Image provided by: Tillamook County Library
About Tillamook headlight. (Tillamook, Or.) 1888-1934 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 1911)
TILLAMOOK HHJADL1QHT, AUGUST 10. 1911 ILLAMOOK HARBOR AND BAR IMPROVEMENTS. ome Interesting Facts as to iVhat is Being Done to Make Tillamook a Shipping Port. B y L. A. F ernsworth . [When the railroad shall have been Binpleted into Tillamook, but half he necessary factor in her indus- pal advancement shall have been rovided. Co-important with the hilroad in the proper development I the wonderful resources of this ¡underfill county, are the provi- ion and maintenance of deep, con- knient and safe harbor facilities ti Tillamook Bay. The importing I lumber and of lumber products, mnsportation facilities to meet bery particular shipping require ment, and commercial indepeud- hce all demand it. [Realizing this the people adjacent I Tillamook Bay are just now ■ore than ever lending their efforts I improve their harbor. Long time Ko these efforts first began, but the bvernmexit aid, which they sought, king steadfastly denied them, their ttdeavors were vain, and for some ¡uie dropped into disuse. Within ke past five years they have been Ivival with renewed vigor and bw, although no demand has been runted, they have for the first time Ben rewarded with any meed of en- huragement. The Board of Dis- flct Army Engineers appointed to bvestigate conditions relative to arbor improvements reported fa- prably and recommended in its en- rety the plan for improvements of- fred by the Tillamook Bay people, nd although the government en- ineers at Washington vetoed the ridings of the district board, with leir veto there went alao a glim- ter of hope. ceedings taken for the institution of the Port of Coos Bay, the Supreme Court again upheld the constitu tionality of the law, as well as the procedure for incorporation. So the contestants have really but one leg to stand on, and that a shaky one, namely, the point regarding the existence of the old port, and the resultant confliction of the new port. The case will be given a speedy trial in the circuit court, at a spec ial session, after which it will be taken to the Supreme Court, where its quick disposal is expected. The second suit seeks to restrain the port from collecting taxes, or the payment of bonds, and is based on practically the seme grounds. At torney Ralph R. Duniway has been retaiued to represent the plaintiffs. lected thereafter by the votes of the Drt. They hold their offices for irms of four years. The ports are icorporated under the "port act” I the legislature of 1999, and by its revisions are municipal corpor- hons having powers to do anything tat would tend to promote the mar itime. shipping and commercial Iterests of their districts. The present Port of Tillamook was Utborized by election September 13, 109. Its commissioners are all re- rcsentative men of Tillamook, be- Ig: H. T. Botts, lawyer, the presi- rnt; A. G. Beals, representative in >e legislature, the first vice-presi- Bnt; D. Fitzpatrick, dairy farmer, lie second vice-president; M. F. each, meat dealer and shipper, reaaurer ; JamesWalton, jr.,cashier I the First National Bank, secre- ■ry. The Port of Tillamook has a btal area of 210,063 acres, of which 12.635 acres are timber lands, and Is assessed valuation is <6,230,160. I is authprized to issue bonds not > exceed ten per cent of the a sees- Bd valuation, or to the amount of (23.916, and to levy taxes of not to Breed ten mills. I Since its incorporation, the Port f Tillamook has made two tax [vies but no bond issue was declar- d until this Spring, when the com- bissioners voted to bond the port n the sum of $456,000. Tillamook Bay is about fifty miles south of the Columbia River. It is Baid to be the largest bay on the coast, between the mouth of the Columb'a River and the Golden Gate. From mouth to head it stretches about six and one-half miles, and its width is three and one half miles. It has a surface of approximately 23 square miles. The name Tillamook is an Indian appellation of peculiar aptness. It means “the gathering of waters,” and Tillamook Bay is that in a sin gular degree, for five rivers, drain ing the central and the northern portions of Tillamook County, dis charge their waters into it. At its extreme eastern head, the Trask and the Tillamook Rivers flow into the bay, only a short distance from each other and a little further north- waid and somewhat lower down, the Kelchis and the Wilson Rivers run into it. The Miami River, ex tending into the Nehalem Valley and draining the MiamiValley,flows into the bay about three miles from the ocean. Bay City Active. The Port of Bay City was author ized by election May 4, 1910. It ex tends from Bay City eastward to the county line, embracing a strip about 10 miles wide by 30 miles long, or 300 square miles in all, and nas an assessed valuation of $2,002,- 620. A ten per cent bond issue, the limit permitted, enables it to raise $200,262 for harbor improvements. Its board of commissioners consists of John O. Bozorth, the president; Dr. W. C. Hawk, the vice-president; Theodore Jacoby, the secretary; Gust Nelson, the treasurer; and Charles W. Pike. It has collected a one mill tax this year, but has issued no bonds as yet. Attorneys employed by the Port of Bay City Ports Work Together. have