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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1915)
THE MOHXIXG OREGOXIAX, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1915. 30-FOOT CHANNEL TO SEA IS GREAT ACHIEVEMENT FOR PORT AAA F TOSS .fr1 -'' ; " I?306! "1 "N ! 1 I T if rii " : KE, 1 i . ,f Hl r o a usable depth of channel of II ( f l ilflf II " iM. i ' ' lol 12 fel H ' ' I I wmca aiso mo time wnu iu largest Jt 17 feet between Portland and the II SI -T HV I 1 i i , -s5 - II numDer or aeep arau vessels coma i I X i ' i " Hi I II I M V - a i' t5'- 18 I Portland for carco. and. therefore. gl" 1 tel liefllEiliMlililEill ittffiillte J'V'X.xy' " J " J-- .raa----r. -sacs - ...n-- i Marevji Talh4. 4ennil Huiaicer Port of words. 1'oniaois t mminaioD. IT may not be Known to many people Bea. The only equipment received thot Portland now has a SO-foot from the city was an antiquated dip channel to the sea, but such Is the per dredge of small capacity which fart was soon discarded because of its in- To accomplish this has required 1equacy an(' o excessive cost of ' operation on such work as could be many years of persistent effort on the lland,0(I .ith a dredse of ,hllt tvpe. part of the public spirited citizens of The first work of any importance un I'ortland and the cost to the taxpay- dertaken by the Port was the coll ars of the Port of T'ortland district struction of dikes and revetments at has been over M.000.000. In addition to various points in the Willamette and hi ik. i'.j.i .. Columbia Rivers. About J370.000 was this the rederal Government oas ex- , , . , . . . ... expended in this way. The work was pnded large sums thiousu the Umted done under th direction of the Stales engineers. Most of the money fnited states Knftineer Corps, the appropriated by the United states Gov- necessary money being secured by an eminent was expended upon the con struction or jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River. It is the purpose of this article to rell the practical side of how the work of the I'ort of Portland was done. The problem of providing a defp : i-hanm-l from Portland to the sea In : volved the removal of many shoals in the natural chattel of the Willamette and Columbia TTivers or making of new channels to avoid shoals at places tvbere their removal presented such unusual difficulties as to make a new cut mure practicable. When Ihe Port of Portland issue of bonds of the Port of Port land district. The United States engi neers determined the location of the dikes and' character of construction, the theory followed being that nar rowing of the streams at points where bars form will cause a gradual washing away of such bars. It is often necessary when placing such dikes to protect the bank oppo site that to which the dike is attached so that the altering of the course of the main current will not cause crasion of banks, which. If permitted, would probably form new bars and cross cur- It was possible to obtain a channel SS feet deep and to maintain the same, but the Increasing size of modern vessel another dredge was deemed necessary called for greater depth In the channel. and the "Columbia" was built In 1902. and another iiV-lncli ircoge, .lie vn This dredge is of the same type as lamette," was added to the fleet. Thl the dredge "Portland," but of greater dredge is a duplicate of the "Columbia" capacity, having a 30-inch suction and in niOMt respects, but having a hull of discharge and a 1500-horsepower steel while the "Columbia" has a wood pumping plant. The 20-Inch dredge en hull with steel trusses, whlrn new will remove about SoOO cubic yards of ever will be replaced during the com material In a day of S hours, while a ing year by a steel hull which lias been 30-inch dredge can handle 80.000 cubic constructed locally and is now ready yards under favorable conditions, and for the machinery. The "Willamette" averages over 10,000 yards per day on was completed in 1912 and Is the most channel work regularly. economical and efficient dredge of tho The working of these dredges which three. With this splendid equipment, are technically known as "hydraulic the channel depth was Increased ap dredges" is this: The forward end is proximately one foot each senson, so equipped with a projecting steel frame that now we have a practical, usable called the "ladder," which can be raised channel of 30 feet depth from Portland and lowered by means of wire cables to the sea. fastened to a truss above. This ladder The dredging of this channel for carries the suction pipe and shaft