v .,
01
tottmi
Astoria, Orfegon, Saturday Morning, March 12, 1881.'
Vol. xiv.
No. 60.
0 i
Pftiw
The Proposed Bar Improvement.
Letters from the secretary of
war, transmitting, in response to
senate resolution of February IT,
1SS1, copies of reports of Colo
nel Gillespie and board of engi
neers submitting plas for the
improvements of the month of the
Columbia river. February 22,
1881. Referred to the committee
on commerce and ordered to be
printed.
Wak Dkpatmknt, Washington
city, Feb. 19, 18S1. The secretary
of war, in compliance with the
resolution of the United States
senate of the 17th instant, calling
for "the late report of Colonel
Gillespie submitting pUns for the
improvements of the mouth of the
Columbia river, together with the
report of the board of engineers
thereon,"" has. the honor to trans
mit to that body copies of the re
ports required, dated December ",
1SS0, and February 12, 1SS1, re
spectively, with the letter of the
chief of engineers forwarding same
to this department.
Ai.kx. II amkv. SeerWary of War.
Tim Pkkxident of the United States
.Senate.
Ofi'ice ok thk Chief of Engi
xeeus, UxiTKh States Akmy,
Washington, D. C. Feb. IS, 1SS1.
Si i:: I have the honor to acknowl
edge the reference to this office of
the resolution of the senate of the
United States of the 17th instant,
directing the secretary of war "to
transmit to the senate the late re
port of Colonel Gillespie submit
ting plans for the improvements of
the mouth of the Columbia river,
together with the report of the
board of engineers thereon,' and
to return the same with copies of
the reports called for, dated De
cember 5, 1880, and February 12,
1881, respectively.
Yen' respectfully, your obedient
servant,
II. G.'Wkioht, Chief of En!iieeis,Hrifj.
and Bvt. Mti. Gen.
Hon. Alexander Ramsey, Secretary
of War.
rrojrrt oT.Haj. . L. ;illriplc. Uirps oT
Engineer..
United States Exgixeeu Of
fice. Portland, Oregon, Dec.
3,
l&HU. LjrE.VEKAL.: -1 Have tllO
honor to submit for the considera
tion of the department a chart of
the mouth of the Columbia river,
showing the location and character
of an improvement which T now
propose as a means for hastening
the deepening of the channel
through the middle sands inside
the bar:
On the 17th of December, 1871),
submitted a plan and estimates
for a stone dike on the south side
of the entrance, but the project,
as is stated m my last annual re
port, will cost a great deal of
money and will consume a great
deal of time owing to the manner
in which appropriations are made
for large undertakings. This lat
ter consideration has ied me for
some time past to a thoughtful
study of the harbor and its shoals,
to ascertain if it be not possible to
dispense with the massive struc
ture which the original project
contemplated. The shoals, and
the two channels of approach
through them, are now in a favor
able condition for attempting, by
a speedy process, to build up
Clatsop spit, and to hold the banks
of the inside channel for a proper
direct:on of the currents to main
tain deep water along the line ob
served in the chart of 1S4-1. The
short passaire. between the north
and south channels, through the
middle sands, in the point indicat
ed in my previous reports on this
harbor, has not been effected with
the rapidity and success 1 antici
pated. I believe the cut is gradu
ally deepening, but the process is
so slow that the channel cannot be
used with convenience by deep
iraught vessels when winds and
tides are unfavorable.
An attempt was made to hasten
the deepening by harrowing across
the depression, leaving the currents
to carry out to sea the displaced
material. This was a laborious
undertaking with the means avail
able, and very expensive; an in
crease or three to four feet was
obtained, but I was compelled to
forego operations on account of
insufficiency of funds applicable to
the object. " The work will be re
sumed when the new appropriation
becomes available.
The commerce of the river is
increasing rapidly, capital is flow
)jir into Orefrcm and Washington
territory jn large quantities to
build railroads and develop the
resources of the country, and it is
of the greatest importance to the
commercial public that a deeper
channel be made as speedily as pos
sible from the outside to a safe
anchorage on the inside.
1 have heretofore been unwilling
to recommend any construction
which involved the use of timber
because of the cxjosure of the
site;but thegreatdemandsupon the
river and the man' and new inter
ests centering in this section induce
me to recommend an improvement
which is capable of being made
rapidly and quickly, and which, if
not permanent at first, ma' be
made so by annual strenghtening
and additions.
