Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1879)
ffl m&t giailtj slxxmu ASTOKIA OREGON ISSUED EVERY MORNING-, t Monday Excepted), jidoywJt, Building, Cass Street. Terms of Subscription : srod by Carrier, nor Treai; .25 Gent. Bent by mail, iour months s; qo Soot Iiy mail, cno yoar..... y Oy free of Puingo tc Subscribers. tiisr Advertisements msortod by th year at iiio rate of SI M iut t(unrc per montlu TrAi'ieiitadvortiins:, by tho day or week, fifty conr per snuara for oach insertion. the" city! ISf-Thc Kmly Astoriax will he xent by wulal 75 n titx a mnnth. frc nf pxiayc. Heart r who amtcmvloicaUtumccfrom the citfl can hare Tint Atokian follow litvm. Daita or Wkkkly etlitiunx In anu pl-ofivc ivilh tntf Oiirtilfrtnai expense. Addrcxxcx mat he cruintial ax afbxi ax dcslretL Leave ordorx at the couutina rwm. Fresh California butter just re ceived and for sale by J. Strauss. Mr. E. C. Holden auctioneer ad vertises his regular sale at 2 p. m. io- Any. - . Best Salem flour is -sold in this city at -$5 50 per barrel iy Warren it IcGuire. . ,.-. , t The Prince Amadeo has complet ed her cargo of wheat, -she has on board 8S,4J9 bushels, valued1 ;at 0l3500. : AVarrtut- fe MeGuire have the carly rse potatoes for seed. Farmers, please remember this. The wind m Astoria on Thurs day morning was but a quiet zephyr when compared with it up the Colum bia and Willamette rivers. i - v Onion sets, sugar corn and garden seeds, ax, J. W. Gearharts. Also, best Salem flour sold at 5 50 per barrel. We understand that Mrs. Eliza Kinney of Salem, will eooii buihi on die lot in Union house 'block, which he has lately bought of Mr. Job Ross. Services at Presbyterian hall. Sabbath morning and evening, will be conducted by the pastor Hev'E. N. Condit. ATcordial invitation extend ed to all. Sabbath school it 12 o'clock. We learn from the Oregon 'Daily Statesman that Mr. G. W. Gray has 'been elected mayor of Salem by the common council to fill vacancy occa sioned by the resignation of Professor Tiros. Gatch. The British ship Centennial came down from Portland yesterday in tow of the Ordway, Reed pilot, and is now laying at the Oregon Steam Navigation companys upper docfc, receiving bal ance of cargo from barge alongside. , - -Hill's theater has been enlarged xnd refitted, and the now private boxes will be opened to-night for the first time. The new drop curtain and scenery executed by Mr! W. West is ' an artistic piece of workmanship. Rev. J. T. Wolfe will discourse in the Congregational church to morrow morning on "Man's life a Plan of God," and in tho evening on "Christian Faith." Sabbath school, Judge Dowlby superintendent, will assemble immediately after the morn ing sermon. In consequence of the fact that Mr. Carl Adler must go below, in about fifteen days, and must have money, he has marked his goods down and is selling at reduced rates to make room for now goods. Persons in want of Blank Books, .StationerjT, Brackets, frames, toys, baby-carriages, or anything in his line, are invited -to cull around. The attention of our readers is directed to the advertisement of E. C. Holden in another column, announc ing a special sale of valuable furniture "for account of whom it znay concern," on Tuesday next '11th, inst., at half past ten a. si. Parties furnhhinjj private residences or boarding houses preparatory to the opening of the titthing season will do well to avail themselves of this opportunity of buy dug good furniture at auction prices. Ileal Estate Sale. .Mr.'E. C. Holden, real estate agent, ..yesterday effected the sale of a valu able lot, belonging to Job Ross, esq., situated in the heart of the-city. The'CoIumbia Eircr Bar. Its aistory During tue Prcscnl Cpntury- Report of 5'ajor Gillespie. United Stxtks Enginkkr Office. . Portland, Ogn.. December 18, 1S7S. J General: I have the honor to for ward herewith nvy report on the sur vey of the bar at the mouth of the Columbia river, Oregon, made in com pliance with the requirements of the river and harbor act approved June 13, 187S. This survey was intrusted to the charge if my predecessors, Maj- J. M. Wi.son, corps of engineers, and was conducted in person by Lieut. A. H. Payson, corps of engineers, who was by a telegraphic order from the chief of engineers, dated August 15. 