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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1917)
8 I- - THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLANDS SUNDAY MORNINCS," MARCH 4, 1917. MMINATION OF W&ELl OEUMBIA'SMOUTH lOON TO FORT OF PORTLAND ' 1 I ENTRANCE TO I : 7cUw COLUMBIA RIVER "' ' . i j . , Di6'rNEafS SWiTy ,633 1 M' Low Watcr DcfTht 2qFcct G REATERCHANNEL DEPTH ASSURED By G. B. Hegardt. Portland Commission of Public Socks. AT'THIS time, when the people of Portland are earnestly dlscusBing Industrial and shipping prol)lems, nd more particularly the reasons for the apparent standstill and the decline into which the porl'B deep sea shipping 'has fallen, and are consldeiingjKhat means should be taken to rehabilitate and Increase its water-borne commerce, nd thereby Rain for Abe city the ben- eflts which all active ports derive from the full use of their fsw-iUties, it is im portant to know Just wKat has ben -done to remolclhe principal- obstacles which for so niany years retarded the development of the port; what has been accomplished in this matter to the present time, and what assurance there is that the work done is of a permanent nature. The principal and most serious' fac ; tor which has been the great handicap to the progress and growth of the port wss the Insufficient entrance channel depth at the mouth of the Columbia rlver the Columbia river bar. To this . more than to any other oause may be laid the reasons for the difficulty In attracting to the port vessels of the regular lines, because-.: of the delays to which such shipping was being sub jected before the Improvement of the Columbia river entrance had produced the satisfactory channel conditions which have existed since 1915. , To cover this subject as fully as possible, with the view of showing the changes which have been brought about, by the removal of the Columbia river bar and the reaspns why the work : accomplished should be of a permanent . .nature, a brief reference must neces sarily be 'made to the conditions which existed before and during the construc - Hon of the important government im provements at the entrance and at the -practical -completion of the same, sup- - pletnented by charts showing the en p trance conditions vhen jetty construc- ; tlon ws first undertaken, and at the present time. From the earliest known records- to - the time the jetty work was well under : way, the best entrance depth did not - only when one .well defined channel condition existed. It Is further known that such oTle channel conditions were of short duration, and that the readily shifting sands at the entrance soon di vided the currents into two or more channels, with resultant and marked shoaling, which in 1876 had reduced the depths to only 20 feet, the worst channel conditions of record. In 1883 a project was adopted by congress for the improvement of the mouth of the river, and construction - of the south jetty began early in 1885, snd the survey chart of that year, here with, shows the entrance conditions existing at that time, which also, in gener.!, apply to the-period of 1876 , to 1888, when the low water depth was only about SOeet. The- original Jetty,- four and one fourth miles in length, was fully corn 's pleted in 4 895, at which time a wide 1 and straight channel with low water ' dpth of 31 feet had been procured, one foot more than the project depth, But wlng to the fact that the jettv , aa constructed, did not extend a suf ficient distance seaward either to con trol the enormous sand movement or the ebbing currents to the extent of confining the channel in ja fixed posi tion, the bar channel,; after 1896, began to deteriorate, the! depth gradu ally decreasing until thie year 1902? when it was only 21 feet iat low water. After 17 years, the bar Conditions, so far as depth was concerned, were then nearly identical with thqse which ex isted in 1885, when jetty! construction first began. With the steadily increasing size of vessels and the greatly increased ship- pins of the port, the necessity for re lief from these unfavorable bar condi tions was more imperative than in 1883. A revised project for the perma nent improvement of the? entrance was adopted in 1903 and provided for a channel having, a width of one-half mile and depth of 40 feetjat low water. and this was to be accomplished. by the extension of the south jetty two and one-half miles and the building of the north jetty, approximately two and one-half miles in length; the distance between their outer ends to be about two and one-half miles, j If necessary to accomplish the desired result, the Jetty construction was to be supple mented by