THE MOmsXSTG- OffEGOSTA TIJSSDAXa JA.7sUARY X 1S95,
these narrows had commenced. This
board recommended that no changes be
made in the plans already adopted. It
was their Idea that the plans for the con
struction of the Cascades canal and locks
should be limited to providing navigation
tip to a stage o 0 feet above low water.
This conformed to the extent of the pro
ject submitted In the report of the board
of 18S0. As to the details of the work, it
was deemed advisable, however, to depart
from those heretofore approved. It was
accordingly recommended that the loca
tion of the lock and the position of the
guard gate of the canal, a lock's length
above the npper gates of the lock as pro
posed by Captain Powell, be approved, the
size of the lock to remain the same as
that already proposed. The board fur
ther recommended that the sides of the
canal be built of dry stone masonry to a
height that would correspond to a rise
of 20 feet in the river, with the exception
of those portions that would support the
upper guard gates. These latter were to
be made of masonry laid in cement. The
board concluded by remarking that when
the work proposed should be completed
and its effect upon navigation, together
with that of other improvements in the
river then In progress and for which plans
had been approved, was definitely known,
it was possible that some extension of the
project would then be needed for the canal
which would insure navigation at higher
stages of the river than they allowed for.
It was the opinion of the board that this
part of the subject should be postponed
until the interests of navigation should
demand its construction, and In the mean
time the plan recommended should be
completed as proposed.
In 18S8 Major Handbury succeeded Cap
tain Powell as supervising engineer of the
work of construction of the canal and
locks at the Cascades. In his first annual
report he inviud attention to" the meager
appropriations that had 4een made for
this work from 1876 up to that time, which
amounted in all to 51,142,500. or an average
appropriation of 593,000 a year for the 12
years the work had then been under con
struction. He remarked that to bring the
canal to its proposed state of completion
with the small appropriations that had
been available for its prosecution would
require at least 21 years more before any
benefit to commerce will result from
this work. In 18SS a second board of en
gineers was convened for the purpose of
considering certain questions connected
with the details of the future construction
nor on the canal submitted by Major
Handbury. The principal of these ques
tions were the construction of the dry
stone wall proposed by the previous board
of engineers for revetting the bides of the
canal included between the guard gate
and the upper gate of the lock, and the
kind of material to be used in construct
ing the guard gates and gates of the lock.
Major Handbury proposed to substitute
temporarily cribs filled with stone for the
wall mentioned, replacing them by mason
ry should the requirements of commerce
call for navigation at a higher stage of
the river than 20 feet. The board did not
deem it advisable to give a decision on
contract provided for furnishing all the
material of every kind and description re
quired in the construction of the canal.
the canal was accomplished. The ex
treme height o the river during the
freshet was six feet above the 76 mark.
and all the labor necessary for carrying j the highest previous stage on record. For
the work to a successful completion as
per the plans submitted by the engineers.
The contract stipulated that work was to
be commenced by the contractors within
10 days after notice of its approval had
been given by the government, and work
was to be so prosecuted that the contract
ors would earn the respective amounts ap
propriated for the work within one year
from the dates of the approval of the con
tract and of the acts appropriating any
amounts for the canal and locks. In the
following year the sundry civil act of
March C appropriated $L239,S33, with the
provision that not to exceed three-fourths
of the appropriation should be expended
during the fiscal year ending June SO, 1S34.
November 15, 1S33, Major James C Post
life with the word bachelor
our coat tail.
hanging to
15 days the river remained above the high
est mark ever recorded before. The bulk
head had already been constructed to the
proposed helghtof the finished work above
the TG mark.
Some appreciation of the magnitude of
the work of perfecting the canal can be
gained from the statement that the rail
road tracks which run along the embank
ment at the head of the canal were raised
three feet during the freshet. This was
done by dumping gravel from cars just
as the water was creeping over the
tracks, and then putting a large force of
men at work to raise the tracks with this
gravel as a new foundation. Under Major
Post a dam was built which connected the !