1S78, temporarily detached from the orders of Lieut. Col. C. S. Stewart, corps of engineers, at San Francisco, and assigned to this district for that purpose. On relieving Mstjor Wilson, in com pliance with special orders" Ko. 103, paragraph 3 current series, headquar ters of the army, adjutant-general's office, the duty of submitting plans and estimates fr the permanent im provement of -ike bar developed upon me. The able and comprehensive re port of Lieutenant Payson for the sur vey of the mouth and bar of the Co lumbia river, to which is appended a supplementary report on the current observations, taken in both north and south channels and inside of the river's mouth, gives a summary of the chang es winch have occurred since the sur vey of 1809 by the United States coast survey, and enables one to form a very clear conception of the condi tion of the river's mouth and bar at the present time, and to judge approxi mately of the forces at won; there tending to disturb the relations be tween the two channels through the outer bar, to modify their depths and directions, and to distort the form and positions of the inner-lying shoals. The entrance to the river's mouth from the sea is virtually G miles wide, extending from Cape Han cock', or Disappointment, on the north shore to point Adams on the south. The whole area comprised between these points, however, is not available for navigation; from the former, a shoal makes out to the southwest, forming what, is called the north breakers, or Peacock spit; and from the latter, a shoal toward the north west, forming Clatsop spit; between these two shoals, and lying somewhat inside of them is a consistently-shifting Sand island, which is at the pres ent time nearly 1.V miles in length bv 1,000 to 1,200 feet in width. From the western end of this island the submerged bank known as the mid dle sands extends within the 3-fodt, curve in a direction a little south or west for nearly four miles, and thence runs south for an equal distance parallel to and overlapping Clatsop spit. Thcgridle or submerged sands in front of the river's mouth is crossed by two channels leading into the river; one. passing north of the middle sands, and called the north channel; and the other passing south of the middle sands, and called the south channel. These channels unite east of -the eastern end of Sand island. The north channel is wide, deep and straight 4u its outer part, and has 23 feet at low water on the bar, but on the inside, near its union with the south channel, there is a bad shoal about half a mile wide,' with only IS to 17 feet of water upon it. The south channel, though shoaler and more tortuous than the former in its outer reach, is yet the one principally used by shipping at the present time. This preference is due in part to the pro tection and cover given to its entrance by the middle sands, and to its being the more direct and convenient route for vessels making the harbor from the south. It has at mean low water a depth or2U teet on the bar, though the tides sometiniesceduce this depth by 1 or 2 feet, and a-ininimuin width between the 18-foot curves of about three fourths of a nautical mile. Durin" ordinary weather, then, the bar can be conveniently crossed at mean low water by vessels drawing not to exceed 20 feet, a depth which is rare ly exceeded by the shipping of the port. The outer harbor, however, is nar- ticularly sensitive to high winds and their consequent seas, and there are times when sailing-vessels are detained in port or at sea for several weeks waiting fur the sea to grow sufficiently calm on the bar to enable them to cross. Steam-vessels are not so much embarrassed by this state of affairs, and their detention i3 seldom protracted beyond oneor two days. From early autumn to sprin", shipping has its most trying experien ces in entering or leaving the harbor. During this period strong southerly winds prevail all the time, and the waves break heavily upon the coast, almost normal to the line connecting cape Hanaoekwith Point Adams. In 'Connection with the survey, I have had prepared and submit with this report an outline tracing of tho harbor, showing in differently colored lines the shore-lines of the capes and of the mid channel shoals, so as to present at a glance the chances which J have occurred since the survtv ofdG9 by the United States survey. These changes, which are noted in detail in the report of Lieutenant Payson, are brought out clearly on an examination of the tracing, and one. cannot fail to be impressed with the conviction that a new channel is preparing to be opened accross the Middle Sands a short dis tance west of the western extremitv of Sand island. The depression in the sands, which indicates the direct tion of the prospective new channel, has already been used for some time by vessels -during favorable winds and tides, both for entering and for passing from thenorth channel into the south channel, and the precipitous slope on the seaward side and the very dimin ished distance across the sands between the 18-foot curves are strong indica tions of an enry dee'ine of the old channels and the inauguration of a new, deep, and direct channel midway between them. The bad shoal at the inner end of the north channel almost completely closes that channel for deep-draught vessles, except under