The project proposed is to build,
along the line previously establish
ed on the south side, a strong pile
dike, rising o feet above low. tide,
8,000 feet long, and 20 feet wide
from outside to outside, filled with
fascines and stone, and securely
protected on both sides with
mattresses and stone. The dike
will start near the northeast corner
of fort Stevens, and, following the
I "Moot curve, will be directed
little westward of the outer part
of the headland at cape Hancock.
The dike so located will prevent
the escape of water at ebb tide
over a great part of Clatsop spit,
and project the ebb currents, which
have usually a maximum surface
velocity of 0 feet per second, in the
direction of tlu cut which I have
been attempting to improve by
the scraper, and will have suffi
cient depth of water on the east
side to enable the plant to work
easily and the scows to move
alongside and dump their material
directly into the work. If placed
on or near the spine of the shoal,
a lauding must be made on the in
side some distance from the work;
a tramway must be built to con
nect the landing with the dike, and
extended over the dike as it pro
gresses.
Whenever it will be possible to
drive piles in the latter case, it
will be equally possible to ap
proach the dike with the scows in
the former case. The shore-line
on both sides of the heel of the
dike will be revetted with fascines
and mattrasscs to prevent erosions
by the waves and currents. This
work should be done in one work
ing season; and if it prove- effi
cacious, which 1 do not doubt, in
cuttimr out the middle sands, it
can be strenthened by additions of
mattrasses and stone, converting
the structure into one of a perma
nent character, and may be ex
tended at will.
The Columbia river and its
afiluents drain an area of nearly
200,000 square miles; the coun ry
through which it passes is settling
up rapiuly, and foreign capital is
coming in to promote manufactur
ing industries, to build railroads,
and to open the valuable coal
mines. These undertakings are
still in their infancy, but they have
assumed such proportions as to
make the opening of the inner
shoals at the river's mouth an ob
ject of interest to our whole coun
try. The execution of the plan
will not be without its difficulties,
but 1 believe it to be thoroughly
practicable if commenced with an
appropriation equal to the estimate
for the entire work.
It is desirable that the work be
commenced as early as the 1st of
April next, and pushed vigorously
during the summer and autumn,
before the coming of the heavy
southwesteily gules, which create
the highest seas and offer the
greatest impediments to continu
ous and safe labors. 1 do not
think it can be doubted that the
proper place for the improvement
is on the south side, or that the
maintenance of a deep-water chan
nel through the inner shoals is
dependent mainly upon the build
ing up of Clatsop spit, and the
Homing oi it in a position approxi
mate to the one it now has.
A strong revetment will be re
quired on the inside of the dike,
after completion, extending across
the little bay to the eastward of
the government landing, but this
need not be undertaken at once,
and will be much simpler and less
costly m its construction thaw the). shoal was considerably elonsrated
oiKe.
estimate of cost.
C5:0 feet of dike, at o wr foot
S325000
l,a feet of dike (Inshore), at 40 per
foot ,-,,.., ,
2,500 feet of shore revetment, at $io
per foot........ . j
Total
60.000;
frtii
ue.oou
Cowttwuyiwfa'a of ewgtw riBg.xin cys.
itHteHV, rtc
38,U
480.UW
The success of the project is so
dependent upon rapidity of con
struction, only attainable by the
use of strong and costly plant,
that I would urge the appropria
tion of tin? full amount of the
estimate so that the dike ma be
built in its entirety before the
opening of the next winter.
Charts accompany this report
showing the location and character
of the proposed improvement.
I am, general, very respectfully,
your. obedient servant,
G. L. Gir.i.Krii:. MnjMrof Engineer.
Bvt. Lieut. I'ol.. tT. S. A.
IJnio. Gkx. II. G. Wkioiit. Chief of
Engineers, L'.S. A.
Kriuirl or the Kuarri or Iluzlurcro.
Offhkof Boakd of Exgi.vkeks
kou Fortification's axi fei: Riv
er and Harhor Improvements,
Etc., New York, Februar' 12,1SS1.
General: This board, in ac
cordance with instructions from
the office of the chief of engineers,
dated December 2-1, 1SS0, to con
sider the whole subject of the im
provement of the mouth of the
Columbia rivei, have the honor to
repert:
A careful examination has been
made of the documents and charts
in connection with the subject
transmitted from the office of the
chief of engineers, including the
various reports made bT the local
engineer, Maj. G. L. Gillespie,
corps of engineers.
As a first step in this inquiry, a
comparative study of the charts to
note the changes in the shoals and
channels became necessary.
