The west shore., July 01, 1883, Page 148, Image 2

148
July, 1883.
THE WEST SHORE.
that hai already reached large proportion and is
increasing at a rapid rate. Such ii a brief his.
tory of the Columbia and the beginning of its
commercial importance.
Artistically the entrance to the Columbia
offers many attractions. From whatever point
of view that may be selected, looking either out
or in, a picture is presented most captivating to
the artist's eye. lrorn the hills back of Astoria,
from the bluffs of Knappton on the north bank,
from Fort Stevens or I'oint Adams, from Ilwaco
on liaker's bay, from Cape Disappointment, and
finally from the ocean itself, the bar and its sur
roundings present a scene most pleasing to the
lover of the beautiful. The last point of view
is the one selected by Capt. Cleveland Rockwell
for his elegant painting, of which we present an
engraving, a painting highly valuublc for its sub
ject, its faithfulness to nature and its excellent
coloring. Il represents a large ship going to sea,
being towed over the bar by one of those little
steam tugs, without whose aid no sailing vessel
ever attempts to cross. To the right is Poinl
Adams and to the left Cape Disappointment,
while in the back ground the wooded hills that
lorm the river's banks come together in the dis
tance and apparantly form a complete shore line
It wai this deceptive appearance of the hills thai
led the early explorers to doubt the existence of a
river, believing it to be simply an inlet guarded
by a dangerous line of breakers. To Captain
Rockwell we owe much for his faithful represent
ations of the grand scenery of the Columbia and
other places on the coast, and for no pictuie more
than for this magnificent painting of the Co
lumbia river bar.
TILLAMOOK ROCK LIGHT.
The difficulties overcome and the expense and
lalmr of establishing and maintaining the various
stations of the light house system ol the United
Slates, are appreciated by few, even of those
actively engaged in the work. We give an en
graving of Tillamook Rock Light, as seen from
the east, a light (hat in the difficulties ami dan
gers encountered and the expense incurred in its
construction is probably equal to any in (he whole
system. The following facts nre gleaned from
the rcwrl of Maj. G. L. Gillespie, light house
engineer of the 13th district. Three appropria
tions were made by congress, abrogating $125,
000, for the establishment of a light to serve as a
warning to vessels off Tillamook head and to aid
them in locating the mnuth of the Columbia. It
was at first proposed to erect the house on the
head itself, but owing to its inaccessibility from
the tea, the fact that to reach it by land would
require the building of a road twenty' miles
through a bioken and unknown region, and the
additional fact that the altitude was too great for
an effective light, Major Gillespie recommended
a change cf the location to Tillamook rock, hav
ing approached near enough to the rock in June,
1879, to insict it and satisfy himself that it was
a practicable location.
Tillamook rock Is a bold, basaltic mass rising
abiuplly from (he sea, one mile off Tillamook
head, and twenty south of the entrance to the
Columbia. The water on the west, north and
east it from 15 to 40 faihoms deep, while on Ue
south it shoals to 16 or 18 fathoms. As it rite
from tht lea tht (act of the rock is precipitous on
the west side for about 15 feet, and then slopes
gently back, forming a narrow, irregular bench
extending along the north, west and part of the
south sides. Springing from this bench and in
clining towards the sea, it rises on the west to a
total height of 120 feet, with a rounded knob on
top. The north side is nearly vertical. On the
east it is very steep from the crest for 30 feet
downwards, and then slopes off gradually to the
sea. On the south side a deep fissure divides the
rock into two unequal parts, as is plainly shown
in the engraving. The fissure runs into the rock
from the west, terminating against a rocky wall
that rises abruptly before it to the height of 30
feet, the top of which is the bottom of the gap as
seen in the picture. Even in a calm sea the
swell heats the water into foam about the rock,
while in times of storm the billows dash madly
against it and leap far up its sides. The water
rushes into the fissure with great violence, throw
ing spray to the very top of the rock, often leap
ing over the intervening wall and sweeping down
the opposite side. It is a grand sight to witness
this mighty power shattering itself in passionate
desperation against the immovable mass that stops
its onward course. Looking eastward from the
rock the shore line is marked by three distinct
headlands, whose fir-covered tops rise 1,500 feet
above the sea, and at whose bases are visible vast
heaps of rocks, some in ledges laid bare by the
action of the sea, some in immense broken pieces
brought down by land slides from the mountain
sides, and others standing in detached masses like
the great rock itself. It is an unhospitable coast,
and can nowhere be approached with safety in a
small boat within twenty miles, save during calm
weather in the summer time at Clatsop beach.