and about 65 miles below Portland was done pears which operate a "cutter, which with the Port of Portland dredges ex- came apparent that dikes, even rents. Experience has shown that in vims i-nnr ntnv m-ii. iMim.ni.i r ... .. . . . created In l.M to take up the river their course care must be taken o enfng to take . ilLe were at best a c", oV Pornd' had'carHe'o"11 J," th. natural worLtal Agency of improle- n . hLh Lv ro, -rried flow of the current, or many bad re- ment. and the upbuilding of the In a desultory way for some years, an ts will follow Th hil m..,- . .7 . or. In other partially successful and when It be- It necessary that a sufficient chan- . there was minimum. if nel be provided as quickly as possible, with this one dredge as the several It was determined that dredging shoal places must each year do would be the solution, so a 20-inch dredged over and the material de suction dredge, called the "Portland," posited thereon by the Spring freshet was built and placed in operation in removed promptly so that the channel 1892. It was found, however, that all will be unimpeded during the low the work necessary could not be done water period of the Summer and Fall, might be described as a kind of revolv ing plow, which loosens the material and allows it to be drawn into the suc tion pipe. The material passes up to the dredging pump which forces It through tho discharge pipe, which Is carried from the dredge to the short or dumping place on small floats. The volume of water coming from the dis charge rJIpe of a 30-lnch dredge would clusively, save during the last season, when two 24-inch dredges which were built by the United States Government were operated in conjunction with those of the I'ort of Portland. To Illus trate the largo Increase In yardage In recent years, attention Is callod to the total yardage dredged each year for the last live years: 1 1 0, 11.010,196 cu bic yards: 1311. 2,245,09i ruble ysnls; supply a good-sized creek, while the 1912, 3.417,379 cubic yards; 1913, 7.045,- solid matter discharged In one day is 723 cubic yards, and 1914, 6.U00.000 cu- sufficient to Oil 10,000 ordinary dump- blc yards The Investment In dredging wagons. plant is (676.700, while It costs about With the equipment already described JO.OOO a month to operate the same. Portland Chief Wheat Market Center of Northwest In Both Wheat and Flour Receipts Big Showing Is Made Over Seattle and Tacoma Wheat Receipts for Year Totaled 26,439,800 Bushels Trade Territory Expands. Br Joha M. Lownpdale. SIXCE wheat growing began on a commercial scale in the Pacific Northwest, Portland has been the leading market for the cereal in this . nection. For several years now it has . -also been the principal market for wheat on the Pacific Coast. In the past year it easily maintained its lead. Several causes are responsible for Portland's supremacy as a w heat fad ing center. The water level route from the wheat grow ins sections makes this city the natural marketing and distri buting point. The building up of the business has long been In the hands of experienced and energetic merchants, with ample financial resources. The guarantee of quality furnished by the Chamber of Commerce grain standard committee facilitates the sale of tho cereal in foreign markets, and cargoes are floated at this port with a mini mum of expense. Lastly, that excel lent trading organization, the Portland Merchant's Kxchang Association, has provided an open market where grain can be sold In any quantity on a strict ly cash basis, and actual values are thereby established which are now recognised throughout the entire Pa cific Northwest. Pvrtlaad Leads Merthweat. ' First of all, as showing Portland's rank as a wheat-receiving point, a . comparison may be made of the ar rivals at Portland. Tacoma and Seattle during the current grain season. From July 1 to ecember 1. wheat receipts at Portland amounted to 12.751.700 bushels. In the same period. Tacoma received 7.S4.0 bushels and Seattle 6.39S.6U0 bushels. Portland also re ceived mere flour from the interlora - than Seattle, the principal flour ship ping port of the Northwest, the Port land receipts in the period named being O.CeO barrels as compared with 442, 4t barrels received by Seattle. Statistics for the calendar year 1914 show that tl.2Sl.000 bushels of wheat were received at Portland from the Inland Empire. Receipts of flour dur ing tlin year were equal to 5. 15$. $00 bushels more, making a total of 26. 