dredging. Work under the revised project has Deen energetically prosecuted and has resulted In the completion of the south Jetty and about 96 per cet of the north Jetty, To assist the Jetty construction in deepening the entrance jto the river, dredging was resorted to at various times. The first attempt was in 1904, when the dredge "Chinook" was oper ated for a short season, i Kvery condi tion connected with the! dredging op erations at that time was unfavorable. With a low water channel depth of 21 reet ana light draft of dredge of. 19 : ' Above, left to right- -Entrance to the Columbia river from the United States engineers' surveys of 1916, 1913 and 1885 respectively. The soundings are in feet and show the depth of mean, lower, low water. In 1916 the main channel showed 40feet. Below, left to right Barges carrying rock to Jetty; jetty under construction. concentration of the river into one channel and discharge it as a unit to the sea were, the principal governing factors upon whose accomplishment de pended the permanency of the improve ment, the natural forces at the en trance being sufficiently powerful, with properly, located permanent struc tures, to maintain, in a fixed position, a channel of great depth and width. From experience gained at the mouth of the Columbia river it Is apparent that, even with the ebbing: currents under practical control and trained to exert the most effective results due to concentration and increased velocity produced by the jetty construction, the principal deterrent factor in obtain ing, within a relatively short period feet, dredging on the ba was possible I of years, the contemplated channel only at high tide and a smooth bar. With such limited time for work, and the bar channel in a shifting position. areaging was an absolute failure. wo attempt was made to resume dredging until late in 1910, after the "Chinook" had been remodeled to ma terially reduce its draft and Increase Its working capacity, anjl dredging op erations were continued durine favor able weather conditions' in 1911 and 1912, but the results obtained durine these years did not mdicate increased depth or other improvement of the channel. This failure to nroduca in- depth, was the large quantities of sand, which were brought from the south into the channel and there de posited, greatly increasing tbe work which had to be performed by the out flowing waters. It is, therefore, read ily seen that until the Improvement had txee-n brought to the stage where the sand, movement from the south was controlled, or practically eliminat ed? the effective deepening of the chan nel was greatly retarded and the ex pected results long delayed. , On the three charts of the Columbia river" entrance presented herewith are PAIN? NOT A BIT ! , LIFT YOUR CORNS OR CALLUSES OFF creasea cnannei aeptn was entlrelv du i... v, .,.. AHinl .4,V, ... , . , , " I BUUf lk. 0V J liUCOi W VJ w B " ? unaiaoie position or the en- configuration of the outer slope of the h -iII. el tUliiJn16 SUPPly f bar " existed in 1885, at the com- fntJ 7Z wfrnl j being carried mencement of jetty construction, and into the channel from the south. w .h,,,- iin th rvroirrslve re- 9 9 I J - -vw r o t These adverse conditions. However. I cession or wearing' away of the outer have rapidly changed for the better, slope of Clatsop spit south of and n All surveys of the entrance since 1912 the Immediate vicinity of tle south show the channel fixed in position and Jetty, and the pronounced accumula- the sand movement from the south tion of sand in the northwest quaa controlled to such an I extent as to rant of the bar area, by the forces pre- greatly minimize its effect on channel viously referred to conditions. j I To begin with this erosion was very To these favorable circumstances is I marked, but since 1902 it has greatly due the important increase in channel I diminished until at the present time it deepening which has resulted from the has practically ceased. Computations dredging operations in j the last two made show that the sand eroded from years. the area enclosed by the 1885 and 1916 It was during the year 1915. how-1 curves of the outer slope of the bar. ever, that the most important gains insouth of the south Jetty, amounted to the history of the improvement -were I approximately 150,000,000 cubic yards. made. The north Jetty construction I Since 1914, there has been no appre- was then well advanced and th d reris-A I ciable change, thus practically elim was opera tea on a course which devel- mating me supply or sana wnicn pre opments during the last! few years had vous to that time had' such deterrent confirmed as the fixed and permanent Influence on