History of Benton County, Oregon, Part 70

Author: David D. Fagan
Publication date: 1885
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Oregon > Benton County > History of Benton County, Oregon > Part 70

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" Between Yaquina Head and the cape four streams large enough to furnish good water power, flowing through small valleys more or less heavily timbered, enter the

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ocean. Except in these valleys the vegetation, although luxuriant, is of small growth and consists of salal, whortleberry, fern and scattered spruce scrubs. The beach is from three hundred to eight hundred feet wide, generally sandy, but the frequent occurrence of rocks above the surface show that the sand has little depth. The shore north of the cape is of the same general character.

"Cape Foulweather is a promontory, covered with a thick carpet of grass and fern, making out from the continent, its crest line running from east to west, at right angles to the general course of the shore line, crossing two conical summits respectively four hundred and three hundred and fifty feet high, descending the latter at a slope of about thirty degrees and terminating in a flat point eighty feet above mean sea level, on which the lighthouse stands. The neck where the promontory joins the continent is two thousand three hundred feet across below water lines and about two hundred feet above sea level at its highest point. The promontory is a mass of dense, hard, black basalt, which seems to have been forced like a wedge into a cleft in the sandstone. It rises vertically from the sea to a height of from eighty to one hundred and fifty feet, in many places overhanging the water ; its face hollowed out into caverns and seamed with fissures, with sharp projections of fantastic shape; the whole crum- bling away slowly from the effects of the winter frosts and rains. The base of the cliff is honey-combed with caves, some of which might well be called tunnels, as they extend a long distance into the rock. One is said to penetrate eighty feet in a direct line from the face. It is not possible to verify this statement, as the surf was washing in and out of the cave with great force, but it is probably not far from the truth. The west end of the cape is surrounded by a number of pinnacles of rock rising vertically to a height of from forty to eighty feet out of the water. Seen from a boat at a short distance, this black, jagged mass towering into the air, with the surf lashing its base with a noise like thunder, the scene excels in grandeur the sight of the Devil's Can- yon, and Cape Horn, on the Central Pacific Railroad ; but it must be a sight of terror to the unfortunate mariner who should see it as a lee coast during a southwest gale. " From November to April the prevailing winds are southerly. Sometimes strong west winds occur, changing round to northwest, breaking into heavy squalls,accompanied by rain, hail, thunder and lightning. This is generally from February to April. The gales which are principally dreaded by mariners come from the southwest. These are sometimes so strong that a man cannot keep his feet, and pebbles as large as hazle-nuts are caught up from the beach and dashed against the light-tower, a height of more than one hundred feet. These gales reach a velocity of sixty miles per hour. Fogs so dense that the shore is not visible from a distance of five hundred feet out at sea, occur at all seasons, but principally during the month of July. Rain during the winter is not so frequent as in the Willamette valley, but heavier; snow is of rare occurrence, always light and soon melts.

"The spring tides, with the ocean in its normal condition rise and fall nine feet. During strong west winds the high tides havereached a height of twelve feet above mean low water mark. The influence of ordinary high tides extends to Pioneer, thirty miles above the mouth of the Yaquina, the tide rising and falling from four to six feet.

" It has generally been believed by the residents of the country around Yaquina bay that a reef from three to five fathoms under water extends in a curved line from

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WALLING-LITH-PORTLAND-OR.

STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, CORVALLIS, BENTON CO. OR.

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Yaquina Head toward Cape Foulweather, terminating about one and one-half miles south of the cape, inclosing a basin having a smooth, sandy bottom, which covers an area of nearly a thousand acres, and that a breakwater built along the crest of the sup- posed reef would convert the basin into a harbor of shelter for vessels in distress as well as a port of entry.

"It was for the purpose of ascertaining the feasibility of this project that a survey was requested by those interested, among whom may be included all the people of that section of Oregon whose nearest outlet to the ocean lies through the valley of the Yaquina river. The chart of the United States Coast Survey in this locality and my soundings over the same ground show that no such reef exists. There are four knobs of sandstone, harder than the rest of the bottom, from twelve to thirty feet under low water level, situated in a curved line in the direction above indicated, but distant from each other from one-fourth to one-half of a mile, and with from thirty-six to fifty feet of water between them. On these, during low tides and heavy swells, the sea breaks constantly, suggesting the presence of a continuous reef.

