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THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND. SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 8. 1915.
CONCRETE BRIDGES ATTRACTIVE FEATURE OF COLUMBIA
HIGHWAY
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Nine Spans and Two Via
ducts in Multnomah Coun
, ty Section of New Road,
(C 3jf" -5- 3(
i
- Bridge
Latourelle
McCord creek . .
Woffett creek ..
Shepperd s Dell
Bridal Veil . .. .
Multnomah . . ..
Tanner creek . .
Oneonta
Horsetail . . . . .
Viaduct
Mult. Kails (east).
Mult. Kalis (west)
Total
$121,700
AN attractive feature of the Co
lumbia river highway in Mult
nomah county, is its reinforced
concrete bridges and viaducts.
They are individual in character,
no two being alike, and each one fits
Into its surroundings like a mosaic.
In their design' there is an economical
combination of strength, and beauty.
Their total cost approaches $122,000.
1o many the most striking one is
that which spans Moffett creek be
tween Warrendaie and Bonneville.
This bridge is the longest three hinged
areb in the world. The nearest ap
proach to it is a bridge at Budapest.
The Morfett creek bridge is 170 feet
lon1 with a rise of 17 feet rn the cen
ter. The Budapest bridge is 165 feet
In length.
From the center of the arch of the
Moffett creek bridge it is SO feet to
Concrete bridges and viaducts along the Columbia river highway between Portland and the Hood River county line. Top, left to right Multnomah Falls bridge; Benson foot-bridge at Multnomah Falls;
Tanner Creek bridge, near Bonneville; section of concrete viaduct near Multnomah falls; concrete viaduct at Eagle CTeek point.
Below, left to right Latourelle bridge; bridge at Shepperd's Dell; section of Moffett Creek bridge; bridge at Horsetail falls.
the surface of the water below, and
at the abutments it is 63 feet.
The hinges which are concealed and
waterproofed, weigh 16 tons.
Simplicity is the chief mark of the
design. The only ornamentation is a
wreath in the center surrounding a
shield on which is engravtd the capi
tal letter M and the figures 1915. The
M stands for Multnomah. In this re
spect it resembles the famous Napo
leon bridge across the Seine at Paris
which is ornamented with the letter N.
The cost of the Moffett creek bridge
was approximately $16,000.
Another arch bridge on the highway
is the one at Shepperd's rell. This
bridge is 135 feet above the stream
and the arch is 100 feet in length. The
total Jength of the bridge from end to
end is 150 feet.
The bridge has an original feature
in the reinforcing of the spandrils.
These are reinforced in such a way to
make them act as girders and they are
capable of sustaining the bending mo
ment over half the span. The coat of
the bridge was $10,600.
The Latourelle Kalis bridge is an
original type designed by H. K. Bill
r.er, although some of its principals
are borrowed from a French expert.
T
A WEIRD LEGACY OF NATURE-MARBLE CAVES OF SOUTHERN OREGON.
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Subterranean Wonderland in
Josephine County Is Awe
Inspiring" to the Visitor,
; ry jr. u.
It . was Joaquin Miller, the poet of
jlhe Sierras, who gave to the Joseptiine
county caves near Grants Pass the title
of ?The Marble Caves of Oregon." If
Oregon had fewer scenic attractions
these,, wonderful caves would have be
come" famous long ago. ,.With our sky
kislng peaks. Mount Hood, Mount Jef
ferson, the Three Sisters and Mount
Mclaughlin; with our rugged and pic
turesque coast line; with the ma
Jtstlce gradeur of the Columbia rivers
tth the indescribable beauty and mys
tery, of Crater lake, it is no wonder that
the .marble caves of Oregon have not
Come into their own as they would in
a state, less richly dowered with na
ture's masterpieces.
' Possibly the Indians and the early
day trappers may have known of these
caves but not till Elijah Davidson in
1S74 followed a wounded bear into the
caves did the knowledge of . the caves
become generally known. Six years
later Homer and Earnest Harkneas
took up a claim at the mouth of the
caves but as the land was at that time
unsurveyed they let" their claim lapse.