the entrance channel and position of the entrance channel Rv i accounts for tne penenciai results od i the combined effect of the jetty con struction ana ty dredging, rapid prog ress was now made in channel deepen ing, ana at the close or the dredrtns operations in 1915 the result showed a channel having a depth of 36 feet and width of 1000 feet at low water. I rnis channel practically: maintained it- seir as to depth during the winter months and due to the scouring effect This new drug is an ether compound of tne ebbing waters controlled by the discovered Dy a Cincinnati chemist. It permanent construction work the No humbug! Apply few drops then just lift thjm away with fingers. tained from the dredging operations during the last two or three years. In the forming of the channel inside of the bar proper, equally as great quantities of sand were shifted and transported across the entrance, as that eroded from the locality just men. tioned, to be deposited in deeper water, or carried northward past the entrance by the littoral currents and other forces working in conjunction with them. From this outline of the history of the entrance, and a detailed and care 1 is called freezone, and can width of it was, during ;the same time. now be obtained in tinv 1 increased to 1500 feet, i bottles as here shown at At the close of the dredging season f ul study of the channel, sand move very nine cost from any uctooer, iie. the entrance channel ment, currents and other conditions at arug store, just ask lor "aa Deen aeepened to j practically 40 the mouth of the Columbia river, the ireezone. Apply a. drop or Met ror a width of about 800 feet at following facts may be stated and con v uKuu.wnaw 'uw r, um a survey maae late in elusions drawn regarding the perma w..ur wnua aim instant- i iwcemoer, tie, snowed the same nency of this improvement: jy u,0 sureuess oiB&ppean. aeptn ror a width over 1000 feet. Judg- 1. That the main channel to within esnomy you win rind the ing ;by the results obtained from the a short distance of the bar "has read corn or callus so loose that 1915 and 1916 dredging operatione. it ily adjusted itself to new conditions ,IL ... V,' rwM" epeciea mat tne project depth of created by construction of permaennt and all. with the fingers, j 40 feet for a width of approximately work . i pam: 1 one-half mile will hav been obtained 2. That when such permanent works ov" v "u"i; "Ul I at tne ClOSe or thA lOIT il.iH.. nurix. mmnUflnn r- kin hn completed, this channel has remained pushed seaward .nearly 7000 feet, until the distance separating the 40-foot curves on each Side of the bar, exclud ing the dredged, cut through it, is now only 2000 feet on the channel line. 6. That since 1913 the 50-foot in side low water depth has been pushed seaward over 9000 feet to a point about one-half mile beyond the end of the south Jetty, bringing it within a dis tance of one and one-fourth mile of the same depth across the bar, which i distance in 1885 and 1895 was three and one-half miles and in 1902 and 1913 three miles. 6. That the erosion of the sub merged portion of Clatsop Spit has es tablished there a beach line having' the same slope and other characteris tics as the beach a considerable dist ance south of the jetty, forming a con- inuous and uniformly sloping beach not readily affected - by the forces which caused the removal of some 150,- 000,000 cubic yards of material from that vicinity between 1885 and 1916. 7. That the prevailing northerly drift of the littoral currents has been of sufficient force to practically pre vent the seaward extension of the bar on its southwest face during the last 76 years, regardless of the Immense amount of sand moved out of the' en trance or carried northerly from the submerged south spit. 8. That the combined action of flood. wave action and littoral currents will aow, since stable conditions have been established, more strongly exert their influence on the bar area protruding beyond the end of the south jetty, the first yielding obstruction met, causing a gradual recession of the bar and cor respondingly and permanently decrease the distance between the deep water inside and seaward of the bar. 9. a UH.I, in view oi me liutwi iniii results in channel deepening obtained in 1915 and 1916. the rapid approach of the 40-foot and 50-foot inside low water areas toward the bar, and the very rapid deepening of the bar area on each side of the dredged channel. It is reasonably safe to predict that not only will the project depth and width be of a permanent nature, but also that a permanent channel depth in ex cess or 40 reet can 5e obtained li dredging is annually continued for some years, to