Admiral Vancouver's chart of
1702 represents the river discharge,
through a single channel, nearly
due west into the ocean, with a
depth on the bar of 4i fathoms.
The Clatsop shoal, or south break
ers, which formed the southern
margin of the channel, had an
extent in a westerly direction ot
about 7 miles. The north edge
of the channel layabout one-half
mile south of cape Disappoint
ment. The chart is on a small
scale and its claims to accuracy of
detail not known, but the striking
feature of the existence of but one
channel could not have been a
matter of mistake.
Sir Edward Belcher's admiralty
chart of 1830 exhibits for the first
time Sand island, whose eastern
extremity was 1 nautical miles
north from point Adams. The
island formed the eastern apex of
a large triangular shoal, which pre
sented its base to seaward, the line
of the base extending nearly north
and south. The island and shoal j
.separated the waters into a north
and south channel, the former lead-
nig northwest, towards the cape,
where it was turned abrubtly to
the south-southeast, skirting the'
north breakers, which had extend
ed southerly for a distance of a
little more than 2 nautical miles,
and then entered the ocean in a
west by south course, over a bar
with 44 fathoms over it. The
south channel from Sand island ran
nearly west, past point Adams,
supported on the south by the
south breakers, for a distance of 5
nautical miles, to its juncture with
the north cimnnel. Before this
juncture, however, the south chan
nel sent off an outlet through the
south shoal into the ocean, with a
depth on the" bar of 3i fathoms,
the navigable depth in the north
cimnnel until the bar was reached
being G fathoms, and in the south
channel 41 fathoms. The level of
a reduction of soundings is not
known, but was probably that of
lowest waters.
The chart of the exploring expe
dition under Captain Wilkes of
1841 exhibits a similar middle
ground, with Sand island as its
eastern apex, not quite one mile
north from point Adams. The
channels much resemble those of
a former survey, but the south
channel had now no separate out
let into the ocean. The depths
appear to be the same. The west
erly extent of the south breakers
was 4f- nautical miles, and of the
north breakers southward 2i miles.
The coast survey chart of 1S51
shows a change in position of Sand
island, placing it 14 nautical miles
from noint Adams." The attached
towards the northwest and south -
southwest, and had become dis
S torted in shape, the south - south
west portion extending so far as to
comuleteiy separate the two chan-
nels. The depths over the bars
and in the north channel had di
minished. The coast survej charts of lSoi
and 1875, with hydrography of
1SG8, and the engineer charts of
18?G, 1S7S, 1S79, and 1880, show
the progressive changes, which
may be briefly summarized.
Sand island has continuously
moved northernly from point
Adams, its present distance being
'.jl nautical miles north-northwest
for that point, and its extremity a
little more than 1 mile west from
cape Hancock. Sand island, and)
shoals tailing from it, have by this
movement crowded the portion of
the north channel cast of the cape
close upon Chinook spit, thereby
much diminishing its width. A
shoal at the eastern extrenntv of
this channel gradually formed,
which had of late years increased
in length westward to 2 miles; it
has a depth over it of only 14 feet
at the mean of lowest low waters.
Towards the cape the depth in
creases, and again diminishes at
the outer bar, where it is about
21 feet.
The north breakers, or Peacock
spit, extend 1 mile south-southwest
from the cape.
The middle sands, extending
first westward from Sand island
until south of the cape, thence by
a quick turn in a southerly direc
tion, terminate in a southeast
course about three-lourths of a
mile south of an east-and-west line
through point Adams. The total
length, including Sand island, is
about 8-J nautical miles. There
are two depressions in these sands,
where it has been supposed the
south channel might breakthrough,
the one a little west of the line
joining point Adams with the cape,
and the other northwest from the
range of the beacons on the east
ern portion of Sand island.
The south channel, after a west
erly course, is deflected to the
southward by the middle sands,
into which, however, it first cuts
a deep, sharp indentation, and is
finally deflected in a southeast di
rection (through a channel nar
rowed to one-half mile by the tail
of the middle sands and by a pro
jection from Clatsop spit) into the
ocean, over a bar with about 20
feet on it.
Clatsop spit from a westerly has
been thrown into a northwesterly
direction, extending over 3 mile.
from point Adams, and occupies
fully one-half of what was formerly
the channel space between point
Adams and cape Hancock.
Mean rise and fall of tides at
point Adams, G.9 feet, C. S., 1851.
