The west shore., January 01, 1885, Page 29, Image 29

THE WEST SHORE.
29
SNOW BLOCKADE ON THE COLUMBIA.
A TRAIN snow bound three weeks in Oregon I It
will be difficult to make old Oregonians boliove mioh
a statement until it is added that the location of the
blockade is in the gorge of the Columbia. That strangers
may also understand, a brief description of the toiog
raphy of this region is necessary. Oregon and Washing
ton are dividod into eastern and western districts by the
Cascade Mountains, a high range running noarly due
north and south from California to British Columbia.
Through this the Columbia River has forced its way in a
deep gorge some forty miles in longth. Along this gorge,
following the south bank of the stream, runs the track of
the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company. The Bides
of the gorge are so steep, and border so closely ujxm the
river, that in numerous places the track is for owl out
into the stream and runs over the water on long trestles.
In othor places a passage has been blasted around the
face of precipicos or tunneled through jutting points of
rock. When it rains in the Willamette Valley it snows
in the mountains, but, as these storms are generally the
product of a warm southern wind, there is comparatively
little drifting of the snow. It is only at long intervals,
whon a portion of an Eastern "blizzard" flies off on a
tangent and comos whirling westward across the Terri
tories and down the Columbia, that a genuino snow storm
prevails. Then the Middle Columbia freezes solid, the
snow drifts into the gorgo and banks up against the
binds and in the cuts to a groat depth. A few hours are
sufficient to block it completely, and wero such storms
prevalent as, happily, thoy are not the only protection
possible would be staunch and highly expensive snow
sheds, such as the Contral Pacific has boon compelled to
construct on the summit of the Siorra Nevada.
Monday evening, Doeombor 15, a cold eastern wind
began blowing down the Columbia, and as it encountered
the warmor, moisture-laden air from the ocean, a heavy
precipitation of snow was the result The wind blow
that night with a velocity of twenty-five miles au hour,
and the snow was swirlod alxmt liko a plaything, and
lodgod against every bank or obstruction, packing down
solid. In some places it was solidifiod almost to the
consistency of ice. This was in the ncigh!)orhood of tho
numerous waterfalls which plunge over the odgo of the
gorge and fall from great heights one of them, the
Multnomah, a distance of 00 foot Tho strong wind
pickod up this falling water and whirled it alxmt with
the snow, until it packed so deep and solid that, in some
places, giant powder has boon used to blast it out Thore
is ono section of throe miles, noar Onoonta Gorge, where
this frozen snow and water accumulated on the track to a
depth .of forty-five foot before the storm coasotl
Shortly after midnight the train which left The Dalles
on the 17th, following a snow plow, was almost buried
beneath an avalancho of snow. Conductor Lyons, realiz
ing that ho was blockaded till tLe storm was over, walked
through the blinding storm four miles to a station and
telegraphed for food. For fifteen days the train, which
had boon shovolod out and buckud upon a trostlu to pre
serve it from tho avalanohos that were constantly sliding
down the sides of the gorge, lay thore beforo the four
snow plows at work olToctod its roloaso. Food was brought
from both dirootionB Hood River and tho Cascades-by
men who struggled through tho snow with infinite diffi
culty and much suffering from exposure. Wood was
plentiful, though thore was muoli difficulty in cutting it
On tho fifth day, for fear food would run short, all tho
ahkvbodiod men (somo seventy) started through the
snow for this oity. When they cnme to tho ico gorgo
thoy wero compiled to chop a trail around tho bluff, and
across the long and slippery trestles, somo of them morn
than a hundred feet high, they crawled on hands and
knees, in imminent danger of being blown from their
precarious position by tho terrific galo. However, they
all reached tho Cascade in safety, and finally this city.
Tho company kept four snow plows and a thousand men
with shovels constantly at work clearing the track, but
for many days they made little progress because of tho
violence of tho storm, new snow constantly falling and
drifting. Even after tho storm had ceased it took more
than a week to break through the almost solid barrier,
the ico gorge altovo Multnomah Falls being almost im
penetrable. Tho various phase of tho blockade liavo
been depicted by our artist, who could also relate many
personal oxMtriences with tho wind and snow.
Tho storm lessened iu violence a it proceeded up the
Willamette Valley, and did not Mnetrate into Houthern
Oregon. In tho valley snow accumulated to a depth of
ten to fifteen inches, and tho thermometer never fell
ImiIow twelve degrees a1xvo zero. Iu contrast with this
is tho reported temperature of Minnesota and other
States of tho upper Mississippi during tho samo period,
reaching, in somo instuuws, forty degrees Ih1ow zero, or
fifty-two degrees colder than in tho city of Portland.
Even as it was, tho storm was remarkably severe for
Oregon, ono not experienced Ixiforo for years, and such
as wo will probably not seo again for many winter. It
was tho jstculiar conditions which blocked up tho Colum
bia Gorgo, and by shutting us out from all communica
tion with the East paralyzed business for three week,
which have caused us the must inn nvciiii nee. It simply
shows what a "tempest in a teapot" a snow storm iu a
mouuteiu pass onn create.
m m
Fiiom the mass of statistics of 1H8I, given in the mimt
excellent Now Year's oditioii of tho Oreytmiun, tho fol
lowing leading totel for tho oity of Portland are ox
traded :
HjiwU mtol In mnufnurltiic. I.M
Vnlwiif muniifM'Innxl pnalwta $II.Sr,!,fiil
Vaiu uf whi.luil Inuln. i.lWl,IIU
Vain- a! IhiiI.Iiu Imunnrammil In 1'iirlUixl. Kaat l'rllail, Allilna
,,,.1 H-llmul !..
I).. mtin l.rt (lim-llilriU Un rranrlani) 4.m,iW
omnia MIMrta (cliMHIy wlmit awl Huur) i,l4
l).immrilr lm.rU. I IK.MI.I'.V
Kufi Mcn Import, I.UIJ.4IU
Tho principal produce rocoipt were:
Wlwat. btfhoU 5.IXVK)
KI.Hir. Imrr-I:
W...I, ikwimU. .; VJ
Hufca, imiimU , MM.MM
Uu,wUW.