The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-03-09
SHELTON. COUNTY, FRIDAY MARCH soI
The Longest Jetty in the World.

At the mouth of the Columbi,
River the United States government
Is building What will be the lonees
Jetty ever constructed. Tt wilf als{
enjoy the distinction of being one OF
beng one of the very few public works
whose ultimate total cost falls 'fal
snort OF the original estimates.
The Columbia is by far the largest
river west of the Rockies, being con-
siderably over 1000 miles in length
and for 100 miles from it's mouth nayi-
gable for the largest ocean vessels. AT
lts mouth, too, is a splendid harbor.
capable of sheltering in safety the lar
gest vessels afloat. 1t is the onlv safe
harbor between San Francisco. 800
miles to the south, and the Straits of
Juan Gle Fuca, 200 miles to the north.
However, prior to 1885, the harbor
was OF little use, because of the shift
ing sands that opposed bar first to
one side and then to the other, and all
the way from Cape Disappointment
on the north to Point Adams on the
south. The. United States govern
ment, recognizing the value of this
harbor to our commerce, both present
and future. ssent her most competent
engineers to SURVEY the harbor and
present plan to form permanent
deep water channel. The plans that
were finally adopted were, for etty
! from Point Adams out into the seeth-
ing waters for between four or five
miles, to be constructed of basaltic
rock or lava: This, it was predicted.
would entirely close up the south
channel or Tillamook chute and pre-
sent firm break to catch the sands
that would form the shifting 'bar~ in
the north or main channel. That eff
fected, the powerful current of the
/
vast body of water which the C6lum-
bia pours into the Pacific would keep
open a natural and perfect gateway
into the harbor. The jetty' is now
practically completed and hes@engi-
neers' predictions fully realized. On
the south side of the jetty, where
formerly there was water. from six to
twenty feet in depth, is now over 1000
acres of dry land, formed by the wash
of the sea, while the largest ocean
vessels sail without aid through the
main channel and anchor in the har-
Dor one mile further inland, within
cable length of the shore
But the surprising part OF the build
ing of the jetty, and that which re-
fleets great credit upon the engineers
in charge, is that. while the construc-
ton is pronounced first class through
and every way up to the specifications,
the total cost. will fall shortof the
original estimates by more than ST.
100000. Careful and intelligent COM
putations made in 1SS2-1S84 placed
the necessary total cost at $3.710,O00.
Thus far the acquisitions have amount
ed to but 81 ,67S 600, while = less, than
half million dollars more will pay
every bill on its account. In fact!the
jetty itself is completed, receiving
only some finishing touches, but tive
smaller supplementary jetties are
being added to perfect the action OF
the main structure.
The jetty is over four miles long,
fifteen feet wide at the top, apd built
up to high water mark. The lava
blocks that form the filling we're quar-
ried near Portland and transported in
barges and by rail to the point where
needed. Over 5000 piles were driven
in the space covered by the jetty, the
piles being forced down by a. huge
hydraulic pile-driver. This powerful
driver, with its 5000 pound hammer,
rests upon a tramway and is moved
forward as required, while the entire
framework revolving upon wheel,
whose radius is 81 feet, admits of
operating the machine through a cor
responding large circumference. The
huge hammer, however, was but sell
dom used in driving a pile, except to
give the final blow or two that "set'
/ the long timber in its bed of sand.
When sinking pile, the hammer was
allowed to rest on its head Two q
inch iron pipes on either side of the
sent streams of water, forced by a
duplex power pump, to open the sand
beneath, and the weight of the ham,
mer alone was sufficient to settle the
pile. The construction has been done
entirely under the charge Of United
States Engineers Powell and Thomas
LII: Hamburg, the latter having been
Fin charge since 1888. None of the
work was let out by contract; day
labor at eight hours for a days work,
under the direct supervision of THE
| government officers, has accomplished
the satisfactory results obtained. "A