supplement the con stantly increasing effectiveness of the completed Jetty work. Portland, therefore, need no longer have any fear of adverse channel con ditions at the mouth of the Columbia river. The elimination of the bar has removed the principal and last obstacle to the free and unobstructed movement of the port's shipping. Certainly no more convincing argu ments can be presented to bear out the statements herewith made as to the gain in channel depth and perma nency of the improvement than a com- parison of the 1913 and 1916 charts of the entrance. HIGH SPOTS IN COLUMBIA CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT FIRST government project authorised In 1883, .when low water was about 20 feet. Original Jetty, four and one half miles in length, completed, 'n 1895 and low water depth of 31 feet procured. As the jetty did not extend a sufficient distance seaward to control the sand movement and etoMng currents, the bar channel began to deteriorate and the depth gradually decreased until 1902 until it was only 21 feet at low .awter. After 17 years tli bar conditions, so far as depth was concerned, were nearly Identical with those existing In 1885, when Jetty construction first began. ' Revised project was adopted in 1903 and wotV has resulted In com pletion of south Jetty and about 95 per cent of north Jetty. Dredging operations supplement Jetby worit. Most marked gains in Improvement work made in 1915 When low water depth reached 36 feet and channel's width 1000 feet. At close of dredging season in October. 1916, entrance channel had been deepened to practically 40 feet, with width of 800 feet. Permanent channel depth in excess of 40 feet Is assured, with con tinuance of dredging operations. The last Obstacle to the free and unobstructed .movement to Port land's shipping has been removed. OCEAN DEPTHS THERE may be depths In the ocean , greater than any yet sounded be ra uM It Im nnlv In selected nlacea and along certain lines that system atic deep sea 'soundings have been made. On the other hand, the sound ings have , revealed so much of the general configuration of the sea bot toms that it does not appear probable that any considerable depressions ex ist in any of the navtgablo oceans that are not already known. It is not likely that greater depths exist in any of the oceans than the "Nero Deep," near the Island of Guam, in the Pacific ocean, where the plummet sinks 5268 fathoms, "or 31,600 feet (only 80 feet less than six miles). It is not uninteresting to note that just as the largest continent. Asia. has the highest mountain elevation, so the largest ocean, the Pacific, has the deepest depression. Mount Ever est, thrown into the "Nero Deep," would tvave its summit covered by nearly 2500 feet of water. The mean estimated depths of the three great oceans are: Pacific, 13,440 feet; In dian, 12,888 feet; Atlantic, 12,660 feet. The profoundest hole in the Atlantic is the Brown son Deep, in the "Porto Rico Trench," where the bottom sinks to a depth of 27.366 feet. Mount Ev erest dropped Into that cavity would lift Its head nearly 1800 feet above sea leveL It is. a singular fact that Just as the loftiest peaks are found In moun tain ranges, and not Isolated, so the deepest depressions of the ocean exist in long trenches, which are cut like furrows in the sea bottom. The greatest known trench of this kind runs through the western part of the Japan to the Nero Deep, already de scribed, a distance of at least 2400 miles. m However, this is not all one un broken trench, but rather a series of furrows more or less closely connected, and bearing different names. Two of the holes along this line are, re spectively, 24,480 and 27,930 feet deep. South of the equator. In the Pacific, are the Tonga and the Kermandec trenches, with measured depths of 30,136 and 30,930 feet. The least of these is 1000 feet deeper than Mount Everest. compressed air from the air tank. The boat is now under way. Glanc ing down through the slanting observa tion tube that extends through the top and bottom of the boat, its ends being covered with plate glass, the operator sees that the nos of the torpedo is properly held by the point, before men tioned, and also any obstructions that might lie beneath him. m m The conning tower being not much larger than a bucket, is well-nigh In visible on the water's surface to ob servers on shipboard, and this fact permits. It Is asserted, a close ap proach to them. "As he nears the hos tile ships, he pulls a lever, shutting off the engine. The operator then grasps the handles of the propeller shaft, places his feet on the pedals, and moves forward under his own power until he is within