The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-08-26
Can Wait For
Dredge Grant
Commerce Will Not Be Delayed
by Shoalins Of Anchorage In
Harbor

"bh" Improvement VI hhkoTih nhFDOr
between bnoys aud .. marking the
anchorage between Smith Point and
Flavel, IN greatly desired by shipping
men. the assurance Is conveyed by bar
pilots that the need In not crying one,
and that commerce will not be serious
ly interfered with pending operations
IN the channel between those bu0ys. The
matter was taken up by the Chamber
OF Commerce at The request Of the bar
pilots and the gigt OF the eorrespond-.
eDee that ensued with Major Langfitt
was published In the Astorlan yester-
day morning.
Captain George w. Wood said yester-
day, in discussing the matter with a
representative Of the Astorlan. that the
shoaling OF the channel there caused
slight delays. but that the interests OF
commerce would not be seriously af-
fected pending the arrival OF the dredge
Grant. which ls iitting up at San Fran
cisco for work at the mouth OF the Col
umbia river. Major LangAtt suggests
In his letter 10 the Chamber that the
Grant VIII be able 10 afford the neces-
rary relief when she comes north.
AT the present time the channel Ia
shallow al low water" said Captain
Wood yesterday, but we manage 10
get along very nicely by waiting until
half tide. The big China steamers suck
bottom between buoys and and at
times II 10 extremely difficult TO steer
them. However. we can get along un-
Ill such time al the Grant arrives
here
The assurance conveyed In Maj. Lang
fitts letter thar the Grant win remedy
the defect is satisfactory TO shipping
men, who feel that work at this point
In essential. although not as pressing
as dredging operations In the waterway
leading 10 the interior OF Portland.
Captain Wood is enthusiastic over the
bar-dredging operations recently under
taken by the government engineers.
He believes that the Grant will accom-
pliHh much good, and said yesterday
he was satisfied she would provide 30
feet depth In 10 days work. Captain
Wood holdsto the opinion that extension
OF the present jetty Will not alone ac-
comIllsh the result sought 20 be at
tained, There 10 not harbor In the
world. he says. where single tetty has
netted the desired depth, and he thinks
II unreasonable to suppose hat single
lefty could be relied upon TO harness
the volume OF water that flows out OF
the mighty Columbia.
My idea is that a jetty should be
built out from the Washington shore"
said the captain. In improvements
Of this kind II Is necessary 10 straighten
out the channel, and a single jetty,
built as the present one has been con-
s'rueted. cannot accomplish this end.
A spur jetty out from the Eorth shore
viii contract the channel, and the cur
rent can be relied upon to cut out the
desired depth.
II am satisfied the Grant will scour
out the depth we need to conveniently
handle the shipping OF this port. II Is
not too much 10 say that in 10 days
time she viii provide depth Of 30 feet
merely taking up the bottom at the ebb
tide. The sand thus loosened will be
carried outside the bar by the outgoing |
tide. and once more the cross currents,
VIII scatter It. The southwest swell
will wash It up behind the jetty extend
ing out from the Oregon shore, and per |
manent results will be attained.
Il am convinced that the construction |
" single jetty will result In failure
here. rs II has elsewhere, and that the |
engineers must build out their spur |
from the Washington shore, as Is con-
templated. II they would get the depth |
required"
Work on the Grant Is going steadily
forward. but II is impossible to state as
yet just when she viii be ready for the
big undertaking at the mouth OF the
Columbia.