Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-05-31
HARBOR FIRST GLASS;
united STATES OFFICIALS find
PLENTY OF WATER.
Show 3O-fOOt Channel,
which Is Equal to Delaware River
at Philadelphia. Engineer Clapp
Advocates Extending North Jctty
5000 Feet Further into Sea.

The government tug Wilson came
into the river Friday with Lieutenant
J. II. Earle of the United States engi-
neering corps, and j. NJ. Clapp, first
| assistant United States engineer for
this district, on board. Mr. Clapp
said:
Lieutenant Earle and myself have
| been at work since May II taking
soundings on Grays HarbOr, ami we
/ have found conditions excellent with
water deep enough to admit steam
ers of almost any draft.
"The channel is more than two
miles wide and at no point in it IS
| the water less than Is deep deep,
while in the towing channel. through
which all shipping passes, we found
the water 19 feet deep at mean low
water.
! "The average tides are S1a feet,
while the extreme range of high wa
ter is - feet, thus giving the bar at
all times depth of from 25 to 10
feet of water in the towing channel,
and never less than % feet in the
whole channel for distance or more
than two miles.
1--WE are informed that the channel
has maintained it's depth in the har-
Dor and there is now 26 foot chan
mel from Aberdeen and Hoquiam to
the sea. This enables the biggest YES
sells of the coast to enter and leave
the harbor in safety.
Before leaving for Seattle Satur-
day, Engineer Clapp, who has been
familiar with Grays Harbor for
eighteen years, said:
! "By the expenditure of an addi-
tional 100000 on the jetties at the
mouth Of the Chehalis river, Grays
Harbor can be converted into a har-
Dor that will rank with any on the
Coast with the possible exception OF
Puget Sound, which, after all, is
natural wonder.
Gas originally planned the north
head ietty was to be built distance
of $4,000 feet seaward from the
ocean high water line. That was
the recommendation Of the board OF
engineers for rivers and harbors, but
the board thought that while the
commerce of the harbOr justified I'M
proyement, it would be better to
await the results of the dredging eX-
neriments. then being conducted on
the Columbia, before any fixed plan
should be determined on. In 1906
the entrance channel shoaled, and
the public spirited citizens OF Grays
Harbor acquainted their representa-
tives in congress of the facts ana
asked assistance. Under telegraphlc
instructions the war department
then called upon Colonel Chitten-
den. who was at that time in charge
of this engineering district, to sub
nit a plan for relief. After an ex-
animation of harbor conditions, and
consultation with Harbor citizens,
he recommended a mid-tide jetty to
be projected from the north head
land a distance of 5000 feet into
the sea. 1t was estimated that this
work would cost 100000; and 1t is
that work that will be completed
during the current season. From
present indications the money Will
| go farther and do more work tnan
Colonel Chittenden thought. Its ex-
penditure has certainly granted re-
lief from the conditions prevailing
here three years ago.
"It is now time for Harbor ship
pers seriously to consider the COM
pletion Of the north jetty in accord
lance with the original plan recon-
mended by the board of engineers. 1t
should be built seaward an addition
al 5000 feet and raised to high tide
height. Facts in relation TO the
harbor and the need of further i'm
provements should be boiled down
now and be prepared ready for sub
mission to the Washington delega-
ton in congress before the Decem-
ber session convenes, so that the en-
gineers shall be asked to compile
Ian estimate of the cost of the extern
sion and the raising Of the jetty.
The improvement should be incor.
norated in the next rivers and har-
bors bill. 1t can be if work to that
end Is begun at once.
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