short torpedo range of the hostile ship. He stops and swiftly turns the hand wheel before him. Its bevel gear re volves upward the circular yoke from the nose of the war-head of the tor pedo until the point, formerly resting on Its propeller, strikes a rod project ing through the bottom of the boat. This rod in turn connects with a valve In the compressed air tank which dis charges air into the cylinder fastened to the bottom of the boat. The compressed air forces out a pis ton in this cylinder. To the exterior of this piston is attached a finger resting behind a projection on the top of the torpedo. The effect of the im pulse is violently to thrust out the torpedo from its casing, a "T" slot on the top of it holding It in line, in the direction Of the hostile ship. An the torpedo leaves the casing, the piston finger Just mentioned trips a "dog" on the top of the torpedo that sets in motion the propelling mechanism of the projectile, snd it starts off under Its flwir power for the mark. The Schwan Piano-Co. Player Pianos Wherever yon go nowadays and hear about Playsr Plaaos, yo will flad that one family has Jast boughs the riayer Maao, ths other has fast aWsdomsd. This mesas that mo buyers are still groplag for real standards by which t Judge riayer-riano efficiency. The Family That Has One of Our One -Man Submarine stable both as to location and cross I section. 3. That the cross section of channel when so established is this sub- even wis siiBiiiest smart- I son inn, either when innlTlnr . - freexone or afterward. With this general description of -n This drug doesn't eat up I tranc conditions and the channel deep the corn or callus, but enln secured to the , present time as .un.c.a uiu so mey - - i-"ukiih construction I ifrt In nnl v alirht erosion anti n-urmliea For a few cents you can I uow aen up. j get rid or every hardl ocean Dea. epita and nKnai- in corn, soft corn or vuru I the vicinity of the Columbia .river en- rVUr'. " rU IIk JtT -f0!0 f,ne -and- constantly maintained two miles sea- 7" i J " t u, k. V; ' iiea rrom point ward of the gorge of the entrance or In never -i0l..b? thf comIn4 ctiop. of advance of the Jetty construction from L-,"BV" "..w t. curreuls a"d carried I mi to 1907- Commencing with that rrJt- -"i1: "V1"" "V". lne pwlt,llnK northerly! year.- te 40-foot low water curve in k-VT .i UI ln ean currents the lit- side the bar ceafced to maintain this iT-?0!"! . j s distance and failed to advance with the a llttla sealed wood ease, 1 To bring this sand mnvam.ni ih I -.. . i v.., ,u bearing;, yellow wrapper Beware of I Immediate vicinity rf th ., I T JL. -i' , i imitation r - , ,der practical control -and effect the water depth Inside the bar has been quota ported through the entrance into deep water. ' . 4. That a least depth of 40 feet at low water. In a fixed channel, had been packed y- Underground Wireless. From the Fresno '(Cal.) Republican. The same electric power employed in the ringing of a doorbell has trans mitted sound . through space a dis tance of 40 miles. In an experiment conducted "by Dr. H. Barringer Cox. the ringing of an ordinary alarm clock at Los Olivos has been faintly re corded at his station just outside Santa Barbara, Cal. ' According to Dr. Cox the Instru ments were not "pointing" right, and after certain corrections have been made at . Los Olivos the experiments will be renewed. But the results are highly satisfactory. It is wireless, without the use of wires, and the power used is the ordi nary dry battery which Dr. Cox in vented years ago. Instead of passing through the air, the sound travels through the ground. His station in Santa Barbara: shows but two metal standards about "15 feet high and 200 feet apart. The principle involved, is still Dr. Cox's secret.- but he claims that, when it has been per fected the economy of wireless".. will have been solved; for both telegraph ana teiepnone. -1 v , From tbe Philadelphia Public ledger. THOMAS J. MORI ARTY, for years a mechanical expert in the em ploy of the government at the torpedo station of the United States navy, atlNewport, R. I., obtained some Jime ag letters patent on a one-man submarine, asserted to be suitable for service oh shipboard as well as from shore. Its exclusive function being the , locating and destroying of submarine mines. Among the special fatures of j this boat are the automatic contriv ances said to insure safety and the simplicity of construction in compar ison with other devices costing many times as much to build. Mr. Moriarty was long ago impressed with the Idea that the only way by which to make the action of the tor pedo actually certain was to put an ex perienced operator inside