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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 1905)
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.