CO
ttfftfflk
Vol. xv.
Astoria. Oregon, Tuesday Morning, May 10, 1881.
No. 8.
Columbia Rher Bar Improvement."
Through favor of Senator G ro
ver we are in possession of the
following reports, interesting to
people of Oregon and Washington
territery:
rrojcii r .iinj. ;. i (;iiirsii. n
of IIimlttcrr.
Uniti:i States Km.ixeku Officii,
Portland, Oregon, I Jeoembcr 5, 1890.
Gi:xki:aj,: 1 have the honor to
Mibmit for the consideration of the
department a chart of the mouth
of the Columbia liver, showing the
location and character of an im
provement which I now propose as
a means for hastening the deepen
ing of the channel through the
Middle sands inside the bar.
On the 7th of December, 1S79,
I submitted a plan and estimates
for a stone dike on the south side
of the entrance, but the project,
as is stated in 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 led 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 tho original project
contemplated. The shoals, and
the two channels of approach
through them, aie 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
direction of the currents to main
tain deep water along the line
observed in the chart of 1S11.
The short passage between the
north and south channels, through
the Middle sands, at a point indi
coted in my previous reports on
this harbor, has not been effected
with the rapidity and success I
anticipated. I believe the cut is
gradually deepening, but the pro
cess is so slow that the channel
cannot be used with convenience
by deep draught vessels when
winds and tides aie unfavorable.
An attempt was made to hasten
the deepening by harrowing across
the depression, leaving the cur
rents to carry out to sea the dis
placed material. This was a labor
ious undertaking with the means
available, and very expensive; an
increase of three to four feet was
obtained, but I was compelled to
forego opeiations on account of
msufliciency 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
ing into Oregon and Washington
territory in large quantities to
build railroads and develop the re
sources of the country, and it is of
the greatest importance to the
commercial public that a deeper
channel be made as speedily as
possible from the outside to a safe
anchorage on the inside.
I have heretofore been unwilling
to recommend any construction
which involved the use of timber
because of the exposure of the
site; but the great demands upon
the river and the many and new
interests centering in this section
induce me to recommend an im
provement which is capable of
being made rapidly and quickly,
and which, if not permanent at
first, may be made so by annual
strengthenings and additions.
The project proposed is to build,
along the line previously estab
lished on the south side, a strong
pile-dike, rising three feet above
low tide, S,000 feet long, and
twenty 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 fert Stev
ens, and, following the twelve-foot
curve, will be directed a 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 pro
ject the ebb currents, which have
usually a maximum surface velocity
of six feet per second, in the direc
tion of the cut which I have
been attempting to improve b'
the scraper, and will have suffi
cient depth of water on the east
side to enable the plant to work
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 land
ing must be made on the inside
some distance from the work; a
tramway must be built to connect
the landing with the dike, and ex
tended over the dike as it pro
gresses. Wherever it will be necessary
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 matresses to prevent erosions
by the "waves and currents. This
work should be done in one work-
iug season; and if it proves effica
cious, which I do not doubt, in
cutting out the middle sands, it
can be strengthened by additions
of mattresses and stone, converting
the structure into one of a perma
nent character, and may be extend
ed at will.
The Columbia river ami its afflu
ents drain an area of nearly 200,
000 square miles; the country
through which it pus4 is settling
up rapidly, 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 rivers 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 tlwroughly
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
southwesterly gales, which create
the highest seas and ofifet the
greatest impediments to coniinu-ous-
and safe labors. I do not
think it can be doubted that tho
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 de
pendent mainly upon the building
up of Ciatsop .spit, and the holding
of it in a position approximate 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 in its construction than the
dike.
K-1 1 MATH OF COST.
0.503 fwt of illke. t $50 Jer fwt X!5,080
1.500 feet of dike (toibore), at $W per
foot .. co.000
2..VK) oel of shore ivveHtiiicHt, at $10
per fool 'JSjo0
Tola! fll8,009
Com jHRciwk's of cngiiitt'riHg. mmi-vcj ?,
ihsjk?1Io, ole.. 29,000
SI9Q.000
The success of the project is so
dependent upon rapidity of con
struction, only obtainable bj- the
use of strong and costly plant,
that I would urge the appropria
tion of the full amount of the esti
mate so that the dike may 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,
C. L ISI1.I.KSPIK,
SluJ. of Cneinrort, Bt. J.kHl. Col., I. S. A.
ling. Gen If. C Wiiigut,
Chief of KHsincers, V. 3. A.
lEcpoi-l orilu-Konrd oriliiglnrcr.
New York. Fob. 12, 1881.
Gi:xi:kai.: This board, in ac
coi dance with instructions from
the office of the chief of engineers,
dated December 24, 1SS0, to con
sider the whole subject of the im
provement of the mouth of the
Columbia river, 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 by the local
engineer, Maj. G. L. Gillespie,
corps of engineers.
As a fiist 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
179'2 represents the river discharge,
through a single channel, nearly
due west into the ocean, with a
depth on the bar of li fathoms.
