THE MOHXIXG OREGONIANi FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1909. ,
NEW ROAD HELPS PORTLAND
Completion of Hill Railway Down Columbia River Makes City Outlet for the Great Inland Empire.
By R. H. Jrakln. Awtotaat Graml Freight
and Ftwnitr Axrnt.
THB construction and completion of
the Spokane. Portland & Seattle
Railway. "The North Bank Road."
between Spokane and Portland, marka In
the history of Portland what may be re
garded as the most Important event of
her commercial history.
By Its completion. Portland la placed In
closer touch with Spokane, with the tw
Iston and Clearwater country and the
Palouse country tnroush the medium of
what are known as the "Hill lines." This
section of the country lies between the
Cascade range and the Rocky Mountains,
s, Taat empire of almost unparalleled fer
tility, producing; annually 60.0CO.WQ bushels
of wheat, practically all of which seeks
a market at tide water.
"When Lewis and Clark made their his
toric trip from the Mississippi Valley to
of those lines most closely connected with
the situation, and in the year 1905 began
the construction of the Spokane, Portland
& Seattle Railway from Spokane to Port
land. They designed and constructed the
best new railroad exer built In the world,
and. considering the character of the
country throush which It passes, with
the lowest rade and the least curvature.
In fact. In these two essentials, the line
to much better than the mind would have
conceived possible considering the fact
that the lines previously constructed had
found it necessary to maintain raucn
heavier grades and curvature. Not alone
is the Spokane. Portland Seattle Rail
way the best line in this respect between
8rokane and Portland, but Jt is the short
est as well.
It Is built on a maximum grade of .3
per cent for a distance of 250 miles from
Portland, and beyond that point to Spo
kane the maximum grade Is .4 per cent.
With a maximum curvature fit 3 degrees,
with 85-pound steel rails, concrete lined
tunnels, all steel bridges, and a mile of
ed railroads along the Columbia and
Snake rivers to their headwaters and be
yond, and that feeders or small lines
should have likewise been constructed
down each small tributary stream from
the producing sections to the main ar
tery previously built alone the larger
and more Important stream? This hav
ing been accomplished, the products of
this great empire would have flowed
down these rail lines to tidewater as
naturally as the water In the rivers
reaches the Pacific Ocean via. the Colum
bia. But these pioneers could not foresee
this development, and the necessity for
low-grade railroads over which freight
and passenger traffic could be moved at
the minimum of cost, and constructed
their lines via routes which at that time
no doubt offered apparent superior ad
vantages. But natural conditions will prevail In
the end. and many of the present genera
tion will live to see these lines con
structed as the pioneers might have done
RAILROAD OPERATIONS DURING 1908 IN TERRITORY TRIBUTARY TO PORTLAND
Spokane. Portland & Seattle Railway, completed Into Portland from Pasco; mUeagts 231; cost $45,000.
OoO Operation commenced In November.
Krla-Lewon line completed by O. K. K. Distance of 73 mile,, at a cost of .063.9,3
Ilwaco extension completed by Harrlman Unas and put Into operation last June. MUeag-e, U. coat,
""i tension of the O. R. N. Lengt. 3 miles; cost. 1.674.8S9. Put Into operation from Elgin
to 'reoullronrne'oetween Troutdale and Bonneville, main Una of the O. R. & N. Distance, !S
miles- cost. 3928.506. Completed last month.
p'acTflc Railway & Navigation Company's Hne to Tillamook. Work resumed in Autumn of 1907. M.le
. jo; cost. 33.000,000. Will be completed during- coming year. f
Beaverton & Wlllsburg Railroad Company. Work resumed last November. Mileage, H; expended
tr, date 3293 000. Completion promised In 1909.
Oregon & Washington Railroad Company. During past year 1.13 miles of thU line constructed. Ex-
Orllt ErJicRlwat has bullt durng past year and put into operation line to Forest Grove from
b'nt line to Unnton. seven miles, and is ready to operate ,, This will be
first link in interurban system throughWaahington County.