4J.S09 bushels, or almost one-half of - the wheat crop of Oregon. Washington and Idaho. There was less wheat to move last year, than In 1913. when .Portland's receipts totalled 23.O73.0vO bushels. In 1912 the Portland wheat receipts were 21.539.000 bushels. In 1911, w..fc:..3C0 bushels. In 1910, 13,243,700 bushels and In 1909 they were 11.544, 000 bushels, showing a remarkable ex pansion of the wheat business of this city since five years ago. flour Movement t-tmag. A vast quantity of flour, aside from that ground by local mills, is handled by the trade of this city. This is in dicated by the receipts during 1914 from Interior milling cities of 1,146,400 barrels. In the preceding year, 1,173, I'oO barrels of flour were .received; in 1912. 917.600 barrels; in 1911. 1,109.600 barrels: in 1910, 915,200 barrels and In 1909, 937.600 barrels. The quantity of barley received last year was also slightly less than in 1913. but was much greater than the quantity brought In in other previous years. The receipts in 1914 were 82. S0 tons compared with 89.SS0 tons in 1913: 53.755 tons In 1912: 22.400 tons in 1911; 21.420 tons in 1910 and 45,815 tons In 1909. The volume of the oats trade, on the other hand showed an increase in 1914 ver the preceding year. Local receipts, in the year just closed, amounted to 48.550 tons, as against 44.032 tons received in 1913; 41,575 tons in 1912; 33.025 tons received in 1911; 23.450 tons in 1910 and 30,550 tons in 1909. It was a less active year for the hay dealers, for supplies received in this city amounted to 45.400 tons compared with 56.640 tons in the preceding year; 43.500 tone in 1912; 68.400 tons In 1911; 56.220 tons in 1910, and 54,640 tons five years ago. Cereal Total 231 Carloads. ' Total receipts of grain, flour and hay in the year just closed amounted to 25.- 816 carloads, according to figures com piled by the Merchants' Exchange. This was 3028 cars less than received in 1913 and 1522 cars more than in 1912. The sreater receipts of some products and the smaller movement in other lines was due not only to variations In the size of crops but to the effect of the war on the demand. The Inquiry from Europe for wheat and flour was never stronger and had facilities for transportation by sea been adequate, a much greater wheat crop could have been disposed of without lessening the high prices. The barley movement started off well, but was checked when the brewing trade of Europe was Interrupted by the war. There is now a renewal of the demand, as barley is needed on the other side of the Atlantic for grinding and the en tire coast surplus will ho doubt be re quired. . Northwestern oats have this season for the first time found a foreign mar ket. The United States Government has for many years bought oate for Army use in the Philippines, but never before has Europe sent orders here for this cereal. Already several cargoes of oats have been sold to European gov ernments to be used as feed for army horses, and many more shiploads could be disposed of were tonnage available at reasonable rates. The decrease in the hay movement in this city can be traced largely to the lessened construction work and to the increased stock feeding in the country districts. Exchasffe Important Medium. The importance'of the Portland Mer chants' Exchange as a trading institu tion is made plain by the volume of business transacted since it opened for cash trades on August 18. 1914. From that Date to December 12, wheat sales aggregating 800,000 bushels were post ed, oats sales amounted to 2330 tons, barley sales 1550 tons, bran sales 1425 tons and shorts sales 1000 tons, the whole representing an aggregate value of 81,066.950. The officials who have charge of the workings of the Exchange are D. A. Pattullo. president; A. Berg, vice-president: A. Cohn, secretary and treasurer, and Fred Clark, assistant secretary. The membership of the exchange In cludes about 60 grain firms and em braces every grain house in Portland as well as dealers at Tacoma, Seattle. Spo kane. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Lew iston. Walla Walla, Pendleton. La Grande, Waitsburg, Athena and Wilbur. Not only has the exchange become a valuable factor in, the grain trade of this city and the Northwest by pro viding a reliable market at its daily sessions, and thereby establishing re sponsible prices, based on supply and demand, but it is also an institution designed to further the welfare of the grain industry of the territory tribu tary to Portland. A matter now in the hands of this body relates to state grain inspection. The exchange has gone on record as favoring such Inspec tion and a bill has been drafted by a committee which will be presented to the Legislature and its passage urged. The bill is patterned after the Wash ington inspection law and will put Ore gon on an equal footing with other grain-growing states. Wheat stocks in the NoVthwest were sharply reduced at the end of the year, in fact the supply now on hand is probably the smallest the farmers have ever carried on thi3 date. At no time since the war began has there been a cessation of the demand from Europe, and it is certain that a much larger .crop could have been disposed of with out the price being affected. Wheat prices in the closing month of the year were the liigheat ever known in this part of the country. For sev eral week3 now farmers, even in the remote interior, have been getting over 81 a bushel net. As a consequence. In wheat this Winter increased and with favorable weather conditions from now on, Portland will have more wheat coming season than Oats prices were ward at the close "of the year good indications of going 'to a record gon, Washington and Idaho had a corn level before the supply is exhausted. bined population of 129,917. At the More barley has been fed to stock last census, 1910, the population had this season, owing to the high price of increased to 2,140,349. The Oregon wheat. This fact,-and some b.uylng forWashington Railroad & Navigation export to Europe, has had a favorable Company is a part of the Union Pacific effect on barley prices. Barley, how- system, and its lines are operated in ever. Is still the cheapest on the the states mentioned. In attempting to market. show the part the railroads have taken Railroads Big Factor in Northwest's Development Immense Producing Sections of Oregon, Washington and Idaho Served With Adequate Transportation Facilities. New Districts Opened Up hy Extension of Lines Era of Intensive Progress Is Due. By Wm. McMiirray. General Passencer Aurent ill the development of the West, my way from intense cultivation, with 17 Oregon-Washington Kailruad & Navigation statements will be confined to the b'S- people to each square mile of urea. Company. tein with which I am Identified. while three . persons constitute the THE railroad is a significant factor Increase in population follows rail- population per square mile In I. Is ho, to in development. The year 1856 road construction, and development Is the neglect of its great possibilities. marked the beginning of trans. resuii oi peopling Development Just Marled. the acreage sown continental railway construction, and fneu"S.f, n' 'bants but Te development In the Northwest has has been largely at the close of that year 40 miles had "the mmber ol 'neatb"tJu,n only started. Manufacturing I. In it. avorable weather been built. The Union Pacific was tne i"""? hJ8 ,bef" r? ,'y .h,n.T '"fancy; Industrial enterprises are pioneer in iuruu-uuuu...6 , th i., natron 1. within V " "' l""- to handle in the West. The total mileage of track has the confines of Multnomah County oucv of land are as yet xperi- ever before. grown from 40 miles to 7673 miles. In he tlv half of the inhabitants of ment,U farms- the past three also tending up- 1870. the nearest census to the time the JLSrfwWn ear. It ha. developed that corn can with first rails were laid in tne west, ure- , ..u.. ..., be made a principal crop; within five mi . .i- ...i i oo maoo a pr men? in tlTe Pactfc" NorthVe,r are Af.0.1".''''" i" gratifying. Its timber, fisheries, farm products. . livestock and other sources of wealth go to make It one of the most desirable sections of the continent and the world. "7 SHIPMENTS OP DOMESTIC GOODS TO PORTLAND BY WATER. The movement of domestic goods by water to Portland in 1914 com pares favorably with the record of 1913. Among the commodities re ceived in larger quantities than In 1913 were butter, cheese, coffee, fruit, iron and steel, plaster, powder, salmon, sugar, tobacco and gen eral merchandise. The Merchants' Exchange summary of the 1914 totals, compared wtlh previous years, is as follows: 1914. 1913. 1912. 1911. 1910. Asphaltum. barrels 54,296 111,519 97,084 .124,099 115,552 Butter, cases .'. . 15,281 'lS.lSl 14.887 8,692 Canned goods, cases 206.434 223.189 207,236 227,966 258.30S Cement sacks. 1,169,111 2,459,980 3,269,531 4,632,833 3.179,643 Cheese? cases. 20,858 13,399 12,6.19 15.384 Coal tons 1 1 1,235 3,462 5,319 Coffee, sacks 27,245 14,075 12,982 21,518 22,236 Electrical goods, pkgs... 17,435 19.350 15,558 16,770 14,519 Fruit & vegetables, tons 8,157 7,874fc 12.302 .9,466 . 