THE MOHNING OBEGONIA2J, MOlfTDAY, JANUARY 2, 1905.
19
WHAT the Mississippi Is to the Middle
West and the South, the Nile to
Egypt, the Amazon to "South America,
the Columbia Is to the Northwest. It
gathers Into Its huge channel the
waters of the whole Northwest,
except one email corner, and pours
them through the gateway of the
Cascades In such volume that, when
they reach the ocean, they change its
color for-miles. By this fact this great
river of the "West, which bad until then
been a subject of vague rumor and trav
elers' tales, betrayed itself to Captain
Gray and he carried the news to Boston,
which led to its becoming the only fresh
water harbor on the Pacific Coast.
The Columbia has a watershed of 345,000
square miles, which Includes the western
slope of the Rocky Mountains, both slopes
of the Bitter Boots In the United States
and the Selkirks in British Columbia, both
6lopes of the Cascades and both slopes of
the Coast Bange. It is probably the only
river in the world" which drains both slopes
of three ranges of mountains, cutting its
way through them with resistless power
In Its struggle to reach the ocean. Of its
drainage area 182,000 square miles are east
of the Cascades, an area equal to that of
New England, New York, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and Maryland combined.
The Valley of the Columbia is the main
artery of commerce for the Oregon Coun
try which Lewis and Clark explored. Sea
going ships ascend it and the "Willamette
to Portland, 110 miles from the ocean, and
2132 miles of the river and its tributaries
are navigable. It Is Jhe only river on the
Pacific Coast navigable by seagoing ships,
and it gives to Portland the only fresh
water harbor on the Coast. The oppor
tunity to enter such a harbor is of great
value to ships, for the action of fresh
water cleans all barnacles and other ma
rine growth from their bottoms.
But the Columbia serves also as the
natural gateway for land transportation
from the great agricultural intermountatn
country to the sea. Its valley furnishes
the only water-level route for a railroad
through the Cascade and Sierra Nevada
Mountains between the Canadian and
Mexican boundaries.
Portland Is at the head of navigable
water for seagoing ships in the Columbia
Basin and Is the terminus of the Oregon
Railroad & Navigation Company's rail
road through this great gap in the moun
tains. It is therefore the natural outlet
to the ocean for the commerce of the in
terior and the natural inlet for Imports
from abroad. As Hamburg is to Germany,
Liverpool to England, Glasgow to Scot
land. Havre and Marseilles to France, so
is Portland to the Pacific Coast of the
lotted States.
The importance of the Columbia as a
water highway Is thus described by Ma
jor C. F. Powell, of the Corps of United
States Engineers:
The Columbia is the jrrcat river of the Pa
cific Coast. In volume and In commercial
value. It Is second only to the Mississippi Its
banks are more stable, its waters are clearer,
itn ice blockades are much less in duration
than in the great waterway of the East. TJn.
like the Mississippi, the Columbia seeks the
ocean in a line parallel to trade channels, and
not at right angles to them.
SHIP CHANNEL UP RIVER.
Deep-Sea Ships Can Come Up to
Fresh Water Harbor at Portland.
PROM the ocean to Portland, "the Co
lumbia and "Willamette Rivers have
been kept open to shipping by the Govern
ment, with the aid of the Port of Portland
Commission, a body established by the
State of Oregon for the purpose of main
taining an open channel, with powers to
levy taxation within the area directly
benefited.
At the mouth of the river the sands car
ried down by its waters and those drift
ing from the beach north and south have
formed -a bar, across which the Govern
ment maintains a ship channel. A Jetty
from Point Adams on the south has been
extended 44 miles northwest. It forced
the water into a single channel, which In
1895 reached a maximum depth of 31 feet
at low water, but had since shoaled again
to 22 feet. In order again to deepen the
channel, the ocean-going dredge Grant
has been at work, and the south Jetty is
being extended 2r miles, the purpose
being to secure a permanent depth of 40
feet at low water in the bar channel. The
dredging has already deepened the chan
nel to 24 feet. If these measures should
not prove effective. It is intended to con
struct a north Jetty from Mackenzie Head
across Peacock Spit for 2 miles in a
southwesterly direction. This is expected
to make a channel two miles -wide and
with a minimum depth of 40 feet, which
is ample for the largest ships afloat.