"The length of breakwater which this project contemplates would be nine thou- sand nine hundred feet, with an average depth of twenty-six feet below tide level.

" Its cost per linear foot, on the general plan recommended by the Board of Engineers, Pacific coast, would be as follows :

Ashlar masonry, 21.67 cubic yards at $18

$410 60

Rubble masonry, 14.08 cubic yards at $9

126 72

Small rough rubble 73.00 cubic yards at $3.

219 00

Large rough rubble 59.25 cubic yards at $5.

296 25

Per linear foot

$1,052 57

Nine thousand linear feet at $1,052 57

$10,420,443 00

Add for contingencies, ten per cent.

1,042,044 30

Total $11,462,487 30

" The estimate for rough rubble may appear excessive, but the stone would have to be brought from Cape Foulweather, the nearest point where hard rock is found, and where, owing to the prevalence of heavy seas, the loading of barges would be expensive and dangerous, often impossible, necessitating the suspension of the work until the recurrence of smoother water should allow the boats to approach the quarries with safety.

" There is no question that such a work, if carried out, would greatly benefit navi- gation by affording shelter from southwest gales. Some such protection is absolutely required. But a better harbor, at much less cost, would be secured by building a breakwater from the extreme point of Cape Foulweather, northward, inside of the reef above described, for a distance of six hundred feet. This would inclose an area of about one hundred acres, under the lee of the cape, with anchorage in from four to eight fathoms of water, having a free entrance from the west twelve hundred feet wide. Such a harbor would satisfy the present necessities, not only as a refuge but also as a port of entry, Yaquina bay being accessible only to light-draught coasting vessels ;

61+

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and it might be enlarged at any future time, if desired, by extending the breakwater along the reef.

"The cost per linear foot of a breakwater here, on the plan recommended, would be as nearly as can be estimated from the data obtained, as follows, its dimensions being : Length, six hundred feet; average depth below tide, thirty-one feet : Ashlar masonry $410 60

Rubble masonry.

126 72

Small rough rubble, 110 cubic yards at $2

220 00

Large rough rubble, 59.25 cubic yards at $4.

237 00

Per linear foot. $994 32

Making for its length of six hundred feet.

$596,592 00

Add for contingencies, ten per cent 59,659 20

Total $656,251 20

"Here the stone could be obtained from the shore end of the wall and hauled in cars along the top, extending the track as the work progressed, making the cost of transportation less than in the south bay. The above estimates are in gold coin.

" The hydrographic work of the Coast Survey in this vicinity terminates at the extremity of Cape Foulweather. No survey had ever been made of this bay and, so far as I could learn, my boat was the first that had ever entered it. It is a natural harbor of considerable extent, even without improvement. I am informed that during southwest gales the whole of the area inside of the reef is comparatively smooth, and the southeast portion quite so. Several of the seamen employed as boatmen on this survey, who had sailed for a number of years between San Francisco and Puget Sound, and claimed to be familiar with the coast and its climate, said that if two buoys were placed to mark the entrance, and the fact published for the information of mariners, vessels of any draught could enter here, not only for shelter, but for purposes of com- merce. If this opinion be correct-and there seems to be no reason to the contrary- the circumstance is of interest in connection with the fact that a narrow-gauge railway is now under construction from Corvallis, on the Willamette to Yaquina bay.

" Last winter there were a number of vessels in distress off Cape Foulweather at different times, and one that I am aware of was lost, with all on board. In describing this bay I omitted to mention that there is a rock on which the swell breaks during westerly and northerly weather. It is small and lies about five hundred feet from the mainland, nearly opposite the entrance. It is not in the way of vessels anchoring.

" Learning that a cove with good anchorage existed about ten miles north of the cape, and wishing to get all information possible on the subject of a refuge, I went there by sea, two members of my party being familiar with the spot. I found it to be an indentation in the rocky coast, three-fourths of a mile long and about one thousand feet wide ; its longer diameter parallel to the general direction of the coast line with from six to ten fathoms depth, well sheltered from the north wind, but open to the west and southwest. This place is called Wreckers Cove, the name having been given by men who saved, or rather collected some fragments of the schooner Uncle Sam, lost a mile north of the cove, about two years since."