examined into its status, and There are three principal factors pronounced all the requirements <orking at Tillamook in effecting for legality satisfactory. Suitshave te harbor improvements. These not threatened it thus far. re the Port of Tillamook and the The proposed Port of Bayocean ort of Bay City, constituted by law, nd the Bayocean interests. Bay- takes in the Bayocean Peninsula, Cean also contemplates organizing and half of the timber covered ■elf into a port, and will hold an mountain known as Cape Meares. ¡ection for this purpose August 31. from the watershed downward to the he affaire of each of these T'orta Tillamook Bay side. The valua re in the hands four commieeion- tion of the port, according to as rs appointed upon the incorpor- sessment, is somewhat over one on ports by the governor, and million dollars. Saits Retard Work. ¡The decision to bond the port has lot pleased sundry citizens, who Be residents of the territory added > the new port at its creation, and k«-y have instituted suit attacking be powers of the new port, pend- ■g the settlement of which, all Voits of the port are baited. ; The first suit was instituted by i V. and Lillian Anderson. Their Bine i pa I contentiona are that the Id port, which, being created by be legislature of 16W. bad preceded (e present port, has never been (■solved, and that aa a conae- ¡Bence the present port ia an usur- Btiun of the old port; that the Drt law under which the new port bs incorporated. ia uncoastitu- Dnal . and, that the port has not Ben incorporated in the mode and tenner provided in the said port I* The constitutionality of the brt law. however, has already Ben auatamed by the Supreme Burt in the case of Straw va. krria, and is he cnee of Bennett Bust Co. va. Mewgatocken. a autt rvolvmg the validity of the pro Bay Has Three Channels. Tillamook City is at the head of Hoquarton Slough, a very crooked back-water stream and is eastward about two and one-half miles above the bay. Bay City is on the north side of the bay, a little east of mid way between the mouth and the head, while further down, two miles from Bar City, is Hobsonville, a lumber town, and three miles down, on a shore line, Garibaldi, a can nery town. On the south side of the bay Cape Meares rises, and at the west, with a reach of not quite four miles, the Bayocean penin sula stretches northward, dividing the bay from the ocean. Between the northern point of this penin sula and the shore on the opposite aide ia a very deep and narrow pass, forming the channel through which the bey discharges and re ceives the ocean’s tides. At low water it ia but a few hundred feet acroaa. from shore to shore The bar ia about one mile further out from this point. There ia a heavy growth of timber on t ape Meares. and good null sites are along the shore line, but neither towns nor roads are on that side of the bay yet Tillamook Bay has three princi pal channels tor reaaela and two of these era open, while the opentar of the third ia urged in some quart era The taro open channels are keeping the south channel open as tide, will be left in its present con against the expense via the main dition. It skirts the north side of channel.” the bay and touches Garabaldi, Hobsonville and Bay C’ty. Near Disuse Impairs Channel. About fifteen years ago the Stur its lower part it has a rocky bottom, geon channel was a natural deep which would make dredging very channel, used regularly by vessels difficult. Bay City ia reached by coining to Tillamook. At that time, water by means of a big »lock, 1809 however, the govern met undertook feet long, built out into this chan a little improvement work on the nel. The Bay City Port, however, bay, and proceeded to render the proposes to extend this disk out middle channel available by render into the middle channel, by length ing the Sturgeon Channel useless. ening it to 30tXt feet. Bay City ia They closed it by placing a jetty reached at present by water by across its head at Dick's Point, and means of a short and narrow cut of they built several jetties along the about 1590 feet, leading from the middle channel from Dick's Point main channel to the Bay City Engineers Report Favorably. Slough Easily Improved. to Bay City, the evident intention channel. Ims cut was dredged out The necessary harbor work for It is generally conceded now that being to force the water towards about five years ago. keeping the bay and slough in their it will be a task allotted in its en Bay City. The abandonment of the Bay City present state of navigability, is in tirety to Tillamook to improve the As a consequence of disuse the channel would effect only Hobson the hands of Captain John Groat, Slough, and to deepen and main Sturgeon channel lias been filling ville, as all the channels consoli who has been stationed at Tilla tain the middle channel as far aa up, but it has still a depth of from date at Garibaldi. There are no mook by the government for many Biy City, in caee that channel ia one to ten feet at low tide. It is forces which would tend to fill up year^p He is provided with a small decided upon. The improvement held, however, that it could be re this channel, and the Miami river drente, and has at his disposal a of the slough involves the elimina opened aud maintained u consider emptying into the bay in a swift regular annual appropriation