the most favor able conditions of wind and tide. The shoaling of the south channel and con tractions of its outer part by the south ward extension and eastward advance of the middle sands, while not materi ally interfering with its present effici ency, still draws our attention to the accumulating strength of the sand girdle at this point, and invites us to look elsewhere for a point of weakness already developed or developing un- er the demands ot the river tor anl outlet for its own water, supplement ed by the action of the waves and tides of the sea. "Even if this new channel is opened the benefits "accru ing therefrom will, it is thought, re main unimpaired only for a short pe rion ot time, for the bar is of pure sand which continually shifts under prevailing winds and seas, advancing m one direction, throwing wavelets of sand into the open channels, reducing their depth, at the same time reeedin" and diminishing in depth in another direction. Such is the condition of tho harbor at the present time, and if we review its history from the beginning of the century, when the first examination was made, we shall find the same forces at work, operating in the same way and repeating the same cyclical changes. Here I desire to express my acknowledgments to Prof. George Davidson of the United States coast survey, for valuable information he has gathered on this subject. The earliest reliable survey of the entrance to the river was made in 1790 undenthe orders of Admiral Vancouver of the English navy. At that time but one channel existed; it was six miles long from the outer 5-fathom curve to a long line joining Point Adams and the cape; was located on the north side of the entrance, li miles south of Cape Disappointment; wis li miles wide, and had not less than 4 fathoms of water. Chinook -'Spit stretched nearly straight for about a mile east of the cape of Chinook point. In the space inclosed by the three lines joining Cape Disappoint ment, Point Adams, and Chinook Point, 5 fathoms was the least found, and the deepest water after crossing the bar was under the north shore eastward of Chinook Point. BRITISH ADMIRALTY SURVEY IX 1839. The next examination was made by Sir Edward Belcher in 1839. The Sand island of to-day, and its com panion, the middle sands, bare at low water, with its covering of snags and trees, is mentioned for the first time. It was lh miles long, covering about 4 square miles, and lay within the area said to have given 5 fathoms water in 1792. Deep water was found at its eastern end. Two channels were formed by the w'aters of the river passing on either side of the obstruct ions, the north channel affording the best water. This latter channel was separated from Baker's Bay by a middle ground. Chinook spit, as con nected with Chinook Point, did not exist. Tho western part of Clatsop spit had been cut away to a distance of 3 miles, and a channel opened along Clatsop beach end South shore, and the north breakers had advanced lh miles to the southward .nearly across the channel of '1792. At the time of the survey of the United States exploring expedition of 1841 but one channel accruss the bar existed. The accretions to Clatsop spit on the west side had practically closed the south channel of 1839. The north channel had changed but lit tle, had G feet more water than the south channel, and retained within the cape its former shape and tlirec tion. The shape and position of the middle sands were nearly the same, but the east end had been .moved nearly half a mile to the northwest, while the west end remained unchang-1 ed. The Unitefl States Coast -survey made its first examination in 1S50. Again there were two channels. Clat sop spit, which in 18U stretched the 6 miles westward of Point Adams, had been cut through midway between the point and its western extremity by a wide channel with 17 to 18 feet of water running south by west from Sand Island, or at right angles with the corresponding channel of 1S4L. Thenorth channel had changed but littlfc. ruid b:id still over a tathom more'.water tthan .tho south channel. It had moved to the southward, its southern part cutting away over a mile of tie west end of South sands oflS41. Inside the cape it had re tained its direction of 1841,but had con tracted somewhat. The middle sands had very much changed, but the northern part was similar to that of previous surveys. The eastern part had moved north-north west three-quarters of a niile since 1841. Sand Island had much increased in size, and had apparent! v moved with it. The western end of the great middle shoal eastward of Point Adams had been out away three quarters of a mile, and Clatsop spit had made from Point Adams m north westerly direction for -over a mile. The second examination by the coast survey was made in 1852. The