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In order that the reader may have the opportunity of comparing the rival advan- tages of Cape Foulweather, in Benton county and Port Orford, in Curry county, as harbors of refuge, we now append the official report of the survey of the latter made by Colonel John M. Wilson, United States Army, and dated September 23, 1878:

" Port Orford, the most westerly post of the United States south of Alaska, is situated on the western coast of North America in Lat. 42° 44', Long. 124º 29', and according to the Coast Pilot of Oregon, published by the authority of the Coast Sur- vey, is by far the best summer roadstead on the Pacific coast between Los Reyes and the Strait of Fuca.

"The harbor is deep and capacious and is formed by a headland jutting out into the sea, nearly vertical on its water face, the portion forming the shelter from westerly gales attaining an altitude of about three hundred and fifty feet; from the center point the ground slopes gradually down to an elevation of about sixty feet above low water, near the northern part of the bay, opposite which the town of Port Orford is situated.

"The survey made by the Coast Survey, and plotted on their chart, is reported as follows, by the Coast Pilot:

"'From the extremity of the south west point eastward to the main shore the dis- tance is two miles, and from this line to the greatest bend of the shore northward the distance is one mile. The soundings within this space range from sixteen fathoms close to Tichenor's Rock, forming the southwest point of the bay, to three fathoms within one-fourth of a mile of the beach on the northeast side toward Tichenor's Rock; one mile off the shores of the bay the average depth is about fourteen fathoms, regularly decreasing in shore.'

"From my own examination and all the information I could collect, I find the bottom of the harbor to be of sand and mud, presenting a good holding-ground, and that there are no sunken rocks or hidden reefs to endanger vessels after getting inside the head. It is said that northwest fogs seldom, if ever, enter the roadstead, which gives it, consequently, a great advantage over other harbors on the coast south of the Columbia river.

"From my own observation I am led to believe this is so. While off the coast, between Cape Arago and Port Orford, a dense fog enveloped the shore; but when we reached Cape Blanco this seemed to veer off and follow the line of the reef north of Orford, and we entered the harbor where it was perfectly clear. On the following day, while examining the coast north of Orford, in shore, I found a dense fog enveloping Cape Blanco, seven miles north, while at Port Orford it was perfectly clear and pleasant. "The mean rise and fall of tides is 5.1 feet; of spring tides, 6.8 feet; and of neap tides, 3.7 feet.

"Between Port Orford and Cape Blanco, and about three miles off the coast, there is a group of rocky islets and sunken rocks called Orford Reef, which renders the approach to Port Orford from the north somewhat dangerous; there is, however, a good wide ship channel between this reef and the main shore.

"In reference to the present condition of the harbor during winter gales the Coast Pilot notifies mariners as follows:

"'In winter, anchor far enough out to put to sea when a southeaster comes up ; during a protracted gale in December, 1851, a terrible sea rolled in so that no vessel

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could have ridden it out. The old steamer Seagull was driven northward and lost two weeks in regaining her position, and the mail steamer Columbia hardly held her own for many hours off Orford Reef.'

"In the fall of 1872, Major H. M. Roberts, Corps of Engineers, made a careful examination of this harbor, and in January, 1873, presented an elaborate report, with plans and estimates for a breakwater. In the summer of 1876, the Board of Engineers for the Pacific Coast made a similar examination and in February, 1877, presented a report, with a plan and estimates; these very interesting reports were laid before Con- gress and to them I respectfully call attention for details.

" After careful examination of this subject I beg to report that, in my opinion, Port Orford is a very available point for a harbor of refuge. It is easily accessible, occupies a position nearly midway between San Francisco and the Strait of Fuca, presents a deep and capacious roadstead offering secure anchorage from gales from all points except south, southeast and southwest; is not subjected to northwest fogs, has no shifting sand bars or hidden reefs within its limits; the land around is high and prom- inent and presents all the necessary materials, easily accessible, for a stone breakwater. All that is now needed to make it a secure harbor of refuge at all seasons is a break- water, behind which vessels can ride safely at anchor during gales coming from the southeast, south and southwest, from which it is not already protected by nature.