By means of dredging and the building
of dikes, a channel has been maintained
from Portland to the sea, 25 feet deep at
low water as far down as Slaughters Bar
and 22 feet from there downward. Two
dredges are employed In this work every
Summer, after the Spring freshet has re
tired, leaving a fresh deposit of silt, and
they not only restore any shoal places to
their original depth but graaualy increase
the normal depth from year to year. With
a tide ranging from seven feet at the
mouth to three feet at "Willows Bar, Just
below tho mouth of the-"Willamette, this
gives amplo depth for the largest 'shins
afloat.
Portland's position as a port was
shown In 1903. when the steamer Algoa
took the largest cargo of flour ever
chipped from the Pacific Coast from Port
land to Astoria in hours. American
warships have repeatedly come up to
Portland without difficulty, and the port
enjoys as- low charter rates as any on the
Pacific Coast. It has a harbor three
miles long, where ships- of the deepest
draft can safely anchor in fresh water
the latter fact making It much sought
after by shipmasters.
NAVIGABLE AT ALL TIMES.
Willamette Above Portland Is Open
to River Steamers.
THE first large stream which enters the
Columbia above its mouth is the
"Willamette, which is equal in width at
Portland to the Thames at London, and is
deeper than that stream at London Bridge.
It is navigable at extreme low water as
far as Salem, 73 miles above Portland,
boats passing "Willamette Falls by means
of a series of five locks capable of taking
steamers 200 feet long and 3S feet beam.
These locks are the property of the Port
land General Electric Company, and the
Government hag been negotiating for
their purchase.
With .a two-foot stage of water steamers
THE NAVIGABLE WATERS
OF THE
. COLUMBIA RIVER
AND ITS TRIBUTARIES
AGGREGATE A
: TOTAL MILEAGE OF
NT' A N A
rjEMAHSvlLLE
FLATHEAD
i a if tr
tV-. BRITISH- -M J
illi SBf r r i -i 1 1 4 rs , -a "llm ill. V '
I V. WWV-sjv in I II m I II . MC J 1 S ""Will 1. . V . I V t-
' ill Jl OKANOGAN LAKEJ WfM t jL I ' . " . .
M , arrow) if lo!(nlC? i '
o 11 rrrwmwi
stiff srR NpTRAPI Vvr
f- ) mi s f'srm r" w - 1.1 i us- m-7
jv
ZD A" 111 TA H j
PORTIA
v mm
"I
i ft u
If
UllV
In considering Importance of the Col
umbia fiiyer watershed it may be stated
that this river with its. tributaries drains a
country which contains 245,000 square
miles,. 182,000 square miles of which
lie east of uie Cascade Mountains. This
latter area alone is about equal, to the
combined area of all the New England
States, including also New York, Penn-
jsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
TUP Bure- -
NAVIGABLE
Emam NAVIGABLE Vmh-niFFtnur .
CONDmONSK OIFF,CULTY OR under favorable
5f
C A L 1 FORN TaT'isJ
can go to Independence, ten miles fur
ther, and -with a four-foot stage they bo
to Corvallls, 120 miles above Portland,
where ordinary navigation ends. At high
water steamers run up to Harrlsburg, 151
miles from Portland, and at extreme high
water they have gone to Eugene, 20 mUes
further, but that stretch of the river has
not been navigated for the last Ave years,
as It has an average fall of five feet to
the mile and Is really only an enlarged
mountain stream. The total fall of the
river between Eugene and Portland is 395
feet, or over 2 t.-t to the mile.
The Governmsut has Just completed a
second dipper dredge, which in a few
v.'teks has cur a channel through the
shoals, allowing fcteamers to go to Salem
ct extreme low water without .sparring
or lining.
