January, 1882.
THE WEST SHORE.
17
INCREASE OF DEPTH TO SOUTHWARD.
4th. At two miles to seaward from
point Adnms, west, is found fac ami
one-half fathoms.
At two miles to seaward from Grimes'
house, west, is found eleven fathoms.
At two miles to seaward from Tilla
mook Head, west, is found thirty fath.
oms.
At five miles to seaward from mid
way hetween Tillamook and False Til
lamook Head, west, twenty fathoms.
At two miles to seaward from False
Tillamook Head, west, is found thirty
two fathoms.
We notice that the average ratio of
increase of depth to the mile off shore
on southern sheet is found to be five fath
oms or thirty feet.
The average ratio of increase of the
depth to the mile oflf shore on the north
ern sheet is found to be three and five
c'ghths fathoms, or about twenty-two
feet.
The silt, borne out by the river cur
rent, has been deposited as an average
on the ocean floor northwest, eight feet
deeper than on the ocean floor south
ward of the channels.
Commander Coffin adds:
5th. "Outside of four or six miles are
coast currents parallel to the shore line,
to the southward in summer, and north
ward in winter, whose velocities are
very dependent on local winds, which,
when strong, often reverse the current.
"Inside of five to six milcs,thc currents
seem to be governed by the outflow and
inflow of the Colsmbia (south of Cape
Disappointment)."
6ih. "The distance outside the bar at
which discolored water may be seen,
varies with circumstances. Good signs
to the navigator are the strong tide rips
met with off the bar, and to the north
ward and southward of it sometimes
as far as ten or fifteen miles, but rarely
more than five or six miles to seaward
of the bar."
These official tables are not only val
liable to navigators, but also to all per
sons, who wish to estimate the currents
and deposit of sands at the mouth of the
Columbia.
Standing on the steamer deck in No
vemler, 1SS0, in line with Tillamook
Head and Cape Disappointment, while
crowing the bar, it teemed plain that
the Columbia had pushed and held both
its channels out to the very front of the
shore line, and then poured its vast flood
of waters with their floating silt, upon
the broader ocean currents to be borne
ay. The tsW" quoted show this to
e the fact. Every year adds a large
ncremcnt to these currents of discolored
water, whose contents must be sifted
through the sea waters upon their ocean
lcad.
The sea and river flow, which meet
and form the bar of the band and silt
will never be less, but they must be
more, as the soils of the valleys and
hills are stirred by the plough, and
miner's shovels, an J the plash of steamer
paddles, breaking down river banks.
Doubtless the Columbia will continue
to plough its channel out plumb to the
coast line.
1'ROHI.KM.
Can the Columbia cut away the shelf
or south point of the middle sands and
ts silt seaward far enough to be borne
off by the ocean current. Alike pro
cess has been going on, resulting in re
pcatcd bars, sand spits and islands, un
til a deep channel has, as we have seen,
been made to the sea line. The more
sluggish Yukon of Alaska, spreads its
mouths through a delta of seventy
miles in width, and allows its best chan
nd to wind through this broad alluvi
urn, hardly more than six to ten feet
lecp.
The Columbia's more rapid flow car
rics its channel thirty feet deep out to
the sub-marine spits and banks which
form the bar.
The problem of cutting a deep chan
nel through the middle sands south of
the breakers, cannot be solved by divid
ing its force into two or or three chan
nels. Its natural trend has prciacd Sand
sland and the middle sandsto the north
ward. Its re-curve or awing, trends
across the south spit or shelf of the
middle sands, at new southern or cen
tral channel.dccp enough for our largest
merchant ships.
PERMANENCE.
Such a channel will no doubt contin
ue, if its southern bank or wall is held
firm. The process of piling and rip
rapping on Clatsop spit, at suggested
by Col. Gillespie, seems to le the true
and wise method to secure the southern
wall of the Columbia ship channel. The
northern wall will he held firm by the
rocky base of Cape Disappointment.
DIVISION OF THE WORK.
It it plain from the experience of
years, that the United State govern
ment will not push three or four im
provements vigorously, vii., the lockt
at the C""S''mj r"mAvlj rvVs In
Snake river channel ; dredging channels
in the lower Willamette and Columbia,
and dredging the bar at the mouth and
piling Clatsop spit.
Appropriations are toon spent and
all the work stops often when mot
needed and most easily done.
Portland proposes to share the ex
pense in part. Why not share the
work? Why not enlist boats and men
of the (). It. & N. Co., and buy dredgers
and scraper that can be got, and push
the dredging and scraping of river hart
as an individual or company can and
will push its own enterprises until they
are done?
Why not ask Congress to grant a
large appropriation and use it to im
prove the mouth or the Columbia, at
advised by. U. S. engineer!? Why di
vide petitions and be conquered, instead
of uniting them to win success?
The delays of the ocean fleet in 1881,
will be repeated in 1881-3, com"
mercial city fails to apply its money and
business force, first,-to clear out the
river bars itself, and second, to ask
Congress to appropriate a large turn
and spend it to help the ingress and
egress of ships at the mouth of the Co
lumbia. The proposed purchase of two pow
erful tugs assures more safety and ajieed
to merchant ships, but steamers want
the bar denied, and the central channel
deepened and protected on itt left bank.
Lvery thousand dollars spent there
will assure large addition to our direct
foreign commerce.
ITS RKt.ATIVK VALUE.
Capt. Maginn, when president of the
New York board of pilots, was instruc
ted to report his opinion as to the mer
its of the entrance to the Columbia
river compared with the entrance to
New York. He says 1 "The bar in
the Columbia is about half a mile across,
while that of New ork is three quar
ters of a mile. The channel of the bar
at the mouth of the Columbia It about
6,000 fett, and thoalt gradually, while
the channel of the bar at Sandy J look
is about 600 feet and thoalt rapldlv.
The channel across the bar it straight
at the Columbia; that at New York U
crooked. In accessibility to the sea,
the Columbia river it the hot, as it it
immediately at tea, and ship can get
out of the tea into the harbor at once,
and also get out ut once into the high
tea.
"The winda at the mouth of the Co
lumbia, are marked, rrgnlar and sternly,
while the winda at New Yofk are en
lirely variable, and cannot be calculated
upon by the marine, for any time.
I The mouth of the Columbia it free
1 Irom ice and great heat."