When first visited by the workmen, the rock
swarmed with sea lions, which were indisposed to
abandon it to the intruders j but eventually they
retired to other rocky retreats further to the
south.
The first atteirpt to land upon the rock was
made June 22, 1879, under the management of
II. S. Wheeler. The revenue cutter Corwin
steamed to within a short distance of it and
launched a surf boat, which was boldly run close
to the east side, notwithstanding the fact that the
waves were dashing in foam against it. After
considerable trouble two men succeeded in
scrambling upon the rock, but before the boat
could return to them with a line, the waves rose
higher and threatened to cut them off entirely
from their companions, and they therefore jumped
into the sea and were with much difficulty rescued
from diowning. Another attempt was made
three days later, when Mr. Wheeler succeeded in
landing in person and with a tape line measured
the most important dimensions. On the eieh
teenth of the following September Tohn R.
Trewavas and a sailor named Cherry succeeded
in gaining foothold upon the rock, intending to
mane a complete survey, but Mr. Trewavas
lipped from the wet slope into the sea. and
though Cherry jumped in after him and the surf
boat went immediately to his rescue, he v
drawn down by the undertow and was never seen
again. Un the tweniy-first of October the Cor
win left Astoria with men, equipments and sun.
plies sufficient to last several months, and made
last 10 a spar buoy that had been put down a few
days before within 300 feet of the rock. Two
men succeeded in landing from th surl boat, and
were taken the end of a cable that had previously
been fastened to the rhast of the vessel.' This
they wound around a projecting ledge eighty-five
teet aDove tne water and drew it taut. On this
cable was put a large single block, called the
"traveler,' with a long hook suspended from ii
and this was drawn forward and backward be-
tween the vessel and the rock by an endless rope
running through blocks at either end. All the
materials and supplies weie transferred to the
rock by being suspended from the hook attached
to the traveler and then drawn along by the rope.
Three additional men were landed in this way,
riding in a novel conveyance called the " breetchei
buoy." It consisted of an ordinary circular life
preserver, slung from the traveler, to which was
securely lashed a pair of breetches cut short at
the knees, the latter to support the man in the
proper position while in the air, and the former
to preserve his life if he should chance to fall into
the water. It was impossible to keep the cable
taut, as the vessel was in constant motion under
the action of the heavy swells of the sea, and it
was not unusual for the passenger to be dipped
under the waves several times during his short
journey. In all, nine men were landed and
began work under the superintendence of A.
Ballantyne. For the first fifteen days after land
ing, their efforts were directed towards providing
shelter for themselves and their supplies. The
rock had no deep recesses in which they could
take refuge, and shelter from the driving rains
could only be had by making small A tents and
lashing them down to bolts let into the solid
rock. After blasting out a place for the main
derrick, they commenced the work of leveling off
the top of the rock, and this was by no means an
easy undertaking. The crest was too irregular
and narrow for parties to work well in concert,
and the wind swept round it with such terrific
force that it was impossible to remain theie during
a gale. Working parties were supported upon
staging, suspended from bolt attachments let into
the solid rock, until they had blasted out a secure
foothold for themselves. In the face of dangers
and hardships the men wrked diligently through
out the winter, and prepared the rock for the
reception of the derrick and so progressed with
the main work that a larger force could be utilized.
Early in January the coast was visited by
terrific storm, which caused the waves, after re
bounding from the face of the rock and filling
the chasm on the south side, to be thrown by the
wind entirely over the rock a every point con
tinuously for many days, carrying away, in their
impetuous descent down the opposite slope, the
supply house on the lowet level and endangenng
even the quarters of the men above. The storm
reached its height during the night of the ninth,
when the men were in their bunks. In a piic
they were about to rush towards an apparently
secure level higher up, but were restrained by Mr.
Ballantyne, who well knew that in the intense
darkness they could never cross over the slipptT
rocks, and would be swept off by the wind into
the maddened sea below. Fortunately sufficient
provisions had been stored in the quarters to last
during the two weeks that elapsed before it wis
possible to reach the rock with fresh suppli
The force was then increased, and by the first of
May the top was leveled ready for the buildings,
4.630 cubic yards of solid rock having been re
moved. An effort to fill the chasm on the to