" A careful examination of the chart of the currents and the general direction of the gales leads me to the conclusion that a breakwater about five thousand feet long, running from the outer point of the Head toward Coal Point, would give ample pro- tection to a large fleet during the heaviest gales ; for present purposes two thousand feet would be sufficient, and this could be extended whenever it became necessary.

" A breakwater five thousand feet long would secure a harbor of about three hun- dred acres, with a depth of from four to twelve fathoms outside the three-fathom curve, while one of two thousand feet would secure an available anchorage of about ninety acres with the same depth.

"The plan of breakwater recommended is that proposed by the Board of Engi- neers for the Pacific Coast, and described in their report of February 14, 1877, as follows :

"' We propose to build the base of any breakwater up to the height of fifteen feet below the level of low water of small stone ; that is to say, of any stone as such quarry will furnish, and while quarrying out this great mass, to lay away all large stones of five, ten or twenty tons for the construction of that portion of the breakwater from fifteen feet up to low water. Upon this foundation we propose to build a masonry wall faced with granite, twenty-five feet wide and twenty feet high, including the founda- tion, protecting the seaward side by blocks of artificial stone (if natural stone cannot be obtained) of large size (twenty to thirty tons each) and thoroughly paving the har- bor side with large blocks of granite to receive without displacement the water that will be thrown over the wall in great streams.'

"I think this breakwater should be connected with the headland, and that the United States should purchase so much of the Head as will be necessary for the works of defense after the harbor is completed, and for the stone quarries, buildings, etc., for the construction of the breakwater.

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"The proposed breakwater of five thousand feet is estimated to cost as follows :

108,333} cubic yards of ashlar masonry at $18 $1,950,000

70,000 cubic yards of rubble masonry at $9. 630,000

295,000 cubic yards of large stone masonry at $5

1,475,000

2,247,500 cubic yards of small stone masonry at $2.

4,495,000

Contingencies, ten per cent. 855,000

Total

$9,405,000

"A breakwater two thousand feet long is estimated to cost as follows :

43,333} cubic yards ashlar masonry at $18.

$ 780,000

28,000 cubic yards rubble masonry at $9

252,000

118,000 cubic yards large stone masonry at $5

590,000

747,000 cubic yards small masonry at $2

1,494,000

Contingencies, ten per cent

311,000

Total $3,427,000

"The prevailing winds on the coast from November until April are from the south and southwest; in May they veer around to the north and northwest, and con- tinue from that direction until about October ; the gales mostly dreaded by mariners are from the southwest and are at times fearful in their severity; on the whole of the north west coast between San Francisco and the Straight of Fuca, a distance of seven hundred and fifty miles, there is no harbor that a sailing vessel will attempt to enter during a southwest gale."

It will thus be seen that the official estimate of the cost of construction of a break- water at Port Oxford to inclose ninety acres, is three millions four hundred and twenty- seven thousand dollars ; to inclose one hundred acres at Cape Foulweather, six hun- dred and fifty-six thousand two hundred and fifty-one dollars and twenty cents, or two million seven hundred and seventy thousand seven hundred and forty-eight dollars and eighty cents less, while Mr. Habersham states in his report that the Foulweather harbor is so naturally well protected from southeast winds that the opinion was expressed by the seamen who assisted him in the survey, that if buoys were placed to define the entrance, vessels of any draught could run in and find safe anchorage; and this opinion is substantiated by the fact that during severe storms, while the south side of the cape (exposed like Port Oxford) is lashed into fury, the north side presents an area of fifty acres, smooth as a mill pond and covered with innumerable wild fowl.

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CHAPTER LI.

YAQUINA PRECINCT.

General History-Industries-Indians-Newport-Yaquina City-Oneatta.

THE FIRST vessel to enter Yaquina bay was the Calamet, in the year 1856, guided by the able hand of Captain William Tichenor, she being laden with supplies for Lieutenant (now General) Phil. H. Sheridan, for the garrison at Siletz Block-houses. Later, this craft made several voyages to the bay with Indian goods for Robert Met- calf, then the Agent at Siletz.