Government tocks in the Yamhill, a
tributary which enters the "Willamette
miles above Portland, make that
stream navigable as far as ilcMlnnville,
17i miles above its mouth, except at ex
treme high water.
Long Tom Rlvpr, which enters the "Wil
lamette between Corvallls and Harrisburg,
lias also been navigated by steamers at
high water for seven miles.
Below Portland the most important trib
utary of the Cslumbla is the Cowlitz, on
tie Washington side, which has been
made navigable by removal of snags,
bars and overhanging rocks for 50 miles
above its mouth.
Next in importance In that section Is the
Lewis River, also flowing through "Wash
ington, which can be ascended by steam
ers for seven nller, to La Center, dredg
lug and snagging and the construction of
training and closing dikes having made a
safe, deep chanrcl.
On the Oregon side, still further down,
the Clatskanie has been opened by dredg
ing for a distance of three miles, and the
channel shortened nearly a mile by cut
ting out one of thfe bends. It is navi
gable at all times.
OEULO TO BOUNDARY.
Frequent Navigable Stretches Which
May In Time Become Continuous.
PENDING tho opening of navigation
past the rapids between The Dalles
and Celllo, little has been done towards
opening the tipper Columbia. But a good
beginning has been made, the subject has
been studied by the United States En
gineers, plans have been made and esti
mates of cost prepared. Steamers will
no sooner have begun to traverse the
canal to Celllo. on their way up past the
mouth of the Snake to the foot of Priest
Rapids, than a demand will arise for a
channel up the Snake to Huntington, -US
miles, and up the Columbia from tne foot
of Priest Rapids to the boundary. 353
miles. In time this demand will grow so
loud that it cannot be ignored, and the
whole Inland empire of Oregon, Washlng-
THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.
RIVERS 'AND SECTIONS OF RIVERS.
a:
32
2.6 s
St
I S3
O '
5?
is
si
Columbia
Mouth- to Willamette River. " ,
Willamette River to The Dalles ,
The Dalles to Celllo ,
Celllo to Priest Rapids ,
Foot of Priest Rapids to head of Rock Island Rapids.
Rock Island Rapids to Wenatchee ,
Wenatcbee to mouth of Okanogan ,
Mouth of Okanogan to Spokane Rapids
Spokane Rapids to Rickey's landing
Rickey's Landing to Marcus ,
Marcus to Robson. B. C. ,
Robson through Arrow Lakes to Arrowhead ,
Arrowhead to Downle Creek
Downle Creek to Big Bend ;
Big Bend to Golden
Golden to the source v ,
Totals for Columbia ." ,
Willamette and tributaries " v
Mouth to Portland
Portland to Corvallls . ,
Colvallls to Eugene :
Yamhill River, mouth to McMlnnville
Long Tom River, mouth to Monroe
Total Willamette
Snake and tributaries
Mouth to Riparla ,
Rlparia to Asotin .'. ,
Asotin to Ballard's Landing
Ballard's Landing to Huntington
Clearwater. Lewiston to Kamiah
Totals for Snake .-:
Okanogan River
Mouth to Okanogan City.
Okanogan City to boundary ,
Osoyoos Lake
Osoyoos Lake to foot of Dog Lake
Foot to head of Dog Lake
Head of Dog Lake to Pentlcton
Pentlcton to Okanogan landing
Totals for Okanogan River.
Kootenai River
Canal Lakes to Jennings
Jennings to Bonner's Ferry
Bonner's Ferry to foot of Kootenai Lake
Kootenai Lake, head to foot
Foot of Kootenai Lake to Robson, B. C
Totals for Kootenai River.
Other tributaries
Clatskanie River ,
Lewis River, mouth to La Center
Cowlitz River, mouth to ten miles above Toledo...,
Lake Chelan, foot to Stehekln ,
Spokane River, Post Falls to Coeur d'AIene City..:..,
Coeur d'AIene Lake, Coeur d'AIene, City to head
Coeur d'AIene River, mouth to Mission
yon
Flathead Lake and River.
Slocan Lake
Total, other tributaries 332 j 20
Grand totals .j 1.S73.5
102
SS
13
13S ......
11.5
ai
6S
109
56
"S" ::::::
:::::: ::::::
60
w :::::: ..!?..
SS7 55 . 2S7.5
, &
120
vr: 61 1
li.a
7
i5.5 si rrrrrr
-'..?:.
- "ir- 150
...... o ......
67
93 209 150
44 ..."...
6
' r .2S"
:::::: .,
U7 ' 44 29
159 ;
...... ...... 75
1S9
70 . ......
25
- 234 1S9 73"!
3
7
50 '
68 "
20
24
32 r;;;;;
116
67 12
.. 392 1 2Q 126
I 1.S73.51 576 667.5
ToiL lerFth cf Columbia and main tributaries below head of naviga
tion. 3117 miles. " 6
ton and Idaho will be traversed by great
navigable waterways, which will force
railroad rates down to their level.
The first part of this stretch which needs
improvement is from the foot of Priest
Rapids to the head of Rock Island Rap
Ids, a distance of 11 miles. The three
great rapids In this distance are formed
by great masses of rock m a deep canyon,
as well as by huge Isolated rocks. They
are navigable at some risk at high water,
and the Government has reduced the dan
gers by blasting out some of the worst
rocks, and by placing ringbolts and iron
posts to aid boats In lining up Cabinet and
Rock Island Rapids.
From tho head of these rapids up to
Wenatchee there Is a good, deep channel
the year around, and from Wenatchee up
to Foster Creek Rapids. Just above the
mouth of the Okanogan, the river is nav
igable at almost all times, the total dis
tance from Rock Island being 90 miles.
The upper part of this stretch has 'been
greatly Improved by the removal of rock
at Rocky Beach and Methow Rapids, and
the placing of ringbolts by which steamers
can line up over the rapids.
About 40 miles north of Wenatchee, Lake
Chelan empties Into the Columbia through
the Chelan River, and affords a navigable
approach to within. 30 miles of the sum
mit of the Cascade Mountains. It is 63
miles long and of fathomless depth, ap
parently Ailing a canyon which has been
dammed at the mouth. It is bordered by
huge mountains, and Is destined to become
famed as one of the wonders of the-world.
From the mouth of the Okanogan to
the boundary there are only two stretches
of the Columbia which are at present
navigable, as it flows for nearly the whole
distance through a canyon which is in
fested with rapids and obstructed with,
rocks. The parts now navigable are from
Spokane Rapids, at the mouth of the Spo
kane River, to Rickey's Landing. 56 miles,
and from Marcus across the boundary to
Robson, B. C, 63 miles, and the former
stretch is only open at high water.
In a report made by Captain Thomas W.
Symons, of the United States Engineer
Corps, about ten years ago, the cost of
making a continuous navigable channel
in the Columbia from the boundary to the
mouth of the Okanogan was estimated at
518,025,000. This included 510,500,000 for the
construction of seven dams and locks in
the stretch of 42 miles from Monagnan
Rapids to Foster Creek Rapids. While
this expenditure would not be Justified by
present conditions, it is much -less than
that for the Improvement of the Missis
sippi River, and those who are familiar
with the resources of the tributary coun
try can, without straining their Imagina
tions, forecast a degree of development
which will Justify the execution of such,
a prodigious work. The power made
available by the construction of these
dams would have such value as to enter
materially into the calculation.
At present steamers ply regularly from
the head of Rock Island Rapids to Oka
nogan City; 43 miles above the mouth of
the Okanogan, and at high water they
run up to the boundary, 44 miles further,
but the latter part of the Okanogan has
been obstructed with rapids until recent
years, during which the Government has
been blasting out' rocks, dredging bars and
building wlngdams, which have dcapened
the channel by two feet. When this work
13 finished, the Okanogan will be navig
able to the boundary at all stages. Thence
northward it is a comparatively shallow,
swift stream, but it widens out on the
boundary Into Osogoos Lake, six miles
long, and further north, in British Co
lumbia, Into Dog Lake, eight miles, and
Okanogan Lake, 60 miles long, all of
which are navigable.