Mean rise and fall of tides at
Astoria, G.4 feet, C. S., 1851
Mean rise and fall of tides at
! Astoria, G.l feet, C. S., 1S54.
brief summary of the changes
since the date of ancouver s
chart of 1792 is necosary to obtain
an adequate idea of the immense
wave and current action prevail
ing at this bar. From a single
broad and dee) outlet at that date,
the charts of 1S39 and 1S41 show
a division in two channels caused
by the formation of Sand island,
with an attendant triangular shoal
covering an area of about S square
nautical miles, the common outlet
or these two channels being
moved about S miles southerly
from cape Disappointment by the
growth of the north breakers.
Subsequent surveys of the coast
sjrve and the United States en
gineers develop striking changes
in the channels and shoals, which
have been uniform in their causes
and results,
The north channel has not only
been narrowed and shoaled by the
movement of Sand island, but it
has also been considerably curved
northwards. The north breakers
have been eut away from a south
erly projection of 2- miles from
cape Disappointment to that of
1 mile.
The southeast end of the middle
sands and a projection from Clat
sop shoals have considerably nar
rowed the south channel near the
outlet, and threaten even to close it.
The naviirable depth in the
north channel has decreased since
1841 from G fathoms to 14 feet at
the present time, and over the liar
: from 44 fathoms to 21 feet. The
t depth over the bar of the south
channel has also decreased from
144 fathoms in 18GS to 19 feet.
- ' The distance of the north bar.
- , from cape Hancock has varied
from about 4 miles in 1S39 to 2
miles at the-present time. The
distance of the south bar fro
point Adams h:is varied from -t to
JJ4r miles nearly west from point
Adams.
The northward swing of Clakop
spit has been particularly hurtful
to the south channel, as thereby
considerable portion of its flow
has been forced over the. middle
sands, to the detriment of the bar:
Between 1870 and 1S80 both
Peacock spit and Clatsop spit have
approached the middle sands and
narrowed the width of the north
ern depression. This in 1S7S had
a width across between the 3
fathom curves of 2,800 feet, with
a depth of 14 feet; in 1879 a width
of 2,400 feet, and the same depth
as before; in 1SS0 a width of
1,000 feet, and a depth of 17
feet. The great decrease in width
and increase in depth in one year,
between 1S79 and 1SS0, indicate a
possible close approach to a breach
at this point through the middle
sands.
The more southerly depression
had in 187S a width between the
3-fathom curves of 4,G00 feet, with
a depth of 15 feet; in 1879 the'
same width, with a depth of 13
feet; and 18S0 a width of 1,700
feet and a depth of 17 feet. The
great decrease in width and n?
crease in depth durinjr the last
year of observations indicate like
wise a close approach to a break
ing through at this point.
Considering also that here the '
currents of the south channel set
directly against this narrow bulk-
head, it becomes not impossible
that the breach here mav be the
first effected.
The proposition to construct a
training wall starting from the
shore line at point Adams north
from fort Stevens, to have a length
of G,500 feet, and a direction about
west-northwest along the interor
2-fathom curve of Clatsop spit, al
though earnestly recommended
and made the occasion of a call
for immediate construction, is not
approved.
1 he distance from point Adams
to the section in the middle sands
which it is the object of this struc
ture to wash away by its action in
deflecting the currents of the chan
nel is 5 nautical miles, and it is
quite probable, considering the
distance of the point to be affect
ed and the large volume of water
in the channel to be deflected, that
to accomplish the desired result
a training wall nearly if not quite
3 miles long would be required.
The probability of an early
breach at one or two points of the
middle sands, so far at least as the
rapid wearing away during the
past year can support the assertion,
is very great, and it becomes a
matter of serious consideration
whether before material progress
in construction of the proposed
work could be made, or even pre
parations to undertake if perfected,
the natural causes now in active
operation would not have accom
plished the desired result.
As a training wall long enough
to effect this object would consoli
date and fix Clatsop spit in its
present position, it might be well
to inquire into the influence of
such a consolidation upon the fu
ture condition of the channel. The
spit has been for years near its
present position and extent, and
'though contracting considerably
the water way between point Adams
and cape Hancock, it has not had
the effect of deepening, the outlets,
which have, on the contrary, dimin
ished both in width and depth.
I The present position of this spit
invites, if it does not compel, the
tail of the middle sands to trend to
the southeast and thus injuriously
affects the outlet of the south chan
nel, although its position and con
siderable projection into the. south
channel have for many years been
effectual in moving the middle
sands to thewest, and also the
north, thereby injuriously affecting
the north crtannel in depth and
width, as also in changing the di
rection of the south channel to its
injury and deterioration in depth
and width; yet it does not appear
that its effect in forcing a break
through the middle sands, which
might prove at least temporarily
beneficial, has been conspicuous.