A few years ago the government made
tbe caves a national monument and
the services' of a government guide are
now available without charge. Frank
Smith, an old-time resident of Grants
'Pass,' has a camp nine miles' from the
caves, where one can. board and lodge
'while visiting f the . caves,:; M. I. On
dycke. formerly of5Portland but now a
resident of Grants Pass, In describing
a. tecent. visit to the caves, says:.?
-. "There s are - two entrances - to - the
The principal characteristic of the
structure is its lightness. It Is 312
feet long and 97 feet high to the grade
of the roadway. The concrete above
ground amounts to only 560 cubic
yards making probably the lightest
concrete bridge, relative to its di
mensions, in the United States. Not
withstanding its lightness the factor
of safety is as high as that of any
bridge on the highway and above
standard requirements. The central
portion of the bridge consists of three
80 foot arch Fpans,
The cost of the bridge was $26,925.
The Bridal Veil bridge is what is
called a skew girder, 110 feet in length.
It crosses just above the falls at an
elevation of 210 feet. Its cost was
$5095.
The viaduct west ,of Multnomah
Falls is 400 feet in length and the one
cast of the. falls is 860 feet. The
height of the viaducts are fixed by the
slope of the mountains and Its relation
to the railway track, one side of the
concrete floor slab of the viruluctn
rests on a' 16 Inch square reit forced
concrete column the core of which In
hooped with steel. These columns aru
spaced 20 feet apart parallel with tho
railway and 12 feet from the center
of the track. They are from JO to 20
feet In height according to location.
The other side of the concrete slab
rests on a substantial footing dug Jnto
the steep slope above, the foot of tha
column being connected with the upper
footing by & .-diagonal strut of rein
forced concrete. The construction Is
of an original type and was made
necessary owing to the looseness of
the ground. ' , -
To have cut away the toe' of the
mountain sufficient to get width for
the road bed-tr even to have attempted
the construction of retaining walls
meant disaster for the whole mountain
for. hundreds of feet above would have
slid down. The cost of the west via
duct was $10,513. that of the east one
was $2.',520. 4
The bridge across the Multnomah
Falls stream is an arch with a clear
span of 40 feet- The total length, in
67 feet. Its cost was $4127.
The bridge at Ontonta Is a girder
bridge resting on 10 columns. Tho
length of the bridge Is 80 feet and
its cost was $3218.
Horsetail Falls stream is spanned by
a girder bridge 60 feet In length. The
cost of this bridge was $1819. -
The foot bridge over the lower Mult
nomah Falls was the gift of S. Ben
son. The Bpan of the arch is 45 feet
and the total length Is 53 feet, Tho
width is seven feet and the height
above the creek bed Is 105 feet, -
The McCord creek bridge near War
rendaie is a girder 360 feet in length.
Its average height above the bottom
of the creek is 60 feet. The contract
price for this bridge was $16,904.
The bridge near Bonneville across
Tanner creek is an elliptical girder
with a span of 60 feet. The contract
price was $3979. The width -of tho
roadway on ail' the" bridge' is 17 feet.
i . Photograph by J. P. Bocae.
Above at the left, is seen a party setting out to visit the Josephine county caves, three interior views of which also are shown; weird sub-
: terranean caverns where stalactites and stalagmites, in grotesque shapes, abound. '., ;
"Ton- are now "at the threshold of
ridors and chambers, cut out .of marble!
by the action of water Charged with
carbonic acid. Unlike the Mammoth
cave of Kentucky thev , are , not only
mammoth but a theatre of beauty,. be
ing great marble mountain honey
combed - with . passages and chambers
caves"." oirie almost at the bed -of the
canyon and : another about - 300. feet
ntgner. Tne lower entrance . Is the
larger and is the outlet of a sparkling
stream of -water, which, coming from
the internal ; darkness, leaps - and
nlunrM dawn 'a. rrrA outoii. Th
entranceof ' this - cavern is from 10 to J
Is mounted "to "a" narrow shelf 12 or 15
Xe-fX above' the stream" and then a de
vious passage of some distance through
ciacks -and fissures, narrow, crooked.
wit sharp turns, sometimes opening
x "nibo'j of considerable size, and
on each -side . narrow passages, lead
to - .tie darkness. The - Iirsc
50 feet -wide to 75 feet high. A.. ladder 1 room the - visitor -enters . Is known as 1 the upper, opening.