it. From the idea of putting a man inside it to that of placing a man outside it the tran sition was easy; and It then became a question to give him a safe shelter. means of locomotion, of submerging. and of discharging the projectile. To accomplish these - essentials he has devised a cigar shaped boat of bronze plates, about 10 feet long. 3 feet deep and S feet wide. Beneath this is suspended the Whitehead tor pedo in a frame from which it is pro pelled by compressed air when the op erator has approached Bear the mark. Let it be supposed, for example, that a trip is to be made in the boat. Be fore launching it Into the water, the latch, holding closed the hatch, is sprung and this cover with Its conning tower is opened by powerful springs the hatch sliding beneath the easing of the hulL This gives an entrance of about three feet square to the inter ior. The hatches of thick glass are opened, and the engine, specially de vised for propelling the boat. Is ad Justed. These stern hatches are then closed. By means of a connection with the en gine the air tank in the bottom of the boat Is filled with compressed air to a great pressnre. A light is placed on the bottom sf the boat forward be hind the slanting observation tube. The Whitehead torpedo is slipped into the casing beneath the boat, and the circular yoke is revolved down over Its nose until the point slips between the plads of the small front propeller, thus preventing its turning, as the propeller actuates the firing mech anism after the projectile' is discharged: The operator then dons a vest made Of two thicknesses of air-tight mater ial, to which is attached a small mouth tube by which it is inflated. This In flated vest serves as a padding for the body while the man Is in the boat and also as a life preserver In n emer gency. Tbe operator enters :the cock pit, lies down on the cradle, astride of its support. Padded prongs on the cradle curve over his shoulders to hold him in place and provide a purchase for his arms when operating the levers before him. The boat is then put into the water. Lifting his head into the conning tower, he may. then see through the glass front tbe course before him. Ky means of reflectors in front of him be sees whether the, machinery behind mm is properly adjusted. .and. if as. pulls a lever blowing the whistle on the forward mast which is sounded by sTT 4 Bsds It horn. Ol M I 1 .0O or More . fiSJl T3 1 V Monthly. la Sr( it Xntsrsst. LcJf Natural" Player Fianos Knows That They Possess Greater Efficiency; That They Kespoad to the slightest o"c,h f -1 of the pedaling, that the hand- I Vataral Player Piaao VTlees I , I p 1 a y e d artls i? records ran be re- I $550 116 modwl at S396.0O I produced with as much feeling, tone cy of touch as by lets themselves. classics j r e im own home plan- because tbo dlffl er of a Natural read the classics as tne simplest. si tions. Vstaral Player Piaao Prices! 8550 116 modwi st S396.0O 604 1916 models at 435.00 65J 1917 models at 4H7.iO 750 1917 models at 662 SO 830 1917 models at 617.60 850 1S17 models st 717.10 810 or more can h .m g or more monthly. No, Interns 5 saving alone to you S77.40 TO SISl.&O color, and dslica tbe greatest art and. since- thess possible to our ists, principally etilt, but th own Player piano can as easily at sight of musical cotnpo- These families know what they have hi the "Natural Player Piano.' and stick to it. frt Is Your Riw TnfuorVil-? Tour boy or girl, now working, can save 11.25 weekly or 16 monthly, ought to tmv a. r1a rt, hTA without nAMl ttf nivlnr ' mwUt - - a education. We hear of boys and girls put tins themselves tnrautn mil We make It possible for them also to secure s piano and a mostcal education The piano thus saved up maintains a cash value Utat can be realised upon at any time, after it's yours, by sale when necessary. . snnniBZa, ts sTnrDs pxavo. no mm pzajto ioki ORDER YOUR PIANO BY MAIL rSZi leant why we hare hundreds of xaaU-order buyers. To spur you to quick action we quote prices at one-fourth off and no later-, est on entire line of. new pianos OTTT.oy.Towar nirma wa pbzvit pmzzosrr ajtd waw pun DZUTZST OP PZAJTO TO TOTJJt KOMB within 30v miles, arsl the piano will be shipped subject to exchange within one year, we allowing the full amount paid. This virtually gives you a one-year trial of the plso yoti order hi r j yiauu or oim.yw ytm.no puniiwira --ries wiia l 3 OCnWan fiaftO CO nia.ra.ntee of satisfsotion. as also the tiHiial nwnntM from mmf m.nnf.M,..u of thee new musical lnstrametit. OPZ3V MO DAT, WZS JTXS9AT A3t2) SAT. tTJLXiAT SSTZJruroa StntrsTO TXXS SAXXS. The Store That Charges Xo Intersex "SS? adman Piano Co. $1 2,000,00 0