It was in the year 1856 too, that the first journey to the bay district from the Willamette valley was made, the excursion being undertaken by E. A. Abbey, Dr. T. J. Right, E. Hartless and Mr. Mosee. The doctor had received the appointment of surgeon to the then recently established Indian agency and it was in quest of his official position that he, with his companions, had undertaken a journey through a trackless region of endless forest. The only vestige of a road was that being then cut under the supervision of Lieut. Sheridan to lead over the mountains from the Reserva- tion to civilization. Following the Indian trails the party reached the bay about two miles from its mouth, but it was a lonely sheet of water, not a single inhabitant on its shores and not a house in the region.

In 1864, Captain R. Hillyer, with the schooner Cornelia Terry, owned by Lud- low & Co., of San Francisco, entered the bay for the purpose of gathering oysters, the discovery of which had been previously made by Captain Spencer, of Shoalwater bay. Not long after another San Francisco firm commenced the oyster business. Captain J. J. Winant arrived with the schooner Anna G. Doyle, and the Government finding by the terms of the treaty setting out the Coast Reservation that "all immunities arising therefrom " belonged to the Indians, the agent at Siletz, Hon. Ben. Simpson, was authorized to lease the oyster beds and protect the lessees. Ludlow & Co., relying on the "free right of all citizens to take fish in American waters," refused to lease, but Winant & Co. were more cautious; they leased the entire affair, paying fifteen cents per bushel for all the oysters taken. Under orders from General Alvord, the employés of Ludlow & Co. were arrested by United States soldiers and removed from the Reser- vation ; suit was brought an injunction issued out of the Supreme Court, but, while this was pending Ludlow & Co. shipped several cargoes of oysters to San Francisco. The courts decided in favor of the government lessees and the military were again used for the protection of Winant & Co.

The oyster business attracted considerable attention and a company was formed, in 1864, for the purpose of making a wagon road from Corvallis to the head of Yaquina bay, at the confluence of Elk and Yaquina rivers, the subscribed capital

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being twenty thousand dollars. The road was duly constructed and opened to wagons in 1866, the distance being forty-five miles. People were anxious to settle the country; the pressure became strong, the Indian Department readily conceded the people's claim, and United States Senator, J. W. Nesmith, succeeded in having all that portion of the Coast Reservation lying between the Alsea river south, and Cape Foulweather north, of Yaquina bay opened to settlement.

On the night of January 8, 1866, R. A. Bensell, G. R. Megginson and J. S. Copeland located the first claim on Yaquina bay. By the aid of a poor candle stuck into a poorer lantern the metes and bounds of the land were stated, on which the Premier (the first) steam saw-mill was built.

These gentlemen had a hankering after town sites and remembering that Port- land "got the start " by being located where the " ships and wagons could meet," naturally looked upon the head of navigation, now Elk City, as the point. Well do these gentlemen remember the chilly east wind, the grey of the extremely frosty morn- ing, the melancholy chaunt of four Indians paddling the canoe and their own satisfac- tion in believing themselves to be a little ahead of anyone else. Muffled up and seated in the bow of the canoe, they laid off in Alnaschar-like dreams the town site in wide streets, planted umbrageous trees under whose spreading boughs met youth, beauty and fashion, and making commendable provision for parks and fountains-for theirs was a liberal mood. Then came the eagerly looked-for time when they should land and pro- claim themselves " monarchs of all they surveyed." On reaching the top of the bank our party found a man dressed-or rather undressed, for he was clothed in nought but a pistol and belt-who was trying to kindle a fire, evidently having just arrived. To the question

" How long have you been here?"

" Long enough to hold the ground," was the reply.

Finding the fellow's further conversation to be more forcible than elegant, our heroes concluded that town sites were poor property, anyhow, and retraced their steps to the canoe.

At this period intense excitement prevailed throughout the entire Yaquina country. Every man appeared to be the possessor of a valuable secret. People were to be encountered moving up and down and across the river. A " boom " raged. A walked into Coquelle John's hut, on Coquelle Point, informed Lo, "with the untutored mind that the land belonged to the whites, hustled the Indian out and seated himself on a soap box by the fire. In less than an hour B arrived on the scene, gave A eighty dollars for his chance. A pocketed the money, jumped into his canoe and quickly had another claim where he notified all comers " On this day I have took the present site of Newport."

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History of Benton County, Oregon, Part 70

Author: David D. Fagan Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: David D. Fagan
Publication date: 1885
Publisher:
Number of Pages: