less
speculation about an overland route making
that city the terminus. There will have to
be direct communication with San Fran
cisco and the large cities of the Sacramento
Valley. Otherwise the northern roads are
determined to come down from Portland
through Grant Pass to Crescent City and
down the Coast.
"All this is looked for within the next
two or three years, and it will come rs sure
as the deep-water vessel comes"