bulKhead with the high bank on the west
was ordered to the Pacific coast to sue- j sjde of the canal. A second dam was con-
ceea iiajor Hanooury. wno naa neen structcd to connect this with the river
transferred to Louisiana. Major Post was j bank north of the canal. The latter was
at the time of his transfer military at- extended from time to time down stream,
tache of the embassy at the Court of St. i following closely the river's banks. When
James, having been appointed during En- j the river reached Its highest stage this
dlcott's administration in 1SS9, a position I protection line was bout 2000 feet long,
he held during the incumbency of Minister j and it was through the great exertion of
Lincoln. He arrived In Portland on Feb- j
ruary 19 last, and immediately proceeded j
to familiarize himself with the details of j
the work under his charge, he having been
previously thoroughly acquainted with the !
work as a whole, having acted as a mem
ber of the boards of 1SS8 above referred to I
The plans under which this work Is now I
being done provide for one lock, 462 feet j
long by 30 feet wide, with a lift of 24 feet. I
representing the low-water difference of
level in the river above and below the j
Cascades. The heights of the walls of
the canal are so regulated that provision r
is made for navigation with a draft of
eight feet up to any stage of water not I
exceeding 20 feet above Iqw-waler marl:, j
The lock is provided with lower guard
gates, and there is also a second pair of i
guard gates placed abo'e the lock. No !
provision has been made for walls between j
the upper lock gates and the upper guard '
gates, as it was unceretain at the time !
this project was adopted whether or not
there would be a necessity for a second
lock. Since the adoption of the last plans,
steamers have succeeded in reaching the
mouth of the Cascade locks on a 36-foot
stage of water, 16 feet above what was
supposed to be the limit of naigation l
when the original estimates "were made.
This is directly due to the improvement of
the river below the locks made by the gov
ernment in charge of this work. It is now
proposed to make modifications in the
present plans of the canal, which will
make it possible for steamers to reach
and pass through the locks up to a stage
of 42 feet above low water, which will
practically give an all-the-year-round
navigation. The plans can be readily
modified by providing suitable walls
for the canal between the upper lock gates
and the upper guard gates to form a sec
ond lock. The advantages of this improve
ment can be readily appreciated from the
statement that the observations of the
THE DALLES.
Head of Na.vlsrH.tion oa the Lower
ColBKbia.
EFORE the era of rail
road development in
Eastern Oregon. The
Dalles was the one
rich trading center of
all that part of the
Etate lying east of the
Cascade mountains.
The great steamboat
traffic on the Colum
bia river was all trans
ferred at The Dalles,
and freight teams left
that place for points
as far distant as Yak
ima and Ellenshurgh,
in "Washington, and
Prinevllle and Can
yon City, in Oregon.
The completion of the
railroad line of the Oregon Railway &
Navigation Company to The Dalles, and
the subsequent construction of the North-
JBjv
liliPni
try tributary this power may be exten
sively utilised In the future.
Even at the present time there is consid
erable local manufacturing done at The
Dalles. Established here are a flouring
mill with a dally capacity of 123 barrels a
but it is rich In natural resources and
It will always support a prosperous trad
ing point at Heppner. The attention of
immigrants is now being attracted to Ore
gon as affording a desirable location for
settlement, and Morrow counts, in com-
WAGES PAID BY RAILROADS
day, a brewery, a well-equipped planing- j m0n with the rest of the Inland Empire.
mm plant, and a sash and door factory. 1 is receiving Its full quota of new settlers.
Two miles east Is a. large salmon cannery, t -
which cans and packs annually from 23,000
to 40.000 cases. There are no less than 10
fish-wheels In the vicinity o the city, and
every season upward of 2,000.000 pounds of
salmon are caught in these wheels and
shipped to Eastern markets.
The construction of a flume canal, ex
tending back from The Dalles for a dis
tance of IS miles, furnishes an outlet for
the lumber manufactured by the saw mills
situated in the timber belt adjacent to
the city. The carrying capacity of this
flume is 123.000 feet of lumber.
In a single year The Dalles has shipped
as high as 200 carloads of hides, 10,000,000
pounds of wool, 4200 head of cattle, 100,000
head of sheep, 1SC0 head of horses, and 100
carloads of fruit. The fruit Industry is
receiving a large share of the attention
of the farmers in the couhtry tributary.
j Such fruits as peaches, melons and other
They ItaHRc All the "Way From JJGOOO
n. Year Down to $400.
