The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-09-23
Bulkhead Also Gave Away and
Hundreds Of the Great
Logs Broke Loose.
HEAVY WEATHER THE CAUSE
Fog 0bseBrsd the Mouth ofthe River
Making It Difficult to Handle
the Immense Boom.
-

The last OF the great log rats 10 leave
the Columbia river has met with disaeters
and by this time Is probably at the mercy
OF the wind and waves. This fate was
predicted for the monster boom when Il
was taken to sea last Saturday, and the
prediction was well-founded.
Captain Doig came in on the Lydgate
yesterday and tells the story OF the break
ing up Of the raft. It was taken outside
the Heads by the tug Relief, against the
advice OF Captain Howes. and there
turned over to the collier Progresso and
another steamer. The weather was heavy
at the time, the mouth Of the river being
obseured with fog. and the breakers rolled
mountains high. Despite this. the raft was
taken to sea. although several local
waterfront men insisted that such action
would be disastrous.
When the Relief turned the raft over 70
the steamers she was well in the channel.
but the steamers soon began drifting to-
ward the jetty. The tugs swung together
and the raft set In toward ClatsOp spit.
at the northeast end Of the jetty. The
weather was heavy and the great boom
repeatedly struck. two Of the after chains
parting Then the bulkhead gave way and
the raft began breaking up. hundreds OF
piles broke from the raft, and soon the
sea was strewn with logs.
Meantime the tugs were almost together.
the heavy weather making Il impossible
for them to keep apart. The current and
wind set them in toward the jetty. where
the water shoals rapidly. and great waves
broke over them. The steamers made
every effort to keep the raft of the jetty.
but were unsuccessful for an hour During
/, this time the raft was pounding with
every wave. and the plling broke loose in
great quantities. Finally the tugs man
aged to swing apart. and the raft was
slowly towed away from the spit.
The men on the lightship saw the pre-
dicament Of the raft. They say the after
end was carried away and that the logs
were breaking from the boom by the hun
dred. Much OF the piling later drifted
past the lightship. Whether or not the
tugs struck and were damaged Is not
stated. However that may be. they COZ
tinued on the way south, towing the fast
breaking raft.
This news was not at all surprising TO
many OF the pilots. who were positive the
raft could not successfully be taken to sea
Saturday. Not only was the mouth OF the
river obscured with fog, but the weather
was very heavy. Under such conditions
liz is difficult to navigate steamers. and
almost impossible TO handle great Log
RATS. The tugs probably lost their exact
bearings in the fog, and got in too close
10 the jetty. toward which the current
sets swiftly, The wonder is that the tugs
did not go ashore on the spit and break
TO pieces.
This disastrous start has probably
sealed the fate Of the boom. The parting
OF the two chains which hold the raft To-
gether makes It very improbable that Il
will withstand the seas which have swept
along the coast for the past few days
The weather for the past 20 hours has
been very severe, the wind having We
loclty Of about As miles an hour at times.
! and 1t is thought the raft could not live in
such gale. The tugs will hold on to the
raft as long as there is any portion OF II
still intact, but shipping men here are OF
the opinion that 1t will never reach san
Francisco.