Water-borne shipments for the port of Coos Bay, Oreg., for year 1945-Continued 1 Vessels were unable to load full cargoes due solely to the insufficient water depths now existing. 2 Discharged oil. NOTE. Attention is directed to the increase in number of vessels of greater draft loading part cargoes at Coos Bay, after the cessation of hostilities with Japan and during the last 4 months of 1945. As proof of the increase in water-borne traffic in this port, under postwar conditions, during the first 4 months of 1946, and as evidence conclusively supporting proponents' predictions made at the May 1945 hearing, thatLiberty and Victory type ships, of greater draft than had previously served this harbor, would be immediately available at the end of the war in the Pacific for service to this port the following statement reflecting water-borne traffic from January 1, 1946, to March 31, 1946, from the Coos Bay Harbor, is of great significance and importance. In the column headed "Lumber loaded," appears the amount of lumber cargo actually loaded and transported, while in the column headed "Cargo capacity, lumber" (in red), appears the amount of lumber cargo that could have been loaded, had sufficient water depths existed, so that such vessels could have safely navigated the bar entrance and inner harbor of Coos Bay. Water-borne shipments for the port of Coos Bay, Oreg., for the period of Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, year 1946 Total lumber shipments for first quarter, year 1946 (78,233,098 feet, board measure) 1 Vessels were unable to load full cargoes due solely to the insufficient water depths now existing. • Motorship. NOTE.-Statistics compiled by Independent Stevedore Co., Coos Bay, Oreg. 86902-46- -15 The following statement of Dant & Russell, Inc., Portland, Oreg., reflects the relative lumber shipments from the four great lumber ports of the Nation for the first 3 months of 1946: PORT OF Coos Bay, Coos Bay, Oreg. DANT & RUSSELL, INC., Portland 4, Oreg., April 24, 1946. GENTLEMEN: In regard to the statement made at the hearing at Coos Bay on the subject of the urgent necessity for deeper water in order to properly take care of water shipments from this port, we are listing below statistics obtained from the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau showing water shipments for the first 3. months of 1946, from the principal lumber ports in Oregon and Washington: You will note from these figures that shipments from Coos Bay exceeded those from Puget Sound and Grays Harbor combined, and fell short of the Columbia River shipments by less than 1,000,000 feet. This is in the face of the fact that some vessels refuse to call at Coos Bay on account of the controlling depth of water there, with the result that some shipments were railed from Coos Bay to the Columbia River to connect with ocean-going vessels there. We believe that if adjustment were made for this condition, the shipments from Coos Bay would exceed those from the Columbia River also. These figures illustrate the necessity for deeper water on the Coos Bay bar and in the Coos Bay Channel. If this water were now available, ships would be saved the doubling back to the Columbia River and Puget Sound, and material. savings would result to the vessels. Very truly yours, DANT & RUSSELL, INC., By R. J. DARLING. Included in the lumber shipped from the Columbia River, viz, 81,692,333 feet board_measure, was approximately 5,000,000 feet that was manufactured on Coos Bay, but shipped to Portland, on the Columbia River, by rail because of the fact that vessels refuse to call at Coos Bay. Actually, Coos Bay is now the principal lumber shiping port of the Pacific coast, despite the tremendous/ handicaps of insufficient water depths and increased shipping costs. COMMENTS ON ABOVE STATISTICAL DATA When the foregoing statistical data, setting forth the water-borne traffic originating from Coos Bay during 1945 and 1946 to April 1, 1946, is considered and analyzed, the conclusion is obvious that the development and improvement of the Coos Bay waterway is critically necessary and of major importance. The following communications, recently submitted by shipping interests, visualize the handicaps to this port by reason of shipping losses occasioned, due solely to the fact that the Liberty- and Victory-type vessels are not now able to load to cargo capacities due solely to insufficient water depths: PORT OF COOS BAY, Coos Bay, Oreg. POPE & TALBOT, INC., Portland 9, Oreg., April 19, 1946. GENTLEMEN: With reference to the authorization bill which we understand is now before the Rivers and Harbors Committee of Congress, regarding the harbordeepening at Coos Bay. As you will recall, our company gave testimony at the hearing before the United State engineers in May 1945, supporting the improvement of the harbor, and it has occurred to us that it would be interesting as well as helpful to all concerned for us at this time to review our operating experience since the war in loading vessels at your port. We have loaded cargo on three vessels at the port of Coos Bay during the months of February and March of this year. All of these vessels had to double back to the Columbia River in view of the shallow condition of the Harbor not permitting them to sail fully loaded from Coos Bay. In other words, our normal operating procedure would have been to finish loading at Coos Bay and proceed south down the coast. Therefore, we estimate the difference between a normal operation and doubling back to the Columbia River to complete loading has caused a loss of 12 days to each vessel, or a total of 42 days on three vessels which, multiplied by $1,750 per day operating costs, would amount to a total operating loss of $7,875. In addition to this we suffered an additional loss of one-half day to each vessel by reason of the fact that it was necessary to make a special trip to Wilmington, Calif., for fuel oil. By this we mean that normally our vessels fill their oil tanks for the round voyage at Wilmington on the in-bound trip when they are discharging cargo; but when our vessels are to load out-bound cargo at Coos Bay, we do not impose upon them the extra weight of fuel oil by loading same at Wilmington before proceeding to Coos Bay for out-bound cargo, due to the insufficient depth of channel. Therefore, by