EAPJDS OF THE COLUMBIA.
Government Will Dig Canal to Open
Waterway tc Interior.
THE next great stretch of the Columbia
is' that from the mouth of the Wil
lamette to the Cascades a series of
rapids at the point where the water has
forced Its way through the 'main back
bone of the Cascade Mountains for a dis
tance of four and one-half miles, 60 miles
above the Willamette. This is navigable
by river steamers at all times, and dur
ing the early days prior to the construc
tion of the railroad down the south bank
of the river was the chief means of com
munication with the East. At that time
passengers came west by the Northern
Pacific Railroad to Wallula. where they
were transferred to steamers, which
brought them down to Celllo. At that
point they were again transferred to a
portage railroad which carried them past
the 13 miles of river which Is obstructed
by falls and rapids to the town of The
Dalles, where they were again transferred
to steamers for the Journey to the Cas
cades. Another portage railroad carried
them past that point, and then they
made the rest of the Journey by steamer
to Portland.
The government is -now engaged in
opening .the whole river to navigation
beyond the mouth of Snake River to the
foot of Priest Rapids, 299 miles above the
mouth of the Willamette. By this means
the whole Interior of Oregon, Washington
and Idaho will be given the benefits of
water transportation for their products
to the sea. which will pour through this
natural gateway to Portland, their nat
ural outlet.
Of this great undertaking, half has been
completed .already, namely, the construc
tion of a canal and locks at the Cascades
at a cost of $4,000,000. There are two
lock3 of solid masonry, each 462 feet long,
and the total length of the canal and locks
combined is 20G0 feet, capable of accom
modating steamers of eight feet draft.
The stretch of open river to which the
locks lead ends at Three-Mile Rapids, the
first of a series of rapids, of which the
next is the Dalles, a narrow trough be
tween walls of basalt 150 to 200 feet apart,
through which the river rushes with great
velocity for a mile and a half. Then,
comes Ten-Mile Rapids, a similar gorge
of one-third the length, and last is Celllo
Falls, .where the water drops a sheer 20
feet. The length of this series of obstruc
tions Is 13 miles, and in that distance tha
river has a total fall of 80.. feet.
The Government ias decided to maka
navigation continuous past these obstruc
tions by the construction of a canal on
the Oregon shore at a cost of about $4,000,
,000, on condition that the necessary land
Is given without cost. The state has se
cured the right of way by gift or pur
chase, and deeded it to the United States,
and the beginning of work only awaits
the approval of the deeds by the law offi
cers of the Government.
But the people of Oregon are not con
tent to await the completion of this stu
.pendous task to secure the benefits of
cheap transportation which they would
gain from an open river. Before Congress
had taken decisive action on the canal,
the State Legislature had made an appro
priation for the construction of z. portaga
railroad, and, this not proving enough, the
Open-Riven Association is raising the
money by subscription among the people
directly Interested. There Is every reason
to believe that the year 1905 will see tho
completion of this railroad, after which
the people can. await with " patience tha
completion of the canal, which is expect
ed, to occupy ten years.
SECOND GREAT PEEDER.
Snake Admits Steamers to" Interior
of Oregon and Idaho..
NEXT to the Willamette, the; Snake is
-the greatest tributary of the Colum
bia. Rising In the .southern part of tha
Yellowstone National Park, it drains an
area of 104,000 square mlle3 In a course of
.900 miles. It Is navigable at hlght wa
ter from Its mouth to Rfparia, a distance
of 67 miles, and Government engineers
have recommended the Improvement of
that section at a. cost of $165,000, so as to
give a depth of five feet at low water
and make it navigable all the year round.
The next stretch of 73 miles from Riparla
to Lewiston, at the mouth of the Clear
water, is navigable for light-draft steam-"
ers all the year round, and the Govern
ment has been steadily improving it by
blasting out rocks at the many rapids,
scraping and dredging the bars and build
ing dikes at Log Cabin Rapids and Wild
Goose Island, which have concentrated
the flow of water in a single channel.