California Northern, under construction from Weed. Cal.. to Klamath Falls, where will connect
with Oregon Eastern line, of Harriman system. Construction has been earned on steadily throughout
StraToregon line to be built south from mouth of Deschutes River to Bend and I Madras. Surveys
completed and estimate, forwarded for first 100 miles to Madras. Estimated cost. J4.000.000.
the Pacific Coast, they followed the lines
of least resistance, via the Missouri River
to its head waters, thence across the
Rocky Mountains by the lowest trails,
then known only to the native Indians, to
the head waters of streams in the Pacific
Coast watershed, tributary of the Colum
bia River, and thence via natural water
routes to the mouth of the Columbia
River.
The early builders of transcontinental
railroads, whose vftw may have been
somewhat restricted because of lack of
knowledge of all the territory involved,
appear not to have taken full advantage
of the example set by Lewis and Clark,
and have bullded their railroads over
grades which they have since found a
great obstruction to the cheap transpor
tation of traffic, and have advisedly re
vised their grades.
The Union Pacific, the Northern Pa
cific, and the Great Northern roads were
constructed in the order named, and each
in its order has found lower passes over
the Rocky Mountains: but the Union .Pa
cific, through its control of the Oregon
Railroad A Navigation Company, has un
til the present time controlled the loweBt
grade route from the Interior of, Oregon.
Washington and Idaho to the Pacific
Coast.
The Northern Pacific and Great North
ern, the so-called 'Hill Un." with
which may be classed the Chicago. Burl
ington Quincy. having constructed their
lines to the Puget Wound country over the
Cascade range with heavy grades and
curvature, became wise in their day, and
finally through co-operation determined
to carry out a project which had long
been favored In the minds of the officers
passing track every five miles, this road
is equipped to handle a tonnage limned
only by its power and equipment.
It will indicate even to those who may
not have studied the situation, that by
the construction of this road and its
completion to Portland, which event was
celebrated at Portland on November 6
by one of the most enthusiastic recep
tions ever tendered the railroad fratern
itv, Portland Is placed much nearer to
the great inland empire territory, the
trade of which she so much covets, and
It will undoubtedly follow, as a natural
consequence, that the manufacturers and
merchants of Portland and other Colum
bia and Willamette River points will not
fall to take full advantage of the con
ditions created by the construction and
operation of this new line of railroad.
The Astoria & Columbia River Rail
road has been made a part of the Spo
kane Portland & Seattle system; and
offers to them an outlet to Astoria and
the sea, enabling the residents of the in
terior cities to reach seaside resorts and
Clatsop beach by direct and improved
service, which will no doubt prove a boon
to the pleasure-seeking people of that
section, of the country.
The construction of railroads through
the Columbia River gorge to tidewater is
only natural, and the reader is invited
to take a map of the Northwest and after
studying the wuter courses of the Colum
bia River and Its tributaries, imagine
what would have been the result had it
been possible for the pioneer transpor
tation men and railroad builders to have
foreseen the great development of this
Northwest. Would It not have been
natural that they should have construct-
had It been possible for them to foresee
the development or tne couniry. iu
it Is fast being done, since the greater
portion of the construction of railroad
lines in the past few years has been along
these water courses.
The importance of the Spokane, Port
land & Seattle Railway to the public has
already been demonstrated in the short
ening of the passenger train schedule be
tween Portland and the Inland Empire,
also in the Improved freight train service
that has been provided, a fact which
every resident of the great Columbia
River Valley will no doubt fully appre-
The State of Washington will benefit
to an extent which it is not possible to
estimate at this time from the construc
tion and operation of this new road, be
cause it permits and encourages the de
velopment of new territory, particularly
the southern tier of counties lying along
the Columbia River, such as Clark. Ska
mania, Klickitat and Benton counties.
Each of these counties is an empire in
Itself, having large areas within whose
borders may be found a variety of cli
matic conditions and of soil, and In
which may be carried on successfully
many diversified interests such as farm
ing, fruitgrowing, stockraising, lumber
ing, mining and manufacturing.
The scenic wonders of the Columbia
River Gorge are viewed from the trains
of this road to an advantage not hereto
fore possible, except from the deck of a
Columbia River steamer, and tho pas
senger marvels at the wondrous works
of nature which are thus placed within
his view in his hurried travel through
the coutnry.