We hear a lot of talk nowadays about J
but the last report of the New York j
Central road does not seem to otter
great inducements to desert a success
ful mercantile or professional business
to hunt for passengers or chase up
freight, says the St Louis Globe-Democrat.
It Is true that there are 69
general officers who average 56030 a
year each, with which most of us could
worry along very well. But as an off
set to these there are 1350 locomotive en
ginees averaging $1220 each, and this
is the class drawing the highest aver-
i
CASCADES AT HIGH WATER. JUNE 4 !S94-RirER AT A STAGE 50.4 FEET ABOVE LOW WATER).
the engineers and the contractors and by
w orklng large shifts of men day and nlgnt
for over a week that it was possible to
keep tho work li advance of the rising
waters and prevent them from overflow
ing the dam, embankments and bulk
heads. Had the river once gained an en
trance to the canal, the extensive im
pro cments would have been swept away,
thus undoing a work that it had taken
nearly 20 years to build. Several times
during the freshet the river threatened to
break through some part of the protecting
wails, but each time the breach was
closed by dumping barrels of cement and
tons of cut rock into the weak places.
ern Pacific railroad across the Cascade
mountains to Puget sound, cut off much of
this trade formerly held by The Dalles,
yet the rapid settlement of the country
immediately tributary has in a measure
partly made up for the loss of the trade
which the railroad has diverted to other
points.
The Dalles is the seat of Wasco county,
and it is at the head of navigation in the
Middle Columbia river. It is distant from
Portland by the line of the railroad of the
O. R. & 2. Co. SS miles, but by the wind
ing course of the Willamette and Colum
bia rivers the distance between the two
points is about 100 miles. At the present
semi-tropical varieties do exceedingly well j age pay, when the general officers are
on the rich sandy loams of the lands near
The Dalles, and the shipment of this fruit
is yearly claiming increased attention
from the people of this part of the state.
Hood river valley, situated a little more
than 20 miles west, raises some of the
finest peaches and strawberries on the
coast, and the Hood river strawberries
and this variety of fruit raised in the im
mediate vicinity of The Dalles find a
ready sale in the Portland and other mar
ket', at prices that growers of only the
very finest varieties of berries raised in
other parts of the state are able to command.
omitted. Conductors average $361
apiece, $1 more than the previous year.
The general office clerks have $80S each,
and then comes the employes on the
floating equipment, who have $704 each;
they are really mariners, rather than
railway men. Mechanics and helpers
on the read receive about $664, and fire
men and wipers. $646. Station agenl3
get $633; and trainmen and other than
engineeers, firemen and conductors
have the same wages, as a rule. Road
masters and track foremen average
$609, and telegraph operators have an
; even $600. Station men other than
whim, cr whether it "has come to stay";
whather those who have taken it up will
continue it after the novelty has worn,
off. or whether they will -drop it for the
next new fad that shall' come along. There
are many reasons for thinking that Us
stay will be permanent. Undoubtedly
many of those who take It up because of
Its vogue will tire of it after awhile, but
these will not constitute a large propor
tion of tho whole number. The great body
of riders find in the bicycle a new pleas
ure in life, a means for seeing more of
the world, a source of better health
through open-air exercise, a bond of com
radeship, a method of rapid locomotion
either for business or pleasure, and many
other enjoyments and advantages which
they will not relinquish. The bicycle h .
In fact, become a necessary part of mod
ern life, and could not be abandoned with
out turning the social progress of the
world backward. Few who have used It
for a, tour through the country would
think for a moment of giving it up and
returning to pedestrianlsm instead. Aside
from the exhlltarating joy of riding, which
every bicycle devotee will assure you is
the nearest approach to flying at present
possible to man. there Is the opportunity
of seeing a constantly changing land
scape. The bicycle is, indeed, the great leveler.
It puts the poor man on a level with tha
rich, enabling him to "sing the song of.
the open road" as freely as the million
aire, and to widen his knowledge- by visit
ing the regions near to or far from his
home, observing how other men live. He
could not afford a railway journey an I
sojourn in these places, and he could not
walk through them without tiring suf
ficiently to destroy in a measure the pleas
ure which he sought. But he can ride
through 20, CO, 40 and even 70 miles of
country in a day without serious fatigue,
and with no expense, sae his board and
lodging. To thousands of men and women
the longing of years to travel a little as
soon as they could afford It is thus grat
ified, virtually without limit; for a "little
journey in the world" can be made on
every recurring holiday or vacation.
m
WALLED LAKES OF IOWA
The Interesting Process ly "Which
They Are Formed.
