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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1911)
.' , '' . . . . '"'",''', i - . ! i -. ' : ,4 , , . ' -.: . . ; ,: .: -r. ,. . ' ; 1( y jjf'- IPO HFTI H AN KTB BTli' 'iisFlSi : r- - 1 i ut---c s. ,. Channel Now Being Carved Uupughv Jr : ' Rock In Interest of -Commerce- -Ap2 ' Jf - C . .v 0 . . t Cost of $4,500,000 ill ' 1 . -! V.VSS. I. AT -WORK 1 y rrtm I Mil"" 1 I VTX'B Af 11111 i-.mi. . .i . , A4W1T . WW 1T3 Wf.HT F.NT1 OnUWJWU & mrrwwn 1 ii i j 1 1 n. j- x - (Written Exclusively for The Journal.) .. . . . - . 1 11 - mri UKiJJK 10 aiier nature o uaiiuiuiBti T and adapt It to the needs of I man, the federal government Is x- overcome the obstructions in the nnm In the , T ti Uent l2 m e )f Threemlle o falls. This Columbia river in its turbulent 12 mile course between the foot of rapids and the head of Cell! gigantic effort to surmount natural ob- stacles includes, besides the open river have a suit before the Interstate Corn Improvement at Threemlle rapids, the merce Commission in which they corn construction of The Dalles-Celllo canal plain that water Is not a compelling a fi foot waterwa". eight feet deep and force In the reduction of freight rates, eight and one half miles long, which By way of Illustration, however, a few alone will cost 14,600,000 when com- pleted and take several years ln the building;, ln the meanwhile giving em ployment to an army of men that varies ln numbers from 600 to 1000. Once ln operation this inland water- way will permit continuous navigation, of the Columbia river from its mouth to lrlt RunMi ihnv Pnxno Wh.. a total distance of 400 miles, and to the Grand Ronde above Lewlston, Idaho, on the Snake river, a total distance of 470 miles. With possibly one exception, wards of $14 per ton. From Baker, where this is the greatest single Inland water- a high local rail rate prevails to Uma way work now being conducted by the tllla, where wool may be put on boats government within the United States bound for Portland and thence trans proper, and when once adapted to the shipped to Boston by water, the corn ends of commerce it 'will exercise an bined rail and water rate on wool ln immense Influence in the commercial bales is $1.40; thj'all rail rate $1.82. Even upbuilding of the vast region to whose under such advdtye conditions there is a Immediate markets it will bring unin- saving of 42 cents per hundred. It ap terrupted water transportation facilities, psars that all over thl- section the rate The benefit to be derived will Include on wool Is necessarily affected by water not only the improved steamboat traffic transportation. The consequence of all to up river point.', but also the effect this la that there has been much wool Estimated Cost of Dalles-Celllo Canal and Work at Threemile Rapds Excavation. Cost. Rock, 1,141,930 yards' .' .! $1,151,300.00 Gravel, 660,760 yards ' ,.. 267,850.00 Sand, 360,640 yards 89,510.00 Concrete, 123,400 yards 815,370.00 Reinforced concrete lining, 98,050 yards 980,500.00 Riprap, 67.500 yards 75,150.00 Steel reinforcing . ; 3,202.50 Overhaul of material 60,000.00 Sluice gates 10,000.00 Reclamation work 4,000.00 Bridges 8,000.00 Locks. Celilo lock $ 77.000 Tenmile lock 55,000 Fivemite lock 60,000 Tandem lock . 192,000 . Total, locks 384,000.00 Shops, tools and quarters , 45,000.00 WOrk at Threemile Rapids 152,448.00 Engineering contingencies, etc. ....,,............... ... , , . ,796,776.50 Total ,t t m.v f m . y ' ,'., iv:i .$4,843, 107.00 j - that water transportation, Independently nnnrAtpH ver hfLR In romnellinir lower --- - " , railroad rates to and from competitive points. Water and Freight Rates Water ana rreiKni Kates. -. ,. . The direct effect of water transports- tlon upon producers Is shown by the wool movement cn the Pacific coast At the present time the Idaho woolmen figures wlli.sufflce to show the effect of water transportation even under pres ent conditions. Frotn The Dalles, for Instance, the through water rate to Boston for wool in bales Is ln round numbers 71 cents per hundred pounds, by rail $1.18. On scoured wool the water rate Is 71 cents and the all rail rate SI. 80. Going. far- ther back in the interior, From Lewlston to tioston, tne rate on wool in Dates t,y water is $1.16, by rail $1.86, a savins up- iTHa ,OKEOON' SUNDAY JUUKNAL, PORTLAND, . SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 9, 1911, shipped by water to Boston this year. With the imoroved water transporta- tlon facilities