RRIES OUT OLD PROJECT
Bonding of Railway Down North Shore of Columbia Planned When Northern Pacific Started to Coast.
COMPLETION of the new North Bank
road during the year just closed
marks the accomplishment of the blg
iiroad achievement of the past
I Quarter century for Portland. Further
I th huildlnir of the Hill line, owned
Jointly by the Great Northern and the
Northern Pacific, carries out the original
Hill project, when the Northern Pacific
was started to the Pacific Coast from St.
Paul.
When the Northern Pacific was ong
Inaily built. It was planned to come down
the Washington shore of the Columbia
River to Portland. This route offered the
best pathway to Pacific tide water. It was
believed, a conviction that later railroad
building has amply Justified. The North
ern Pacific was to be competitive with
the ft K. t N. road and was to secure
the advantages of the water grade on the
north bank of the Columbia already aeld
by the O. R- N. on the south bank.
But unfortunately for Portland, a com
bination was effected whereby the
Northern Pacific interests were allied
with those of the O. R. & N. and the
North Bank project was given up, the
O. R- & N- "no down tne "outh 8ido
of the river being relied. upon to serve
both systems as an outlet to Portland.
When some years later, the trackage
agreement between the two companies
was terminated, the Northern Pacific
built a line of railway to Portland from
Puget Sound, crossing the Cascade Moun
tains in Washington. This made a longer
and more difficult route for the railroad
than would have been the case bad the
denies of the Columbia been followed, but
at that time a line of railroad between
Portland and the Puget Sound cities
seemed of prime importance. A railroad
that would make Portland the terminus
on this coast of the Northern Pacific
trans-continental line and at the same
time provide a practical line between
"eattle Tacoma and Portland, beside the
smaller cities of Puget Sound, was sought
after bv the Hill magnates. V
The Great Northern likewise pushed
across tho continent to Puget Sound, find
ing another pass over the Cascade Moun
tains. Traffic of Washington Territory
was the object of both these roads, the
. great Puget Sound country being left
solely to the Hill lines, the Harriman
roads apparently turning no thought In
' that direction.
The lines of both these roads were con
structed across Washington and over the
mountains of that state only at the ex
penditure of great amounts of money.
Heavy grades had to be overcome and
tortuous river channels followed by
twisting lines of steel to climb over the
Cascade range and drop down to Pacific
tidewater on the other side.
One of the chief difficulties of the
operation of these two lines of railway is I
the storm Interference during the Win
ter months. Heavy snow storms block
the deep canyons In the mountains, mak
ing railway travel uncertain and diffi
cult. Sudden melting of the snowfall
as Chinook winds sweep up to the moun
tain foothills causes floods of water that
wash the railroad grades, forcing out
bridges and delaying trains. Aside from
the delays and danger to railroad opera
tion on account of storm Interference,
the lines of railway of both "the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific over the
steep grades of the Cascade Range to
Pacific Coast tidewater are expensive
of operation. Heavy traffic on railroads
crossing a hign mountain range is neces
sarily unremuneratlve to the railroad be
cause of the high, cost of operation.
The lumber traffic from the West to the
East, and particularly from the region
west of the Cascade Mountains, both in
Oregon and Washington, increased with
the passing of the years. Finally the vol
ume of tonnage eastbound began to ap
proach that of the traffic sent across the
continent for the consumption of the rap
Idly Increasing population of the North
west and freight for export to the Asiatic
ports. The Mississippi Valley states be
came more and more heavy consumers
of fir lumber. There was, in addition, a
great growth In the local business of the
two Hill lines west of the Rocky Moun
tains as the West became settled and
productive.
To handle all this traffic at the least
cost to the railroads, leaving the best
margin of profit for the service, was
of course the object of the Hill lines.
The railroad managers turned naturally
to the Columbia River Valley as offer
ing an outlet to the Pacific Coast with
out necessitating a heavy haul over for
midable mountain grades.
In 13o5, the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific Companies united to form the
Portland & Seattle Railway Company
for the construction of a line of railway
from Pasco to Portland, a distance
of 231 miles. This line was to be used
jointly by the Great Northern and the
Northern Pacific as the logical, easy
grade outlet to a leading Pacific Coast
port.