St. Louis Republic.
Along the watershed of northern Iowa
there Is a series of small, clear lakes vary
ing from a few rods to four miles in
diameter. One of these, in Wright coun
ty, and another in Sac county, have eac l
received tho name of "Walled lakes,"
on account of the stone embankment
which completely surround them. It ha
been generally supposed that these walls
were built by the prehistoric Hawkcyes,
but careful scientific investigation favors
the idea that the embankments are tho
result of natural causes only; that they
were "erected" by the periodic action of
Gtf , ' ,'".. MAP OF THE COLUMBIA EIYER . . , .-,' fF nV - "-
r.tf&xS v ' ' , ' -" & CV - -
l9 - V " Prom the Cascade? Canal to thcjJFoot of Bradford's Island," ' ." ,", ,AVl j. j .- cv-. '
r ,"' V Bhoivintrwork done on river improvement. '. , ' ' - ' Mr 5J fch'V yT-. . 3E"
- --"!J' xVV X "V ST 1 "t. J yp
4 S jrM dzgsrzr
u E ffl - N
NOTE.
Shore line is for a. stage of two feet
above extreme low water Hocks remov
ed in river Improvement shown in black.
Points removed in river improvement
shown in black. Reef removed in river
improvement, 18S4, bhown thus: fflfl
this matter at that time, as the construc
tion of this wall would not be begun for
some time In the future, and that in the
mean time the necessities of navigation
could be carefully gauged. The board ap
proved Major Handbury's proposition
that ail the gates should be constructed
of steel, and they gave a general Indorse
ment of his plan of working.
In 1890 Major Handbury submitted a re
vised estimate of the cost of the work,
based on the latest approved plans as
recommended by the board of 1SSS. These
plans were substantially the same as had
been proposed by the board of 1SS0. The
only modifications made were those ren
dered necessary by the collections of addi
tional matter and by the results of experi
ence gained in the progress of the work.
The most important of these modifica
tions was the substitution of a dry stone
wall for the timber cribbing lir&t proposed
along the sides of the canal, and the steel
for the gates In place of wood a change
lsfct 15 years show that these modifications
would Increase the poriod of navigation
thrrough the locks on an average of three
months each year.
THE JUXE FKESHET.
Rattle Royal AVlthTthc Flood Plant
I"inall Siuicd.
N June of last year there was
a freshet in the Columbia river
w hich was unprecedented. The
heights of the walls of the
canal had been established on
the experience of the flood of
3S76, the highest water known
in the Columbia river; but last
June the river rose six feet
above the 76 mark. An addi
tional six feet must thus be
added to the heights of the
walls to protect the canal from
overflow should the freshet of last year
be repeated. The great, danger of an
I
After 10 days of the most constant vigil,
all danger of damage to the canal and
locks was overcome, and the people of
the inland empire, were thus assured of an
open river to Portland and the sea. where,
had the embankments at the Cascades
been carried away by the flood, this great
work could not have been completed for
maj.y years in the future.
Lieutenant Taylor, of the United States
engineers, took immediate charge of the
woik at the Cascades In the interests of
tho government in November, 1S91, under
Major Handbury. All the work on the
present contract has been prosecuted un
der the local superintendence of Lieuten
ant Taylor, wnose ability is attested by
his selection for what is considered by
engineers as one of the most important
public works in the United States.
J. G. Day, the senior member of the
firm which now has the contract for com
pleting the work at the Cascades, has
been heard to say that no great public
time steamboats run between Portland
and The Dalles only by making a transfer
of freight and passengers at the Cas
cades, a point on the river about 40 miles
west of The Dalles. The government locks
and canal which are now being construct
ed around the Cascades, however, and
w hich it is hoped to have completed some
time during the present year, will allow
boats to pas.s these obstructions at all
stages of water. The completion of this
great work will afford continuous river
traffic between Th'c Dalles and Portland,
and also between The Dalles and the
mouth of the Columbia river at Astoria.