The Clatsop shoal, or south break
ers, which form the southern
margin of the channel, had an ex
tent in a westerly direction of
about 7 j; miles. The not th edge
of the channel lay about one-half
mile south of cape Disappointment.
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 Belchers admiralty
chart of 1S39 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
of a large triangular shoal, which
presented its base to seaward, the
line of the base extending nearly
north and south. The island and
shoal separated the waters into a
north and south channel, the for
mer leading northwest, towards
the cape, where it was turned ab
ruptly to the south-southeast,
skirting the north breakers, which
had extended southerly for a dis
tance of a little more that two
nautical miles, and then entered
the ocean in a west by south
course, over a bar with 4i 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 five nautical miles, to
its junction with the north chan
nel. Before this juncture how
ever, the south channel set off au
outlet through the south shoal into
the ocean, with a depth on the
bar of 3 fathoms, the navigable,
depth in the north channel until
the bar was reached being six
fathoms, and in the south channel
4i fathoms. The level of reduc
tion of soundings is not known,
but was probably that of lowest
waters.
The chart of the exploring
expedition 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 must resemble those of
the 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 U4- miles.
The coast survey chart of 1851
shows a change in position of
Sand island, placing it 1 nautical
miles from point Adams. The
attached shoal was considerably
elongated towards the northwest
and south-southwest, and had be
come distorted in shape, the south
southwest portion extending so
far as to completely separate the
two channels. The depths over
the bars and in the north channel
had diminished.
The coast survey charts of 1834
andlS75, with hydrography of 1SG8,
and the engineer charts of 1S7G,
1S78, 1870, and 1880, show the
progressive changes, which may be
briefly summarized.
Sand-island has continuously
moved northerly from point Adams,
its present distance being three
and one-eighth nautical miles
north-northwest from tbat point,
and its western extremity a little
more than one mile west from cape
Hancock. Sand-island, and shoals
tailing from it, have by this move
ment crowded the portion of the
north channel east of the cape close
upon Chinook spit, thereby much
diminishing its width. A shoal at
the eastern extremity of this chan
nel gradually formed, which had of
late years increased in length west
ward two miles; has a depth over
it of only fourteen feet at the mean
of lowest low water. Towards the
cape the depth increases, and
again diminishes at the outer bar,
where it is about twelve feet.
The north breakers, or Peacock
spit, extend one 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-fourths of a
mile south of an east and west line
through oint Adams. The total
length, including Sand-island, is
about eight and three-fourths nau
tical miles. There are two de
pressions in these sands, where it
has been supposed the south chan
nel might break through, 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 eastern portion
of Sand-ibland.
The south channel, after a
westerly 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
direction (through a channel nar
rowed to one-half mile by the tail
of the Middle sands and by a
projection from Clatsop spit) into
the ocean, over a bar with about
twenty feet on it.
Clatsop spit from a westerly has
been thrown into a northwesterly
direction, extending over three
miles from point Adams, anal occu
pies fully one-half of what was
formerly the channel space be
tween point Adams and Cape
Hancock.
Mean rise and fall of tides at
point Adams, 6.1) feet, c. s., 1851.
Mean rise and fall of tides at
Astoria, G.4 leet, c. s, 1S51.
Mean rise and fall of tides at
Astoria, G.l feet, c. s., 1854.
A brief summary of the changes
since the date of Vancouver's chart
of 1792 is necessary to obtain an
adequate idea of the immense
wave and current action prevailing
at this bar. From a single broad
and deep outlet at that date, the
charts of 1839 and 1S41 show a
division into two channels caused
by the formation of Sand-island,
with an attendant triangular shoal
covering an area of about eight
square nautical miles, the common
outlet of these two channels being
moved about two and one-third
miles southerly from cape Han
cock by the growth of the
north breakers.
Subsequent surveys of the coast
survey 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 chanu 1 has not only
been narrowed and shoaled by the
movement f Sand-island, but it
has also been considerably curved
northward. The north breakers
have been cut away from a south
erly projection of tvo and one-half
miles from cape Hancock to
that of one mile.
The southeast end of the Middle
sands and a projection from Clatsop
shoals have considerably narrowed
the south channel near the outlet,
and threaten even to close it.
The navigable depth in the north
channel has decreased since 1S41
from six fathoms to fourteen feet
at tho present time, and over the
bar from four and one-half fathoms
to twenty-one feet. The depth
over the bar of south channel has
also decreased from four and one
half fathoms in 1SGS to nineteen
feet.
The distance of the north bar
from cape Hancock has varied from
about four miles in 1S39 to Uvo
miles at the present time. The
distance of the south bar from
point Adams has varied from four
to three and one-half miles nearly
west from point Adams.
The northward swing of Clat
sop spit has been particularly hurt
ful to the south channel, as thereby
a considerable portion of its flow
has been forced over the Middle
sands, to the detriment of the bar.