The first official announcement of the
purpose of the two Hill companies to build
such a line was made at a banquet given
to James J. Hill at the American Inn
on the fair grounds in Portland during
the closing months of the Lewis and
Clark Exposition. The Inauguration of
work on the tremendous project soon fol
lowed and expense was disregarded en
tirely in the construction of a splendid,
first-class railway down the Washing
ton shore of the Columbia River to
Portland. The road was completed Into
the Hill terminals in North Portland and
the first trains run during November.
1906, marking the completion of a gigan
tic railway project. The name of the
company was changed during the past
year to the Spokane. Portland Sc Seattle
By the building of the North Bank road,
the Hill interests have opened up a
steel highway into Portland that makes
the 31.000 miles of railway track In the
Hill system of roads directly tributary
to this city and brings Portland a tre
mendous new asset of remarkable significance.
RAILS
GARS
LOCOMOTIVES
RAILWAY
EQUIPMENT
COMPANY
Portland, Oregon
HENRY WEINHARI
WERY
Biggest and Best in Pacific Northwest
ysLr v5l"v. ir y - reg;. t ry&fe
' ' Kj&t'- -A '.'Jr- V .L-SSSSto.SSlsMBttislfeSS
OFFICE, 13th AND BURNSIDE
PORTLAND, OR.
MAIN 72
TELEPHONES
A 1172
SIGNS
The kind that burn
themselves into the
minds of the public
e-.
iilljS..' Wt- JTTi- T
r ,
rnlnmhia niffer Co 's New Modern Dredge
Sand and gravel supplied for commercial purposes in city of Portland. Tideland
diking railwa? embanking, sand and gravel diKgliiK. derrick scows and barges for
rent Steamer for towing. Office and clock foot Ankony street. Tel. Main DT.
CAPI. M. A. HACKETT, President. CAPT. E. A. HACKETT. Secretary.
Handiest Boat Yard in the City
JOSEPH BOAT YARD W
SUPPLE MARINE WAYS
Foot of Belmont Street
Phone. East 421 Portland, Oregon
v
ctm. J,J..wJwfft.. . ' i
. v - x
5; I
4
Ml
DRAYAGE
MACHINERY
AND
SAFES
40Ton Truck
Office
Fourth and IavU
Port land. Or.
Sts.,
CLAY S. MORSE
Optfratinf the "Overland Warehouse,"
Fourth and Davis Streets 4 8 0,0 0 0
cubic feetl; the "Morse Warehouse",
Thirteenth and Hoyt Streets (600.000
cubic feet, private switch.
U. S. BONDED WAREHOUSEMEN
STORAGE
MERCHANDISE,
HOUSEHOLD
GOODS
Telephones Main 777, A
1377, only one tlutt has a
private switch.
GAMBRINUS
The beer that for nearly thirty-two years has been the favorite
family brew of Portland on account of its unvarying purity and
superior quality.
Nearly a third of a century afro w started in making' the best
beer possible to produce. The longer we made the beer the better
we could make it AND VVK IIU SO.
Make New Year's resolution that you won't be without GAM
BRIM S a single day this year then your physician will have to
seek practice elsewhere.
Families supplied tt $2.00 for two dozen pints, or $1.75 for one
dozen quarts. We refund 25c dozen when pint bottles are returned,
and 40c the dozen for quarts.
GAMBRINDS BREWING GO.
Portland, Oregon
STAR BREWERY
Northern Brewery Company
BREWERS AND BOTTLERS OF THE FAMOUS
HOP GOLD BEER
Portland, Oregon
East 3d and Burnside
TELEPHONES:
East 46 Home. B 1146
Vancouver, Wash.
Try HOP GOLD and You
Will Use No Other.
Mt. Hood Brewing Co.
BREWERS AND BOTTLERS OF
LAGER BEER
AND PORTER
Office and Cold Storage Rooms. S. W. cor. Hawthorne
Ave. and East Water St,
Phones:
Pacific, East 139
Home. B 1319
PORTLAND. OREGON