This Improvement has been extended up
to Asotin, at the mouth of the Grand
Rondo River, 25 miles beyond Lewiston,
and there is now a navigable channel at
all time's for boats of 4a feet draft.
The 150 miles of the river from Grand
Ronde to Ballard's Landing is so ob
structed by rocks and rapids as to be im
practicable for navigation at any time,
but from the latter point, which is in
the fast developing mining district of
Seven Devils to Huntington, 75 miles fur
ther up, there Is a stretch of water nav
igable at high water, from which the
Government began the removal of rocky
obstructions and placing ringbolts and
Iron. posts to aid boats in lining over the
rapids, but the absence of traffic to use
the Improvement caused Its suspension.
The opening of the Lower Snake to nav
igation, like that of the Upper Colum
bia, Is dependent on the construction of
the canal at The -Dalles and Celllo Falls.
No sooner would steamers be able to pass
from the Lower Columbia to the mouth
of the Snake at all seasons than a de
mand would arise for the opening of tha
Lower Snake as far as Huntington, a dis
tance of 415 miles. Continuous naviga
tion as far as Asotin.. would be so easily
effected that Congress would doubtless
clear the way for It immediately on the
opening of The Dalles-Celllo Canal. This
done, steamers would try to. force a way
through the canyon to Ballards, and the
Government engineers would be called:
upon to solve the problems of the rapids.
After that, the creation of a channel open
at all seasons from Ballards to Hunting
ton would be a simple matter.
The Clearwater,. Valley. of Idaho, en
Joys the benefits -of water transportation
between Lewiston and Kamiah Idaho, a
distance of 67 miles,- during the'flcod sea
son, and the open- river would also be
extended to the latter point as soon as
it became possible for steamers to coma
up from below. Already the Govern
ment has cleared out the obstructive
rocks through 40 miles of the course.
Water transportation, or railroad rates
based on it, will certainly follow in a
few years the construction of the portaga
railroad and Dalles-Celllo Canal on all:
this system of rivers, which covers
Northeastern Oregon, Southeastern Wash
ington and Southwestern Idaho.
NAVIGABLE PROM SOURCE.
Splendid Chain of Lakes Makes
' Course Through British Columbia.
THE Columbia Is probably the only riv
er in the world which is navigable
at its source. It rises in two small lakes
in British Columbia, which are fed by a
number of streams flowing from the
Rocky and Selkirk Mountains. The stream
uniting these lakes has been Improved
into a canal, and the river is navigable
for light-draft steamers at all seasons
through its northward course to Golden,
a distance of 100 miles, the Canadian Gov
ernment having deepened it at shallow
points. This open stretch could be ex
tended northward to Big Bend, 93 miles
further, near which point the river pierces
the Selkirk Range, by some expenditure
on clearing' out obstructions.
From Big Bend the'River makes an. ab
rupt turn southward, and Is impassable
for steamers as far as Downle Creek, 50
miles further. From that point south
ward the channel is navigable at all sea
sons not only to the boundary; a dis
tance of 208 miles, but beyond it to Mar
cus in the State of Washington. At
Arrowhead it widens into Upper Arrow
Lake, contracts again at its outlet, and
a short ditsance further again widexfs
lntq Lower Arrow Lake, which ends a
short distance above the mouth of tha
Kootenai, the total length of these lakes
being 115 miles.
The Columbia basin in British Colum
bia is blessed with a splendid system o
deep mountain lakes, of which the Arrow
lakes are two. , Of almost equal extent
is Kootenai Lake, farther east, 70 miles
long andof equal depth, but less extent
are Slocan and Trout Lakes, the former
being 25 miles long, which fill guffs to
the mountains between Arrow and Koote
nai lakes. Their outlets Into ho Co
lumbia, are too swift and shallow to be
navigable, but steamers ply on tktm in
connection with railroads.