not loading fuel oil at Wilmington on the in-bound trip, it is necessary for us to make a special trip there on the outbound trip, after the vessel has loaded at Coos Bay. This loss of one-half day to the three vessels we have loaded during the months of February and March, makes an additional loss of $2,625, which added to the above-stated $7,875, makes a total loss of $10,500 to the three vessels due to shallow harbor conditions at the port of Coos Bay. This actual experience substantiates our testimony and that of others at the hearing of the United States engineers, and we think that the information might be interesting and informative to the congressional committee which is now deliberating upon the matter of improving the harbor. Very truly yours, H. LUEDDEMANN, Vice President and Northwestern Manager. PACIFIC-ATLANTIC STEAMSHIP CO., PORT OF COOS BAY, c/o Mr. J. C. Kendall, Portland, Oreg. GENTLEMEN: Due to the fact that the draft on the Coos Bay bar limits the loading of vessels to 23 feet, it is necessary for us to return our vessels to the Columbia River to complete loading. The deviation and expense involved in doubling back to the Columbia River amounts to $2,500 per vessel in actual operating costs. In view of the limited draft at Coos Bay and the necessity for leaving that port on an even keel, in order to load the maximum cargo, we are forced into certain practices which are not good steamship operation; for example, filling fuel tanks with ballast water in order to trim vessel, working cargo forward or aft also to trim vessel instead of working maximum number of hatches, etc. Further, the limited draft at Coos Bay makes it definitely a subport by reason of the fact that vessels must complete loading at one of the other major Pacific coast ports. This does not seem reasonable in view of the position it occupies with reference to available lumber supply, hence, cargoes. Since the resumption of the intercoastal trade, our company has had seven vessels in Coos Bay, and the eighth vessel will berth there on April 22, 1946. All of these vessels have had to return to the Columbia River district to complete their cargoes due to the limited draft on Coos Bay bar. It is our intention to berth all of our intercoastal vessels at Coos Bay. This means 18 vessels per year. We will also have a large number of off-shore vessels loading for our account. These vessels likewise will have to proceed to one of the other major Pacific coast ports to complete their cargoes, for reasons stated above. As mentioned above, the additional operating costs are actual costs only. However, in addition thereto, there are many intangibles which would materially increase the foregoing figure. The matter of deepening the channel on Coos Bay bar is a matter not only of utmost commercial importance but also related to our national security. We, therefore, urge that this matter be given early favorable consideration. Yours very truly, PACIFIC-ATLANTIC STEAMSHIP CO., PLANS OF LOCAL INTERESTS FOR INCREASED PRODUCTION AND FOR IMPROVEMENT OF LOADING FACILITIES Since the time of the May 1945 hearing before the United States Army engineers, and anticipating the improvement of the Coos Bay waterway, as contemplated by the recommendations contained in the review report of the United States Army engineers, the local interests and industries have made extensive plans for the establishment not only of new industries, but also the increase of the production capacities of existing operations. WEYERHAEUSER TIMBER CO. At the 1945 hearing, this company, over the signature of its executive vice president, presented the following communication: Col. RALPH A. TUDOR, District Engineer, Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oreg. MAY 3, 1945. DEAR SIR: Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. is the owner of a large area of timberland tributary to Coos Bay. It has never been a producer in the area. Recently, however, it has acquired additional timberland, and mill sites, and is in the process of studying the engineering and forestry problems involved in establishing here an operation predicated on the sustained yield principle. There remain many unknowns in our situation, such as how to reach the remotest timber with transportation facilities which will bring it economically to Coos Bay, and what disposition is to be made of the public and other timber intermingled with our own. We confidentialy expect to establish facilities to produce logs at the rate of 100,000,000 feet a year. We also expect to convert those logs into lumber and other articles of commerce in manufacturing facilities yet to be built on Coos Bay. Our company is already engaged in the manufacture and sale of forest products at other locations. Important among our sales facilities are our six assembly and distributing yards located on the Atlantic coast at Baltimore, Newark, Boston, Portsmouth, Philadelphia, and New London. It will be a part of our development here to build dock terminal facilities capable of handling 75 percent of our lumber production for water transportation. It will also be part of our plan to assemble, through these facilities, lumber from inland points for shipment to these eastern distributing yards. Our company is also engaged in certain development work which bids fair to lead to the manufacture of useful products from wood waste. It will be part of our plan to extend such manufacture, when practical, to operations on Coos Bay. All of these activities depend to a great extent upon establishment of adequate water transport facilities. Well-rounded development of our resources requires the widest possible markets, both foreign and domestic. Great benefit will accrue to the locality and to the general consuming public from improvements which will be used not only to cheapen transportation, but also, in fact, to make frequent service possible where it was not before. Our company wishes to vigorously add its plea to those already before you, for approval of the project under consideration for improvement of Coos Bay. We can say, with candor, that without such improvement the degree of product refinement and waste recovery will be limited, and probably the time for any development of our properties will be delayed. Yours truly, WEYERHAEUSER TIMBER Co., Executive Vice President. |