The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-01-07
SUCCESS OF THE JETTY
Major Handbury's Last Annual
Report.
WHAT HAS BEEN,Acc0MPLISHED
A History of The +. ep9rk at the
Mouth of Il.e { ualbia
RiveIJ' uv
WHAT HAS sBEEN,AccoMPLIsHED

Mouth of The 81 molbia
From the annual report of Major
Handbury upon the Improvement of TIL,
Columbia river, which is included in tn,
recently issued report of the chief Of
engineers, we republish the following
as being the best and most comprehen-
sive article on the subject which ha:
yet been produced. Referring directly
to the jetty, Mr., Handbury said:
The project under which this work II
being carried on was adopted in 1884
and slightly modified in regard to the
manner of completing it in 1898. It con-
templates providing and maintaining {;
navigable channel across the Columbia
river bar, having a depth Of 30 feet o.
low tide, This is to be accomplished
by directing the water which flows over
the sand spit at the south of the en-.
trance, so that it will be concentrated
upon the bar where the resultant cur
rents may scour away the sands ant
produce the desired depth of channel
The work now in progress of con-
struction, by which this result is TO b
accomplished, consists of high tide
jetty, which starts from the shore nea.
Fort Stevens, on the South Cape, anC
extends in westerly direction with /;
slight curve 10 the south, out acros,
Clatsop spit, for a distance of "A mile.
to point about miles south ofsCapC
Disappointment. The jetty is construct
ed of rock, resting upon mattresses.
40 feet wide and from 2h to 5 fee
thick, laid upon the sand When fin,
ished, the level Of the top of the jetty
at the shore end will be 12 feet above
the mean low-wGter plane; from thence,
to the end, to height of feet There
will be four low groins on the north
side of the jetty, two of which will be
1000 feet each in length, one 600, and the
ether 500 feet
The material thus far has been placed
in position from a jetty tramway sup.
ported upon piles driven along the line
of the jetty and about "a feet above tho
level Of low tide. The tramway Is a
double track 3-foot-gauge railroad, III
tracks being 10 feet between centers
and 2S feet above the plane of mean low
water The material is landed at the
wharf from harges and transported t.
place over these tracks, which are built
in advance Of the main work.
Before the commencement of thi
work the channel or channels over this
bar were very capricious in location and
variable in depth. The depths were us.
ually from 10 to q feet, and the chan
nels varied in number from / to 3.
IS, llOll
Cape Disappointment to Point Adams
In the last annual report 1t was men
toned that the jetty tramway had
reached the outer limit to which 1t was
proposed to extend the jetty-4H mile,
from the shore end-and that the lett,
was being constructed by throwing II
rock throughout this whole distance
This process has been continued during
the present year. The results thus far
obtained are very marked in the man.
ner in which it has caused Clatsop spi,
to be raised out Of the water, checked
the flow over that spit, and concentrat
ing the securing effect upon the bar.
Soundlngs made during the latter part
of June for the purpose of developing
the deepest water over the bar show
a decided improvement since my las.
annual report The S0-foot curves OF
the inside and outside of the bar ar
fully three-quarters Of n mile neavo
to each other than they were at that
time, and at two points these curves
have come together, giving depths
30 feet over the bar ut low water. Tho
width of the 27-foot channel Is nov
about three-quarters Of mile, and IN
25-foot channel about IL miles. The
strong southerly winds and. at man
times, storms which prevailed durin,
last winter and spring, have kept the
sands banked up against the mouth O.
the river more than would otherwis
have been the case. and made NOR.
work for the ebb currents TO keep tho
channel clear. The map showing tn
results Of this survey accompanies this
report.
The first appropriation for the work
was made in the river and harbor an
nronriaton approved July ;. 1884. The
total amount appropriated to the end
of tbe fiscal year is $1.6s7, 500 The
,n,ount expended including outstanding
,isbtuties is s1,54O.41S.s1, leaving bal.
apce of 47,O8e.69 applicable to the fur
,har prosecution OF the work.
The principal work during the year
lac been receiving rock from the con.
tractors. transporting this and placing
h upon the jetty, and keeping the plan