of tion of curves, the maintenance, current midway between Hobson $6(X0. which, however, does not go at present, of a channel teji feet ably lesser expense than the middle ville and Garibaldi, tends to keep very far. When this appropriation deep and 100 feet wide and the dig channel can merely be maintained. a part of the channel clear, Hob- The Sturgeon channel runs along becomes exhausted, the Port of ging of a basin 600 feet long aud sonville could always be reached, Tillamook or the citizeus have been 200 feet wide to provide terminal the southern shore of the bay, aa at preaent.by vessels and lumber where besides providing means of want to contribute money to the re facilities for vessels at Tillamook. schooners of goodly size. water communication for that part, maining essential work. This plan is in keeping with the With regard to bar improvements, Any project for making a good intention of securing as great a which has been hitherto unsettled, a division of opinion also exists, but ia opening up, it ia protected harbor of Tillamook Bay, naturally depth in the channels us on the being as between the merits of a resolves itself into three parts: bar. When a greater depth has been by Cape Meares from tile high jetty on the south side of the bar first, the improvement of Hoquar secured on the bar, the aleugh will southwest winds, which menace ton Slough from Tillamook to the also be deepened and widened, and shipping in time of storms, and also and a jetty on the north side. A jetty on both sides would of course head of the bay ; second, the main the terminal facilities at Tillamook tend to drive sand into the un be the best plan, but it is conceited protected channel. Besides this, tenance of a deep channel in the will be enlarged. Ultimately, it is that this ia too big an undertaking bay ; and third, the deepening and intended to maintain a depth of Hi it is the channel now used by the The government Bayocean interests for a consider for some time. improvement of the bar. feet on the slough. Hoquarton engineers have recommend the able distance up from its mouth. Last fall a proposal was made Slough from Tillamook to the mouth north jetty, and the Port of Bay to the government by the Ports of of Trusk River, two miles, has seven Boats to reach Bayocean from Tillamook, or Tillamook from Bay City ’a also favoring that plan, but Tillamook and Bay City, acting big horse shoe bends in it, while the Port of Tillamook has not jointly, to deepen the middle chan which, besides juat doubling the ocean, now are obliged to go down gone on record, pro or con, a nel from Bay City to the bar, and distance between these two points, the middle channel and up the strong sentiment exists in Tilla Sturgeon, or vice versa, thus giving to build a jetty on each side of the present considerable difficulties to mook favoring the south jetty. bar, so that at low tide there would vessels attempting to reach Tilla them a tide to “ buck” either way. be 16 feet of water in the channel, mook, and prevent others entirely The Bayocean people, moreover, Bar Presents Difficulties. and 28 feet on the bar. The two from getting there. About 129 feet when their port ia organized, will The Tillamook bar is at present ports offered to bear one fourth of ia the maximum length at which maintain a considerable portion of constantly shifting, both us to the cost if the government would vessels can now reach Tillamook. this channel themselves, thereby position and to depth. The heavy bear the remainder. A committee An 116-foot coaster is making regu further reducing Tillamook's ex southwestern gales of the winter of three government engineers was lar calls at the port now. The pre pense by nearly half. Bayocean time drive the channel far north, appointed by the Board of Engi sent plans involve the making of lias already expended a consider sometimes causing it to divide into neers at Washington, to examine entirely new channela at two places able sum of private money in many small channels, while the into the project, and to report their on the alough by cutting straight digging a channel nearly u mile northwestern winds of the summer findings, with their recommenda through the land encircled by long with a 16-foot high tide depth, drive it southward. The range of tions in the matter. The committee curves at these points; also, the from the Sturgeon Channel to the fluctuation is more than two miles, consisted of Col. John Biddle of attaining of a channel width of 150 Bayocean docks. and the shifting to the north ia San Francisco, Ma.'or Kutz of Seat feet at the other curves. The elimi Rivers Carry Silt. much more pronounced than that tle and Major Monow of Portland. nation of these two lienda would Should the Sturgeon Channel be to the south. Part of the summer The special committee found that shorten the distance to the mouth agreed upon, the Ports of Tilla time the channel extends straight the proposed improvements would of the Trask River to 9000 feet. mook and Bayocean would expect out to sen. cost about $1,722.000 and recom When the larger improvements are to bear the whole coat of opening The advantage of a south channel mended that the plan submitted taken up, most of the other bends and maintenance. The cost of its exponents say, ia that it would by the two ports be adopted by the will