Immediately above The Dalles are ob
structions in the river which prevent nav
igation for 13 miles over the river's course
here.' 4 It Is proposed to overcome these ob-
i structlons by the construction of a boat
railway, a work that is now being con
sidered by the national government. When
boats shall be able to pass the obstruc-
i tlons in the river at The Dalles and at the
THE CASCADES AT LOW WATER. Taken September SS. 2S94
made with a view of making these walls
and gates permanent In character. Up to
that time there had been appropriated for
the construction of the Cascade locks and
can&l and for the Improvement of the
river covered by the rapids below. S1.SS9.
000. and It was estimated by Major Hand
bury that an additional J1.745.0O0 would be
necessary to complete the work.
In 1K th" river and harbor act appro
priated $326,250 for the Cascade locks and
canal, and a provision was made for
awarding the contract for the completion
of the entire work. In the latter part of
the same year a contract was made by the
government with Messrs. J. G. & I. N.
Dy, of San. Francisco, for the completion
Z Ue canal and locks for ;i,d,253. This
V
overflow from such a hich stage of water
can be appreciated from the fact that dur
ing the height of the flood last year the
difference In level of the water above and
below the Cascades was at no time les
than 11 feet. Below the Cascades the
river attained a height of $ feet above
low-water mark, and 0 feet above the
rapids at the highest stage of water. For
tunately the canal and locks wre still in
: course cf construction, and. the work not
i being completed, a large force of laborers
j was available for the unexpected emer-
gency of a flood unprecedented In its di
mensions. This force was inunediaieiy
turned over to Major Post, who happened
to be on the ground, and It was under his
direction that the system or protecting
work with which he has ever been con- J
nected has been handled with less friction
between the government engineers and the i
contractors, and that the facility which
has marked the progress of all the work
at the Cascades has been largely due to
the intimate knowledge of the needs of
the work possessed by Lieutenant Taylor,
and his full appreciation of the great diffi
culties of carrying a work of this magni
tude to a successful conclusion.
Inlovinp: as I Am Cnloved."
Weston Philistine.
We care nothing for the society of
today, or the society of young ladies.
We have had our day of love and got the
worst of it, and are satisfied to go through
Cascades, the Columbia and its tributaries
will afford one of the longest continuous
navigable water routes in the United
States.
The mean fall of the river from The
Dalles to Celilo, a distance of 13 miles. Is
100 feet. It is over this part of the river's
course that boats are not able to pass,
owing to rapids and precipitous falls in
the stream. For 100 miles east of Celilo
the average depth of water in the Colum
bia nver Is about 30 feet. The available
power afforded by this river at The Dalles
Is estimated to be fully equal to that of
the Spokane river at Spokane, or the
Falls of St. Anthonyjat Minneapolis, and
it is the hope ofb'epSopier of The Dalles
that with the resources of the rich coun-
The Dalies has the advantages of rival
lines of transportation afforded by the
railroad to Portland and the opposition
line of steamboats operated on the river
between the two points. The steamer line
has been a most important factor in se
curing cheap freight rates for the mer
chants of The Dalles, and the mainte
nance of this line has done much in hold
ing the trade which the city has enjoyed
with the tributary district during the
stringent times of the past year.
The present population of The Dalles is
about 3000. The city has all the advan
tages of modern improvements, including
a fine water-works plant and electric
lights. The types of the public buildings
arc good, and the principal business blocks
are of brick and of an attractive style of
architecture. While The Dalles has felt
the depression of the past two yeare. the
business of the place is in a prosperous
condition, and as an old-established cen
ter of trade there Is much wealth concen
trated at thi3 point, which will always
find profitable employment here.
The only town of importance between
The Dalles and Pendleton on the main
line of the O. R. & N. Co. is Arlington, 44
miles east of the former place. Arlington
is the largest town in Gilliam county, and
before the completion of the branch line
of the O. R. & N. Co. to Heppner It was
the most important shipping point for
wool in either Gilliam or Morrow county.
The completion of the Heppner branch
diverted much of Arlington's former trade
to Heppner. but it is still an important
trading and shipping point. The town
contains a present population of about 330,
and it is one of the conservative places of
business in Eastern Oregon.