that the canal will afford, Portland will become a greater dlstrlbut- Ing point for all that great Interior dis? trlct In the Columbia river basin. As It inn in wie uoiumoia river oasin. ai Is Snnksnc merrhants maklne sales In Jf,,0 to .h,'XVr oods from Portland bvwater !h"'Pn from RnXno hv rail Tnd Seattle than from Bpokano by rail. And Seattle, Tacoma and San Francisco merchants do likewise In the cases of Pasco and Kennewlck. The existing canal project was ap proved by congress March 8, 1906. Since that time it has been pursued almost continuously, at first by con tract and at present by hired labor and the purchase of materials. To date approximately 11,500,000 has been spent on the canal which is about one-third completed. Were the J3.000.00J that wllI be renuired o finlBh the work forth COming in two equal annual Install - man te ft ! autlmnteri that tfiA rnnnl would be ready for service within three years. As it la, however, with congress appropriating $600,000 at a time, it doubtless will be five the date of completion. years before Canal Fruit of Years' EffdTt. Behind the construction of the Dalles Celllo canal is years of agitation and concerted effort on the part 'of those Interested in river navigation. Arrayed against these was the powerful Influ ence of certain IntereHts, representing the railroads and others who success fully prolonged the struggle fof this huge waterway Improvement. During the years of work for some scheme of improvement, three different methods of passing the rapids were evolved, two of which were later discarded as Impractical. The first project, as adopted ln 1894, contemplated the con struction of a boat railway capable of transporting boats of 600 tons. I'wo hundred and fifty thousand dollars were appropriated for this purpose. In 1900 a preliminary examination and survey was authorized which proposed the con struction of a short canal and locks around The Dalles of Flvemile rapids, and another around the falls of Celilo with intermediate river Improvement at an estimated cost of $4,000,000. The ex isting project as adopted by congress In 1905 provides for a continuous canal on the Oregon shore between the rooI above Celilo and the pool below Five mile rapids with open river Improve ments at Threemile rapids. As sub sequently modified in minor details the canal will have five locks, two at the lower end of the canal at Big Eddy, one at Tenmile rapids and one at Celilo falls. There are four great obstructions to navigation that are to be overcome vis: Threemlle rapids, a crooked chan nel 1500 feet long that Is narrow and rockv: Flvemile rapids, where tor' the distance of a mile and a half the river rushes With great velocity between pre- clpitous walls of basalt ISO to 800. feet apart; Tenmile rapids, a similar gorge 5 vTHR0UGH.7O0 FT.TA1TI32M.1X5C1C .CUT, but only one-half mile In length and Celllo falls with a sheer fall of 20 feet The total fall Is about 81 feet at low water and 60 feet at high stages. But i "o nine can me river De navigated ln this vicinity. At the present time --- - f-- " 11 ' necessary for river cargoes to be transported between The Dalles and Celll on th Oregon State Portage rail- wajr- during the years of 1905 to 1909 inclusive, this line carried 42,610 tons of freight having an estimated value of $1,829,660. Of this gross amount 25.482 tons valued at $1,023,166 were carried ln 1909 alone, this being the first year that large boats were put In the upper river. A Miniature Panama Canal. An inspection of the work impresses one with the magnitude of the task, which presents many of the essential details of a miniature Panama canal. Major Jay J. Morrow, corps or engineers Unfted States army in charge of First Portland District River and Harbor improvement, has general supervision of the work, having under hla orders Lieutenant H. H. Robert, corps of en- glneera Ulnted Stated army, who dl recta the work on the ground. A Journey of 100 miles eastward from Portland on the O.