following changes since 1S50 were no ne ticed: The new south channel had been fully cut out and the bar had moved three-quarters of a mile east ward, with a wider entrance and three feet more water. The ISorth channel was contracted to half its width at the bar with its northern line in the line of 1850. The depth was re duced, but there was still over one fathom more water than on the south bar. The channel was not so straight as an 1850; and a south channel had formed southward of the cape across the north breakers. Chinook spit had commenced to re-form. The middle sands had increased in size, and Sand Island had moved to the west-northwest over a quarter of a mile, giving 8 fathoms of water where the beacon of 1850 stood. Compared with the surveys of 1S39 and 1841, we find that one part of Sand Island retained the same posi tion, but that position, one mile in ex tent, stretching east by south half south had been completely cut away and was crossed by the south channel. Clatsop spit had changed its shape and extended westward. The western end of middle-shoal east of Point Adams had not changed. The course in over the bar, through the south channel, was straight for over G miles, until abreast of Point Adam, and then fid lowed that of 1839. Ko re-survey was made until 18GS, but it is known that early in 1S57 the west end of the middle sands had -swung around to the southward so aEto throw the south channel within less than a mile of the beach south of Point Adams, and in October of that year that the south channel had completely closed, while the north channel had remained wide and straight. The third examination by the coa3t srrrvey wa3 made in 18G8, and ex tended from the 15-fathom curve out side the bar the "Three Trees" point, off Woody Island, in the Columbia river, a distance of about 23 miles. The following changes were devel devel oped: The south channel had re opened with a fathom more water than in the north channel; the new chan nel was over 2 miles between the south point of the middle sands and the southwest side of Clatsop spit, and had over 4 fathoms in it. TOie north chan nel was narrower, but held pretty much the same position as in 1857, and had Sh fathoms of water. The north breakers extended 2$ miles south-southwest from Cape Disap pointment; 1? miles of this distance had less than 32 feet of water, and for five-eighths of a mile they were dry at low water. Sand island was found to .have separated into two .parts, each three-fourths of a mile in length; the eastern-most part lying east-northeast and west-southwest, and the -westernmost part north-northeast and south southwest. At low water both parts were joined, and the whole formed a bare spit 2 miles long. From the west end of this sand spit the great middle sands extended first southwest 2 miles, with an average width of five-eighths of a mile, and then south-southeast 2 miles, the south point:bearing south by east nearly 5 miles from Cape Dis appointment, and southwest by west 4 miles from northern extremity of Point Adams. Clatsop spit extended west one-fourth north from Point Adams to a distance of 2 miles, and was composed of several spits bare at low water; the spit was 2k miles wide in a northeast and southwest direction at a distance of 1- miles ifroin Point Adams; from its northwest point to the east end of the middle sands is ex actly one mile between the 3-fnthom curves; this is the narrowest part of the south channel. Chinook spit ran 5i miles west half north from Chinook point; the ex treme end of the shoal was about half a mile east three-fourth.s south from Cape Disappointment; at this point the north channel was barely 400 yards wide between 3-fathoin curves. Midway between Chinook point and (Jape Disappointment; tho shoal was bare for 2$ miles at low ;vater, form-j mg an island lying in verv much the same position as Sand island. Three distinct channe's were noticed after passing Sand island, all of which 'imite at Tongue point only to break again with divergent branches in crossing the shoal areas immediately at tho entrance to-the river; the north chan nel hugs the north shore closely for about 7 miles, and then breakes across the great middle bank direct to Tongue point; the -south channel skirts the j couth shore for a distuice of 7 miles to Tanzy. -point,' thence across the mouth of Young's bay, close to Smith's Jpoint, .and after passing, Astoria turns I .i , m . , .1 ...i'l nortneast to xongue point; tne miaa." channel occupies a line midway be tween the two former channels, and runs with slight curvature straight te Tongue point. During all these changes, exhibited by the several surveys since 1792 it will be observed that the north chan nel has maintained itself better than the south channel (the latter being closed in -1792, from 1841 to 