HEPPNER.
agents and telegraphers, average $365,
and mechanics and helpers in the shops
are paid $523. Switchmen, flagmen and
watchmen receive $f00; shopmen, other
than mechanics and helpers, make
about $460, and trackmen have
$419. The most numerous class on the
road are station men, other than agents
and telegraph operators, of whom
there are 5314. Next come the 4379
trackmen, 351G mechanics and helpers
in the shops, and the 2523 switchmen.
REIGN OF THE WHEEL.
The Present Passion for the Bicycle
Likely to Hold Out.
What may be called, not improverly, the
bicycle passion has full possession of sev
eral leading countries of the world. Eng
land and France, notably those parts of
them in and about London and Paris, have,
been so given over to it for some time
that a large proportion of their popula
tion come and go on their errards of busi
ness or pleasure "on a wheel," says the
December Century- Americans who have
recently traveled abroad have been as
tonished at the general use of the bicycle
there, and have been still more aston
ished, on returning to their own country
the ice, aided by the force of the waves
and wind.
The wall around the Wright county
wonder Is from five to twelve feet in
height, and of a width averaging .'S
feet, and is composed principally of gran
ite boulders of the size and shape peculiar
to the "drift period." Those who ascribe
the walls to natural causes argue after
this fashion: The lakes are shallow,
and m winter, especially if it be a winter
of unusual cold, freeze solid to the bot
tom. This ice freezes fast to the boulders,
pebbles and earth beneath, and, in Its
expansion, acts in all directions from cei
ter to circumference. Every year a cer
tain portion of the deposits of the lakes'
bottoms are pushed toward the shor.
This going on from year to year, and
from century to century, has caused the
wonderful walls which have so frequently
been ascribed to prehistoric inhabitants.
Duration of Lightning.
By using at a measured distance in front
of a photographic camera an ink or mer
cury dropper, liberating drops in rapid
succession to one another, C. B. Warner,
of Wormley, near Brobourne, has curious
ly illustrated an exceedingly interesting
method of estimating the duration of light-
One of the LcndinprTowii" of Eaitern
Oregon The Great "Wool Output.
EPPNER, the seat of
justice of Morrow
county, dates its
first real start from
1SSS, when the branch
line connecting with
the main line of the
O. R. & N. Co.'s rail
road at Willows was
completed. This road
has made Heppner
one of the leading
3&meE shipping points of
Tdffi.&SZ3?" Eastern Oregon, and
- ' It has been of ines
timable value to the
entire country of which Heppner is the
trading center.
Before the construction of the railroad
line to Heppner, the immense wool output
of Morrow county and part of the output
of Wasco county, which aggregates sev
eral millions of pounds annually, had
found an outlet at Arlington, the nearest
point affording railroad connection. All
of this great wool crop now comes to
Heppner. The present population of Hepp
ner is about 1000. The town contains a
number of brick buildings, and a large
volume of business Is regularly handled
here. In addition to the large wool ship
ments, great quantities of wheat, cattle,
sheep and horses are regularly shipped
from this point-
Jlorrow county is. comparatively speak
ing, a sparsely settled section of country,
UPPER GUARD-GATE XASOXJiV: XOETH SIDE.Tatcn Dxember U. ISOi.
during the last year, to discover what
headway the passion has made here. It
is aid to be a conservative estimate by
competent authorities that during the
year now closing a quarter of a million
bicycles have been sold in this country,
and'that the number of riders approaches
1,000,000. There are said to be over 50,
000 in New York, and its neighborhood,
and fully half that number In and about
Boston. The latter city caught the pas
sion from Europe some time before New
York did, and has a larger proportion of
its population, male and female, regularly
devoted to It.
Observers of the phenomenon are won
derinc whether It is merely a passing
ning flashes. Mr. Warner has made a
negative showing the Cashes, the Images
of which are distorted by refraction due
to rain drops falling close to the photo
graphic lens, the aperture of which was,
presumably, of small diameter.
Denr Lew Abundant.
Dews are less abundant on islands a .id
on -ships in midocean. Seamen nearjng
land can tell that fact by reason of the
deposits of dew on the vesseL
Ouc fenovry Winter.
Oue of the heaviest snowfalls in the
history of this country was February 13
to 2J. 1717, when the snow remained five to
seven feet all over New England.
I