8,811 Grain bags, bales 1.684 6.553 3,084 2.727 450 - Hardware, tons 20,982 26,093 20,988 16,132 20.782 Iron and steel, tons. 12,984 8,935 10.624 16,865 9.169 Leather and hides, tons.. 877 1,092 469 463 1.306 Liquors, packages 18.489 26,318 . 26,497 20,236 17,652 Livestock, number. 31 12 11 20 229 Lumber. 1000 feet. 1,422 1.224 987 7.4 1,444 Machinery, tons 1,224 7d3 1,129 1,489, 6,4 Magnesite, tons 364 1-54S Matting rolls ' 620 918 925 300 1,03d Merchandise, tons 91,300 75,737 59,074 . 63,461 70,628 Oil (fuel), barrels -.4.232.517 4.723.011 4,501,443 4,218.101 -3.755.6S8 Paints and oils, pkgs 64 309 104.367 75,539 80,294 68.929 Plaster, sacks..:.., 1111713 106.634 115,214 97.612 136,017 Powder, casks. 24.946 . 6.214 , Rice sacks. 9,569 . 4.073 2,091 2,285 3.276 Salmon cases 190 979 ' 99,705 85,363 50.365 30,684 Salt, sacks 196,-701 282.804 290.718 212,081 219,836 Sash and doors, pkgs 460 11.441 4.354 21,163 55,228 Sugar sacks :!.......... 621.595 585,683 489.345 638.862 448,829 suipbVsKki:::::::::: 9:513 15.144 21,523 11,579 ss Tanhflrk cords ...... 53 4a ' 418 607 Tobacco? packageV...:::: is.ho 9.890 14,941 17,311 Wool, bales. 824 34 1,811 there Is no better swf ne-growlng sec tion and that dairying 1. a pre-eminent success. The soil is our own basic and enduring wealth. Diversified fanning is what Oregon and Washington and Idaho need. It Is what they must have. Portland Shipping Center. The railroads have done much to aid Portland, as a shipping center, is "1n the development of this Western most favorably situated. It is the '":'"" " natural distributing point for a region 250.000 square miles in extent. Kail- roads penetrate. the forests, the mining regions, the agricultural, horticultural and stock-growing sections of this vast empire. A deep water harbor furnishes bring about its advancement, and they wlll conttnuo to be helpful In exploit ing Its resources. Ti er are doing a work that i. usually undertaken and carried out by the state authorities. They are engaging In educational cam- facilities for transhipment of product. P-lgnand they are getting results. to all parts of the world. Commerce has grown. Statistics show steady in crease, and new avenues of commerce are opened by the Panama Canal. This is a factor in transportation. It is not yet fully developed. This section of the Northwest is des tined to be a manufacturing country Northwest to Forae A Mead. Figure, showing commercial growth are easily obtainable. This growth la not satisfying to me. Its paucity is due to lack of men on the land. We are continually buying product, which we should have for sale. The railroad, have been doing their utmost to aid In We are rich in timber, clays, gypsum development of the lands In the North and other minerals. Our grain lands west, and they purpose to continue In are broad enough to feed the Nation, the good work. The prosperity of the No limit can be placed on our resources, country 1. their only hope of revenue There is power enough In the streams on their Investment. of the Pacific Northwest to turn the I am convinced that prosperity to the wheels of manufacturing plants with- country at large is soon to return. Bet- out number. Milling and packing In dustries will multiply. Growth In manufacturing is always cumulative. At present, barring a few leading items, grow. ter times are in store. The Northwest is In line for good things if effort, are put forth In the right direction. Uy this 1. meant putting men on the land our market is just beginning to who will get results. . Oregon, Wash ington ana Idaao have the land, and In bringing about the growth of the country has the men. Let price. manufactures and commerce, the rail- be made right. Give the newcomer a roads are destined to play an Important chance. Let us not have seven but sev part. There is abundance of raw ma- enty time, .even men to the squire terial of certain kinds available. But mile In our rural district.. The rall the figures I have quoted show that roads will do their share. The trans there must be redistribution of popula- portation companies can be of most tion, or new men must be brought to service in sections where traffic orig the Northwest. Gratifying as hag been tnates. Portland and other cities of the our growth, wonderful as the progress Northwest have prospered, but they have made in certain lines, Oregon cannot not yet received but a tithe of their be properly developed with a popula- due by virtue of their location In a tion of seven to the square mile. Wash- country possessing such varied and ington'a broad acres are a long long abundant resource.