-W. R. & N. brings one to Big Eddy several miles above The Dalles where the main camp Is located. Here one finds the offices, shops, quarters, mess houses, bunk houses and other structures, all tem porary, but capable of housing and car ing for the hundreds of men engaged In the work.' Lieutenant Robert has almost a score of employes, clerks and the like, in his offices together with the necessary engineers and others. Within all Is business; without all ac tivity the aim being to construct this great ditch with dispatch and economy. There are two other Important camps located at convenient stages along the line of the canal with a full comple ment of engineers In charge. Located at Big Eddy are the machine and blacksmith shops, of goodly pro portions, where, among other things, the necessary repairs are made to the equipment which Includes three 60 ton, one 40 ton and one 30 ton steam shov els, 14 locomotives, 100 dummy cars, 10 derricks, 80 steam drills, etc., A vulcan land dredge is employed which Is one of the two largest ln the United States, being a self propelling machine with a 65 foot dumping radius and a 35 foot lift. The provisions made for the housing and feedlnar of the hundreds of em- ployes Is quite interesting. The main the loosened rook, raise It to the accom mess house seats 240 men at a time panylng snorts of the mechanical mons- and Is adjacent to the kitchens, of Which the leading features are a cold storage plant and a portable oven hav ing a Capacity of 120 loaves.. ' In an adjoining building is located a branch of the TM. C. A. with a secretary In charge. During tne evening nours tne billiard and pool room and reading and writing room- u crowded with. men. " i Another structure houses the hospital with a resident physician and trained nurse in charge. A complete rock crush ing plant 1st used, among other pur poses, ror me manuraciure oi sana net- essary in the concrete work. It is an ... . - odd prank of nature that the huge sand in the dunes that are repeatedly piled up by the wind along the river in this neighborhood are totally unfit for con- structlon purposes. Great Tandem Lock Cut. To return to the canal proper. The lower end of the ditch is at Big; Eddy. And here perhaps is the most Interest ing feature of the work at the present time. A great 700 foot cut, shown among the accompanying pictures, has been blasted through solid rock for the accommodation of the Tandem lock which will cost $192,000 to Install. Half of this great cut extends 70 feet be low the water level and the other half 85 feet The greater part of this cut has been made. Here the boats enter ng from the lower river will be raised 70 feet. To one standing on the upper eaf?e of this great cut and looking down Into It. the scores of workmen below appear as pigmies, ln contrast with the giant rock walls on either sldf. The other three locks, that will be Installed near the upper end of the canal, are more for convenience than to lift the boats to hVgher levels. Just east of tho Tandem lock cut excavations are being made for the lower boat basin where craft bound In opposite directions may pans each other. "rirt nvr t the Portage railroad be tween Big Eddy and Celllo on one of the government engines glv the ob server a comprehensive Idea of the progress of the work.. For miles the line of the canal stretches away in some places through solid rock and ln others through lefts formidable forma tions. The upper endof the canal for a dis tance of three miles, including the up per boat basin, ia about completed. Part of this is lined with cement and ready for the installation of locks and the rest is excavated. Most of this work was done under two contracts, one with Smyth & Jones for 2600 feet of the canal and the other with Caughren, Winters, Smith & Co. for 14,000 feet. Rock Excavation Proceeds. Near Tenmile rapids rock excavation is proceeding satisfactorily. It Is In- tensely fascinating to watch the great steam shovels stick their noses into ters and deposit it on the waiting dump cars. These In turn are hauled ' by dummy engines to a neighboring sand plain and unloaded. The crushed rock Is then spread out as a blankst over the sand. This is an essential feature of tne worn, since it naa been anticipated that the drifting sand would cause nn end of trouble to the canaL It has 1 i cafITEvZALIC, AKD TH30S.lia.ANO xeocE CRUSHES. been shown, however, that, once blan keted with rock and watered suffi ciently, this Hand, which ln reality is not sand at all but a loam, will grow vegeiaiion. xnus u win not ne many years after the canal Is in operation . ... uu before Its banks will be covered with sod and shaded with willows. m advance of the steam shovels pro- ceed gangs of men. also shown ln the pictures, who by operating steam and compressed air drills, bore holes In the rock preparatory to the blasting process. The loosened rock Is then ready for the shovels. If an unusually large boulder Is encountered, a small amount of ex plosive is placed on it, the fuse lighted and the shovel picks up lis shattered pieces at a single lift. A single shovel Is capable of excavating 400 yards of rock In an eight hour shift. During March, for Instance, 28,000 yards of rock and 26,000 yards of sand were ex- cavated, while during May the total ex- cavatlon amounted to 26,000 yards of rock and 31.000 yards of sand. In each month mentioned over concrete were built. 