The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-07

out about 200 feet to heaving anchorages.
The boom can swing around circle Of
l24 feet in diameter, and like the mast,
is built Of Phoenix columns. The loads
are hoisted by means Of steel wire rope,
1-2 inches in diameter. over mile
Of steel rope was used in rigging the der
rick, and its weight, exclusive of the rope,
Is about $4,000 pounds 1t is operated by
means of hoisting engine, and so well
are all parts designed that a pull Of
300 pounds at the end Of the boom will
revolve the whole appliance when the
boom is horizontal and loaded with 81 1-2
tons. The derrick has been tested with
load of 81 1-2 tons, although designed to
carry only 40 tons, and II the ropes were
heavy enough the remainder of the appa-
ratus has sufficient strength to carry
loads of 80 tons. 1t replaces a derrick
which had a mast and booms of very
large sticks of pine, but the largest which
could be procured were unable to raise
with safety the heavy loads that had to
be handled occasionally in the quarry.
The Masters and Pilots Association,
of this city, are contemplating the for
warding of a petition to Captain Faren-
holt, asking him for seven spar buoys to
be laid across the blind channel over the
river, and for two at the turn on the
middle channel where II crosses above
the sands opposite Hanthorn's cannery.
They will also ask for buoys sufficient to
lay down at the mouth of Deep River,
opposite Frankfort, so that steamers
trading in that vicinity can have a
crossing that they will be able to fetch |
all times. The buoys asked for in the
blind channel are very necessary and |
ha ~ fa
many small steamers now using that |
channel, for carrying fish and other lines |
OF trade. The expense to the government |
will be nil. If the department VIII fur |
nish the buoys and anchors the captains |
Of steamers and the Masters and Pilots |
Association will see that they are |
promptly placed in position, and will |
cheerfully give their own labor to the |
work. 1t is to be hoped that as soon as |
the Association makes the request Cap |
tain Farenholt will consider and act fa> |
vorably on 1t.
The llghterage board in Portland has |
acted favorably on the requisition of the |
Masters and Pilots Association of this |
city relative to range lights for the |
mouth Of the river, and has forwarded |
the recommendation to the department. |
ly interested in this matter and are |
bringing strong pressure to bear to have |
the request granted. These range lights |
are to be placed near the river mouth |
in such a manner that a vessel need |
not be debarred by nightfall from coming |
right into the river and up to her an |
chorage, and the present necessity of |
stopping outside all night with the prom
ability of being compelled TO stand away |
again, for perhaps 48 hours, will be alto |
gether done away with. To say that this |
reform should be effected Immediately |
is superfiuous. 1t is disgrace to the |
authorities that the matter has not been |
acted on years ago. Astoria should not |
only insist on the placing of these range |
lights, but should also demand the Ioca-
tion Of stake buoys bell buoys and whis-
ties in plenty at the entrance Of the river
so that neither fog nor darkness could |
prevent an easy passage into the harbor |
at all times. The shipping men and
Chamber of Commerce of this port should
make 1t their business to see that Asto-
ria shall no longer remain twenty years
behind the age in a matter of such mo.
nent as this.
1t was rumored yesterday that the out
put of Oregon coal was being limited,
in order that certain ends might be at
tained by people manipulating the coal
market in San Francisco. The following
circular received here from San Francisco
yesterday avoids any reference whatever
to Oregon coal and gives color to the re-
port: Since the departure of the steam
er Arawa, we have had but one arrival
from the Colonies, viz:-Drumcraig, 1882
tons AS the coal arrivals from Austria
liza since the beginning of the year -four
only foot up 54,640 tons, 1t can
be readily ascertained why our yards are
positively bare of this grade. This scar
.ity has served to make values firm for
cargoes en- route, particularly those near
ly due, as there are some untitled con-
tracts calling for Wallsend coal. This
scarcity will be only temporary, as there
are listed vessels en- route and to load
whose carrying capacity will amount to
a, 900 tons. Since our gas companies have
become such free consumers of crude oil,
combined with Swansea anthracite coal
as gas producers, the demand for Walls
end and Greta has materially diminish
ed; in fact, if the imports of Australian
ceased entirely, an abundance of Japan
ese and Nanaimo gas producing Goals
can be Immediately procured, with ad-
vantage to the companies For steam
purposes we have several grades of fuel
o substitute, but Australian will always
retain foothold here when 1t serves to
hold down the market price, as 1t is doing
now. British Columbia products would
always rate ten per cent higher if Aus
tralian were not competitor Cabled
freight quotations received this week
from Sydney and Newcastle show a de-
cline of fully one shilling per ton; this
predicates a declining market for the
at least.