also be eliminated from the opening to a ten foot depth at low prevent the southern current and government. The Board of En channel, and thereby the distance tide has been estimated at from sands from shifting the channel gineers at Washington, however, from Tillamook to the heud of the $35,900 to $40,009. The distance by northward, and that it would also refused to sanction the report, bay will be cut in half. The esti this channel from Dick’s Point to offer a comparatively safe conduit but hinted that if the people adja mated cost of the slough improve Bayocean is some three and three- for vessels making Tillamook Bay cent to the harbor agree to contrib ments outlined is $89,609. fourths miles, to the Garibaldi in stormy weather. All big storms ute half of the cost of the work, the Sentiment Favors 8tnrgeon pass a little lees than six, and to are from the southwest, an I the plan would be more favorably the bar a little leas than seven. south jetty would tend to check the Channel. viewed. The fact that the Washing From Tillamook to Dick's Point is force of the wind on the water of The slougli itself is already from ton engineers were not accustomed slightly more than four milea, and the channel, making them less receive to favorable reports concern 100 to 300 feet wide throughout its thus from Tillamook to the bar turbulent, while thia effect would be ing Tillamook Bay harbor improve length, and the 100-foot width and this way would be just about the just reversed with a north jetty. ments, together with the fact that 10-foot depth of the improvement same ae by the middle channel, The north jetty advocates, how. the report was submitied at an in plans refer to the width and depth eleven miles. ever, say that a north jetty would opportune time, at a time when of the channel at low tide The The cost of improving am! main act as a bulwark against the President Taft was insisting on preaent low tide depth is three feet. taining the middle channel from rigid economy in government rf- Large vessels are always obliged to northerly shiltiug of the channel, Dry Stocking Bar to Bay City, four and Chat the ndditiopnl impetus fairs, were greatly responsible for wait f<Jr low tides to go to depart miles, lias been placed at $60,099. the rejection of the recommenda from Tillamook thereby hampering given to the curreqt J>y the jetty shipping considerably. The pro The Kelchis and the Wilson rivers would check the augl'1 shifting to tions. posed improvements would obviate flow into the bay about thia point, the south They taaini out as an Original Plan Abandoned. and their waters merge, making thia handicap. additional argument- that the north In paying one fourth of the cost From the mouth of the Trask one channel, which constitutes the jetty, with a railrowd'constructed r of the improvement, Bay City was would be another half mile of upper part of the Bay City channel. willing to pledge herself for the alough to maintain to the head of The channel which they form, the north side, and -with suit title limit permitted by law, namely, the bay, at Dry Stocking Bar, and fiends in an elbow very dose to the rock neurby, coit’f fie eonstru id much more clie.ipty ihan the s< dh $20X282. This would leave $230/238 from this point thsre will be one middle channel, thus tending, and to t»e born by Tillamook, or to tie and one half mile of bay channel particularly so at high tide, to wash jetty. A rough estimate lias placed divided between Tillamook and to Dick’s Point, where the Sturgeon all the sediment and silt from the the coat of constructing a jetty on the north aide sufficient to main Bayocean, should the latter port be Channel branches off southward river into the main channel. tain a 14 foot depth on the bar, at incorporated. As the Port of Tilla from the middle channel. The dis It may be a hard matter to induce mook, at its present assessed valu tance by channel route from Tilla the government engineers to per $009,000, and that of building a similar jetty on the south side at ation, can bond itself for $623,016, mook to Dick’s Point ia slightly mil the opening of the Sturgeon $1,060,000. by paying the remainder alone, it over four milea and to Bay Cityjuat channel, however, for the govern Captain Paul Schrader, master would still have $392,778 with which seven milea. From Tillamook to ment plans have always reckoned of the Sue II Eltftore who has to improve Hoquarton Slough and the paaa at Garibaldi by the middle with the middle channel. been running into Tillamook for the channel from the mouth of the channel is ten milea, and to the bar, The principal argument of tl>e i many years, and who ia un- slough to Bay City. eleven miles. opponents of the Sturgeon Channel i doubtedly the tieat informed man But when the plans were rejected A divided opinion exists with re is not that it is not the natural of Tillamook bay and harlior con at Washington, and that hint about gard to the maintenance of either channel, but that it would benefit ditions, thinks that the south jetty paying one half came, the original the Sturgeon Channel or the middle only Tillamook. They point out tliat I ia the pro|ier one, but concedes a plan was abandoned, for it was patent channel, but a very strong senti the opening of the Sturgeon Chan ' superior knowledge to the govern, to all that the payment of one