1850, and from 1S57 to 1868), and is less subject to change either in depth or direction, owing to the firm and enduring char acter of the north shore-line. Tho outer harbor to-day is very much in the same condition it was in the early part of 1857, just before the south channel was closed by the union of the westward and southward extensions of the middle sands with the beach south west of Point Adams, with this differ ence, that the spine of the middle sands, midway between their western extremity and Sand Island, has been much reduced in height, leading 113 to anticipate that the waters of the river will again cut through these shoals, aa was aone in ioou, though m a more northerly direction, or more in the direct extension of the inner reach of the south channel, and closely approxi mating to the direction assumed by the single entrance noticed in 1S41. With these facts before me, I am of the opinion at the present time that my improvement designed to be of a permanent nature should be applied in the north channel. 5n the event that the new channel across the middle sands is, contrary to my expectations, not opened at a.i early day, it is be lieved that the proper improvements for the north channel, in ..connection with an -easy and navigable channel to be subsequently made through the interior grand iniddle banks to the 'Three Trees" point, will consist of a training-wall rising only--a few feet above low water, starting at the outer end of Point Adams, and running norch by west (skirting the east sidcof Clatsop spit at the inuer end), so as to direct the ebb toward the north chan nel at the point where the shoal now exists east of Sand island. This wall may extend li miles to hard bottom at the 4-fathom curve; but its dimen sions, exact direction, and cost, even if such an improvement should be ad judged proper and advisable, I cannot now give by reason of the limited time I have had for studying the question. The artificial means necessary and fitting to be constructed. W.riiaintain a permanent channel across thenar can only be determined uponaftea pn longed and careful study, of .-the con- ditions which affect the. qhaKicter of the haibor. A hasty docisiolirn im perfect data is liable to do nj.te harm than good, and-an injury otbe done require in its cesrectionsa vipfcer out lay of money thsm is obtaijM8sle, not to speatt oi me enioarassmenw wuicn commerce might have ta snfier in 'the meanwhile, imd which cannot be esti mated in'ddllars andcentshe reason cau8esme, then, to ask pfuiTssion to defer any reeommendatiousqoking to a permanent improvement (accom panied by plans and .eGtBiaftftes) until such time as I shall have been enabled to study the problem more carefully and become more familiar with the wants of the .commerce which seeks this port, d would recommend, how ever, an appropriation of 5.000 to provide for a limited survey and a continuous dbservation oic the cur rents. It is not believed that dredging on the bar will be of any value. The season ofsevere storms covere.a,period of six months, and the .material of the bar is so light and shifting that we may anticipate that a channel dredged during a short period of calm would, be filled up during the first succeeding storm. Thosplace is so exposed, too, that the times ut which a dredge could work would be rare and of very limited extent, and any dredging ho done would not increase the confidence of theipilots. The only 'remedial meas ure, it seems tome, is to ascertain the. best means of securing the full effect of the ebb through some elected chan nel, and then let nature undisturbedly work out its own course. Lieutenant Payson deserves great credit for the energy and .judgment displayed in the discharge of the work assigned to him, and for the -seal and devotion with which he labored against the difficulties constantly -attending him in the prosecution of the-srirvey- T am, general, very respectfully, .your obedient-servant, G. L. GrLLTSPiR, Major of-lSiigrneerB, BrevatXleutenant-Colo-. nel.l.&A. The .dniEF of Engineers U. S. A- XOTICE. "The closing out sale of Ladies Under wear and Embroidery,, on Chenainus street, next to Dements drug store, will only be open until Tuesday, the 11th ' St. Now goods opened for this week which will be sold at loy prices. iRespectfuily, Maurice H.Btack. important to-thc ImiIIhh of Astoria. Mrs. A. Ginder, in David lngalls'buiid-. ingT corner of Cass and. Jefferson streets- i tikes pleasure in informing the ladies' of Astoria and vicinity that she has just j opened a well selected stock of Cadlee. goods, to which sheiiivitcs-iht' a.ttentioiu epurchasers. Lodging House Persons requiring rfurnished or unfurnished rooms c;ui hoi accommodated at reasonable rites iO Mrs. Munson-'s Gheuaxnus sWstaria. V - 1- H.t - ... iv s m Z$idtiPf522&X