The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-09-02
New Tariff for
Towing Ships.


Yesterdays Oregonlan says; "Gener-
al Superintendent Baxter, Of the I'm
ion Pacific. announces that the COM
rany will put In effect today a new
tariff for towing ships on the Colum-
bia river, which will reduce the charge
Of towage from 800 to 5000 on vessels,
according to size. The larger the yes
sci the greater win be the reduction.
This will particularly affect grain-car-
rying ships as the larger class are
used in that trade.
This settles the question of Port
lands supremacy as the grain market
Of the North Pacific coast. There is
now en- route to the Columbia, tom
mage amounting to 65,OOO registered
tons. as compared with only 1900 tons
en- route to Puget Sound ports. The
improvements made for deepening the
rivers have been so successful that
there is now channel from Portland
to the sea sufficient to accommodate
the largest vessels fully loaded, SO
that llghtering hereafter will not be
necessary.
The bar at the mouth of the Colum-
bla is thing of the past, there now
being a wide, straight channel car
rying 30 feet of water at low tide, one
of the finest harbor entrances in the
world. Major Handbury, United States
Engineers, went down to the. mouth Of
Willamette yesterday to set the dredg-
er w. $. Ladd at work removing a
small lump deposited during the late
flood, In order to widen the channel.
The lump IL small one, and
from the nature and smell Of the de-
posit is evidently formed of sediment
from the city sewers. The pilots who
went down the river to examine the
channel reported yesterday that they
had found not less than 25 feet at ev-
cry point.
With tile facilities now possessed
the depth In the rivers will be main
ialned and increased, and this with
the advantage to vessels Of a fresh
water port, and low port charges, win
always maintain the supremacy of
Portland as the principal shipping
point Of the Northwest.
Efforts have lately been made by
rival cities to injure the name of this
port by spreading broadcast circulars
alleging to prove that ships expenses
here were much greater than OH the
Sound, whereas the disbursements
have been about equal for ships of the
same tonnage loading at Portland and
Tacoma, With the reduced towage tar
If, everything will be in Portland's fa-
vor. We will handle not only all the
grain tributary to the Union Pacific
system, but will probably have to
take much of the Great Northern's
business. 1t is estimated that the
r,et Nofthern's territory will pro-
duce something III 4.)))0OO bushels OF
wheat this season. which Is equivalent
to 40 average cargoes. There are only
12 grain ships now listed for all Sound
ports, and in these times of scarce
tonnage Il will be impossible for Seat
tie or Tacoma to get enough ships,
even II the vessels were disposed to go
there, to carry the rest of the wheat.
The Great Northern has an agreement
with the new Waterhouse steamship
line, which Will in a few days be rum
ming steamers between the Sound and
Portland, and the road will thus be in
connection with this city. Even with
the extra cost Of bringing grain here
from the Sound our low towage and
port charges and superior facilities for
handling wheat will make It cheaper
for exporters to ship here than on the
Sound.
Shipowners, both British and Ameri-
can. have always favored Portland and
the Columbia river. Our harbor is easy
OF access and the entrance is perfectly
safe, Our charges, when high, did not
deter IN great measure ships from
coming here and now, when they are
80 much reduced, we may expect to
see many more vessels headed this
way"
--------T----