half ment of well-informed persona ia nel would leave the opening of the ment engineers in their decision. of the cost of the proposed project urging the opening of the Sturgeon main channel still a necessity, and was considerably more than could Channel. The argument in favor that the government would lie un Captain Favors North Jetty. be undertaken by the ports. New of thia channel is that it is the nat willing to maintain or authorize the Captain F. K. I lodge, an old time plans were made—and here comes ural channel, is protected from maintenance of two channels on the mariner on the Oregon coaat, and the parting of the ways. the winds and can beat and moat bay. particularly on Tillamook bay, The Bay City Port offered to con cheaply be maintained. The middle channel will always favors, on the other hand, the north tribute its limit of $260,262 J. H. C. Lockwood, consulting be needed to accommodate the towns jetty. Captain Dodge says that towards building a jetty on engineer for the Port of Portland on the north side of the bay aa far when he come to Tillamook first, in the north side of the bar, st an es for the last ten years, gives suc as Bay City, and the opening of the 1892, there was a depth of 24 ft-«-» > i timated cost of $600,000, and in cinctly the reasons for opening the Sturgeon channel and the abandon the bar, and that the northern shore maintaining a channel with a 14 | Sturgeon Channel. Mr. Lockwood ment of the other would cut Bay line extended uiucti further wswsrd foot depth at low tide, as far as was employed by the Port of Tilla City off entirely from the head of than it does at present. The water Bay City, if what remained towards mook in the latter part of May, to the bay and from Tillamook. Strong in those years, lie says, has t er half of the cost be given by the advise it as to the best plan to fol advocates of the middle channel in washing the northern shore, Tillamook Port, either alone or in low in making harbor improve Tillamook point out that Tillamook conjunction with the proposed Bay ments, and in his report he recom allowing current tn sprea«!, and could afford this as little as Bay vitiating its force in waskiog •?.. ocean Port There are those, how mended the opening of the south City. channel clear, until nos <li dttu- ever, who favor a jetty on the south or Sturgeon Channel. His recoin side of the bar instead of on the [ mendation says : North Channel Unimportant. nel ia becoming obliterated north side and there are those who ” The choice of routes on the There are those, also, who think theory is that a north jelly ah< favor the opening of the Sturgeon lower section lies clearly with the that by diking the main channel on lie built, thus not only preventi'i ■ channel instead of the middle ship south channel, as the estimated the north side, the side on which the channel from shifliup nor. channel, so that the course to be amount of material to bo excavated the Kelchis and the Wilson rivers ward, I mt confining the short- li by that route ia SO,000 cubic Varda pursued in the improvement of the as against 3H1,<U) cubic yards via flow, and by depositing the materia) with somewhat Hie smite eff<. i as channels and the bar is juat now a the main channel, and the inainten removed from the channel behind had the shore line in early days, SO aoce charge is sure to be materially flu lusting quantity. this wail or dike, the silt from the that the force of the water could The Tillamook port, however, has keep the channel clear. He tluiiks ” By the south channel you avoid 1 rivers could be prevented from decided upon one thing, sod that is ■II silt from the Wilaoo and Kil washing into the channel, and that that «and will begin to pile up the immediate improvement of Ho chia Rivera, and your maintenance thus it could be maintained at a against the north side of the jetty quarton Slough as far ae Dry Mock expense will be limited to moving lower coat than at first estimated. ■ nd tlist thus the former seawsrd ing Bar, which la practically the the e>lt from Trask and Tillamook Ths Bay City channel, with a shore line will again be eatabliaiied rivers. You will certainly eave head of the bny, and the deepening half of your maintenance charge tn depth at this time of 10 feet nt high on the north aide. the Bay City channel, open aa far' as Bay City, four milea from the en trance to the bay, and skirting the northern shore, touching at the town» of Garibaldi and Hobson ville ; and the middle or ship chan nel, the channel mainly used by vessels, - and the channel lead ing to Tillamook. On the south side of the bay, skirting Bav- ocean and Cape Meares, is the south or Sturgeon Channel, which is not open, but which is being strongly advocated by many as the expedi ent channel to open and main tain. of one channel or the other at once thereafter. To this end they have resolved to bond themselves for $450,006, and they will push the work with energy aa soon as the pending litigation is decided. What the Tillamook port means to secure just aa soon ae it poaaibly can, iaaa great a depth to the mouth of the bay aa is the depth of the water on the bar. They propose at present to leave the deepening of the bar entirely to the government, and to take up the work of slough and channel improvement either inde pendently, or with the aid of the other ports.