This naturally leads to the state
ment of a fact that the increased
southerly projection of Peacock
jspit during the past year has prob-
ably been the principal cause of
the considerable increase of erosion
across the middle sands west of
Sand island.
Clatsop spit in its change of po-
sitiou and growth has unfortunate
ly been associated with a jreafc
deterioration ot navigation over the
bar, and it constitutes a principal
feature in the poorest exhibition
of navigable facilities which the
Columbia river at its mouth has
afforded for the past ninety years.
It is not the purpose to analyze
the changes which have takers,
place in the channels and other
features which, however, have
been mainly dependent upon the
movement of Sand island with its
shoal, and of Clatsop spit nor de
termine whether the one was
caused by the other, or whether
both movements were forced by
the same powerful agency.
It is sufficient, after what has
been pointed out, to state that the
present extent and position of Clat
sop spit constitute it a hurtful fea
ture of the outlet, and that it would
be a beneficial change if it were
set back in the place which it for
merly occupied, in a direction,
nearly west.
The Conclusion U
That the proposed training wall
along the inner edge should not be
built, because first, it would be
too sh&rt to effect the purpose de
signed, of making a breach for the
channel across the middle sands;
second, if extended far enough to
be effectual, the training wall
would consolidate Clatsop spit in,
position and extent, and constitute
a hurtful impediment to a future
improvement of the channels; and,
third, because the natural causes
now at worK would succeea m
making the desired breaches
through the sands, or operate some
other convulsion, entirely chang
ing the present conditions of the
entrance before effectual progress
could be made in the construction,
of the training wall. The features
of the outlet, as they have been
and now exist, possess neither
fixed position nor outlines, and it.
would seem to be first necessary,
by the construction of a soiid work,
to force the ever-shifting cbaunels
and shoals to assume general char
acteristics of permanence
Krforr a neonate Solution
Of the problem of improvement
could be effected, or the possibility
even of such result be predicted.
If the middle sands, for instance,
could be consolidated by a de
tached work across the opening of?
the river, leaving large intervals at
its extremities, viz. for a north,
channel between its north end and
cape Hancock, and for a south
channel between its south end and
point Adams, a considerable ad
vance would be made to bring the
problem within the result of suck
solution as it would admit of.
Auxiliary works, as experience
might dictate, would possibly be
necessary, or submerged jetties
might be run out from cape Han
cock and point Adams, so as to
insure a limited scour in a fixed
direction, and thus obtain a suit
able depth over the bar. But the
changes which appear now to- be.
imminent lead the board to think
that
All ConslrnclioiiN at tuN Time Woald.
Uv Premature
As it is likely that the benefit froni
natural causes which will follow a
change may endure for years.
Moreover, airy plan which could
be devised might probably inter
fere with the new courses of the
channels supposed about to form,
and even be impracticable under
the new condition of things. For
the above reasons, the board con
sider it unnecessary to submit any
plan at this time for the improve
ment ot the mouth of the Co
lumbia. Respectfully submitted. Z. B. Towek,
CoL n Uvt. Maj. Gen, U. S. A
Jon.v Nkwtox. Col. Eiuj., Bvt. Maj.
Gen. IlExnv L. Abuot. Crt? Eng., Bvt.
Brijj. (Jen.
Brig. Gen. II. G. Wnioirr, Chief of
Engineers, t". 8. A.
Music Lessons.
T. F. CULLEH and C- E. BARNES
TEACHEttS OF
VIOLIN, PIANO, GUITAR, COR
NET AND BANJO,
Would like a few pupils ou either ot the
above instruments.
Teraw-Eight lessons for five dollars.
CEOrders left at Stevens & Soas book,
store will be promptly attended to.
J. T. B0RCHERS,
CONC05ILY STKEET. ASTOKIA.
Manufacturer and Packer ot
CAVIAR, SMOKED SALMON.
Cash paid for fresh
BLACK STURGEON SPAWN.
Smoked Sturccon. and smoked Salmon pat
up in tins to snip to any part of the world.
Also, trout bait (salmon eggs) put up In caaa
and warranted to keep any length of tlme
cai3 and chenamus streets! Astorik
oepot at nojjer? central Aiarxei, corner
V
3fc