2000 yards of Thus the work proceeds at an aver age monthly expense of $60,000 on a $60,000 estimate. This In effect illus- trates the saving that can be made by the government conducting Its own merce may be met . . M . Jim Patten, Humanitarian Continued From First Page of This Oection "Oh, Agnes has been home for some time. Poor girl, she made a great sac rifice for her brother's sake. What was the trouble? Well, my oldest son has been seriously HI; for that matter, we expected the worst. Agnes has been very much attached to her brothers, and we thought It best to let her know. She threw up her books and came straight homo. She refused to leave his side and stayed with her mother and at tended to the boy. We could sympathise with her, and didn't have the heart to make her go back to college, for she was worried about him." "Is it a pleasure for wealthy men to give money away? Did you ask if there was much happiness In it? Then Mr. Patten's face shore, his blue eyes twinkled. "Say, I've known men who thought that they were going to earry their money to the grave with them. Yes, sir; -that's Just the way they looked. What good will It do them or any one else? They have no Joy in life. How much better would they feel it they would let others .have the benefit of it once in a-whllel -Why, It would make different .men out of them. Tou can't Imagine how much happiness there' is in giving money .to help others. When a man reaps a harvest he should spend his time tn Judiciously giving It sway." t Perhaps Mr. Patten's own life of hard work la behind the advice ha gives. 11 work rather than having It don by contract. The earlier experience with contractors has proved this. For ex ample, the contract rate on rock ex cavation Is In the neighborhood of. St per yard. The government engineer -o - have demonstrated that it Is to do this work for approxlm cents per yard. And this la basis of an eight hour day. fo is possible approximately ."If on the for which the lowest grade of labor receives II. 19 per day and an allowance of BO cents per day for food, and sleeping quarter furnished free. But the saving of the present plan over the contract plam Is increased by the greater progress that can be made: for If high water, ' such as prevails during June and July, prevents work at any one point, r the workmen can be transferred at one 1 to some other point along the canal. Thus the work proceeds day by day. Before it will be possible for rtver boats to use this channel, approximately 1,200,000 yards of rock, 700,000 yards if gravel and 365,000 yards of sand will have been excavated 120,000 yards of concrete and 100,000 yards ot concrete lining built and five locks Installed at a cost of $384,000. Such Is the raagnl-' tudo of the task that the government' Is prosecuting that the demands Of com- wept up the ladder rung by rung, and he was not afraid to go back a bit to; prepare for a fresh start when occa sion demanded. His father, Alexander Patten was the proprietor of a large general store at Sandwich, III., where he was born. The elder Patten died when "j(m" was in his teens. : The family moved to Chicago, and James attended the Northwestern university for two years. He lived at Kvanaton : with his uncle. Governor Beverldge, who helped him with his books, r Next he started his battle with the world. He "hired out" to a storekeeper ' at Sandwich, III., at $26 a month. Out , of this he paid his board and bougnt his clothes. The next year he got an other position at 149 per month, and ha saved $100. ; In 1874 Governor Beveridge appointed him a grain Inspector. He held the Job' for . four years, but he became so interested In grain that h Changed his $1000 a year position for one that paid $7 week In a board of trad firm. Later he Went In business with hi brother George.'1 In 18 he Joined the firm of Bartiett, iFrasur a carnngton. Later the firm became Bartiett, Patten St Co., and when Mr. Patten retired H took the name ot Bartiett. Frailer Ci. Mr. Fatten has a Magnificent t at Evanst.on, in., which tout $25i.im. He is very popular In his home t. and once had U dliitlnctioo Of !!, Us mayo f