Between 1879 and 18S0 both
Peacock spit and Clatsop spit have
approached the Middle sands and
narrowed the width of the northern
depression. This in 1S78 had a
width across between the three
fathom curves of 2,800 feet, with
a depth of fourteen feet; in 1S79 a
width of 2,400 feet, and the same
depth as before; in 1880 a width of
1,000 feet, and a depth of seven
teen feet. The great decrease in
width and increase in depth in ono
year, between 1879 and 1SS0, in
dicate a possible close approach to
a breach at this point through the
Middle sands.
The more southerly depression
had in 1878 a width between the
three-fathom curves of 4,600 feet,
with a depth of fifteen feet; in
1879 the same width, with a depth
of thirteen feet; and in 1SS0 a
width of 1.700 feet, and a depth of
seventeen feet. The great de
crease in width and increase in
depth during the hist year of ob
servations indicate likewise a close
approach to a breaking 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 may be the
first effected.
The proposition to consrruct a
training wall starting from the
shore-line at point Adams north
from fort Stevens, to have a length
of 6,000 feet, and a direction about
west-northwest along the interior
2-fathom curve of Ciatsop spit,
although earnestly recommended
and made the occasion of a call for
immediate construction, is not ap
proved. The 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 five nautical miles, and it is
quite probable, considering the
distance of the point to be affected
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
three miles long would be required.
The probability of an early
breacb 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 asser
tion, is very great, and it becomes
a matter of serious consideration
whether before material progress
in the construction of the proposed
work could be made, or even pre
parations to undertake it perfected,
the natural causes now in active
operation would not have accom
plished the desired result.
As at 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 consolidation upon the future
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,
diminished both in width and
depth. The present position of
this spit invites, if it does not
compel, the tail of the Mid
dle 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 the west and also to the
north, thereby injuriously affect
ing the north channel in depth
and width, as also in changing the
direction of the south channel, to
its injur 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 tempo
rarily beneficial, has been conspic
uous. This naturally leads to a
statement of a fact that the in
creased southerly projection of
Peacock spit during the past year
has probably 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
sition and growth has unfortunate
ly been associated with a great de
terioration of navigation over the
j bar, and it constitutes a principal
feature in the poorest exhibition of
i navigable facilities which the Co
! lumbia river at its mouth has af
forded for the past ninety years.
It is not the purpose to analyze
the changes which have taken
place in the channels and other
featares which, however, have
been mainly dependent upon the
movement of Sand island with its
shoal, and of Clatsop spit nor de
termine whether one was caused
by the other, or whether both
movements were forced by the
;samc powerful agency.
j It is sufficient, after what has
I been pointed out, to state that the
i present extent and position of
J Clatsop spit constitute it a hurtful
! feature of the outlet, and that it
would be a beneficial change if it
were set back in the place which
lit formerly occupied, in a direction
hiearly west.
The conclusion is that the pro-
posed training wall along the in
Jner edge should not be built, be-
cause
, First, it would be too short to
effect the purpose designed, of
j making a breach for the channel
j across the middle sands.
Second, if extended far enough
I to be effectual, the training wall
would consolidate Clatsop spit in
I position and extent, and constitute
a hurtful impediment to a future
j improvement of the channel; and,
1 lurd, because the natural caus
es now at work would succeed in
making the desired breeches
'through the sands, or operate some
s other convulsion, entirely chang
ing the present conditions of the
i entrance before effectual progress
uuuui uu mau- in mi rousirucuon
of the traininir wall.
The features of the outlet, as
they have been and now exist,
possess neither fixed poition nor
outlines, and it would seem to be
first necessary, by the construc-
j tion of a solid work, to force the
! ever-shifting channels and shoals
j to assume general characteristics
I of permanence before a definite
solution of the problem of im
provement could be effected, or
j the possibility even of such result
be predicted.
If the middle sand, for in
stance, could be consolidated by a
detached work across the opening
of tin river, leaving large inter
vals 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 consider
able advance would be made to
bring the problem within the re
sult of such solution as it would
admit of. Auxiliary" works, as ex
perience might dictate, would
possibly be necessary, or sub
merged jetties might be run out
from cipe Hancock and point Ad
ams, so as to insure a limited
scour in a fixed direction, and
thus obtain a suitable depth over
the bar.
But the changes which appear
now to be imminent lead the board
to think that all constructions at
this time would be premature, as
it is likely that the benefit from
natural causes which will follow a
change may endure for years.
Moreover, any 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
consider it unnecessary to submit
any plan at this time for the im
provement of the mouth of the
Columbia. Respectfully submit
ted. z. B. TOWER,
Col. Enjc.,Bvt. Mai. (;en..U. S. A.
JOIIX NEWTON,
Col. Enc.. Rvt. Maj. Gen.
HENRY L. ABBOT,
Lieut. Col. En jr.. Bt. Brie. Gen.
Brit,'. Gen. H. G. WRIGHT,
Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.
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aZiyiI21EEI3IIIlIIZ31IMIIIlIIIIlIIII1Iir2IIinIlHX:Xln31IIIlHUIlIUtISH31HilIU
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