'Old Nick's -Bedroom. Next comes
what has: recently been named 'Para
dise Lost.'. After something like a
Ifalf mile . of wanderings the visitor
ascends sharply over broken fragments
and daylight appears thro i eh a small
opening, and-the visitor finds himself
in a good sized-s entrance just: inside
decorated in a most fantastic fashion
with architecture in crystals and
prisms beyond description. This moun
tain is a labyrinth of chambers from
a few feet in size to others of great
dimensions and all decorated in end
less profusion and beauty.
"The trip through this wonderful
palace comes now to where stalactites
and stalagmites first appear and you
enter 'Adam's Tomb,' gray and sombor,
strength, rather than beauty, depicted
in its adornment. At the edge of this
chamber is a dark and forbidding hole
which is known as "Jacob's Well' and
clambering into it there is a sheer
descent of some 50 feet from which
vou enter a chamber irregular In out
line about 100 feet long, from 10 to
60 feet wide and from 15 to 50 feet
high. The decorations in this room, are
superb, being strong and regular of
design and unlike any of the other
rooms. From here a corridor is trav
ersed for several hundred feet, irregu
lar, swelling and contracting, but at
every turn and angle the visitor will
utter exclamations of surprise at the
eccentricities displayed in the archi
tecture, which have been growing In
endless night for millions of years. The
names given to the different chambers
are suggested by the wonderful Idio
syncrasies of formation displayed, 'The
Sharkhead,' 'Bridal Chamber.' 'King's
Hall.' 'Niagara Falls,' 'Queen's Cham
ber,' etc., etc.
A Musical Trail.
"Leaving this string of chambers the
visitor comes to 'Windy Passage,'
where one must look out for his light
as a strong current of air passes
through here. From this passage you
come to the 'Theatrical Stage.' To de
scribe this one must have a very
artistic vocabulary, for it is something
wonderful with gorgeous curtains and
draperies, fluted columns and marble
pedestals, one floes not nave to ne a
prima donna or a virtuoso to sing here
for any old kind of a voice will ound
musical..-. With a piece of metal one
can run the scale on the marble ped
estals. One of the guides who visits
this underground palace can play Home
Sweet Home on these pedestals and
the notes are as clear as from the
bars of a xylophone.
Poet's BTaaie Honored.
' '"From here you enter what recently
has been .named Joaquin- Millers'
Room In honor tjf the famous poet.
This room is decorated profusely with
stalactites and stalagmites. Thev are
long slender tubes, clear as glass, not
larger than pioestems, and so frag
ile that ereat care is required in hand
ling them. A broad table projects
from the wall three or four feet above
the floor, about 20 feet long and five
or -six feet wide. From this table is
a drapery, long and delicate, snow
white and" glistening. ' reaching from
the table to the floor. Beneath this
table is a museum of beatrty. There
is alto a marble basin, lined with -delicate
frost-like, crystals and filled with
water, so clear you wonld not know
it waft' there unless you put your hand
in it. Beyond this little crystal lake
the tubes, pedestals and statuettes,
continue as far as your light will per
mit your vision to penetrate. Here
the Plutonic -designer has taxed com
plexity and confusion in his decora
tions, and by giving the Imagination a
little play, an infinite variety of arti
cles will be brought to your vision.
In' other parts of this chamber are
stalactites from the ton, wedded to
Btalagmrtes-from the bottom, forming
nillarn from the ceiling to the floor.
If the caves are ever lighted by elec
tricity, colored ngnin snouiu ne pui
In this chamber with switches to
nrooerlv - manipulate - tnetn m order
to bring out Its - true and wonderfuW
beauty, tne errect oem; tar Devona
any stage setting ever conceived by
man. A red light would bring Dante's
Infe-mn before the eve with all its
weird effulgence, unearthly, spectural
delusions., every : pendent would seem
tipped with fire, and the brilliancy
throughout the entire chamber would
appear beyond description, .while one
might expect "Old Nick" himself to
appear. ii . '
The Ghost Chamber Is Immense.
"From here through another of those
gorgeous corridors the. visitor- enters
what is known as the "Ciiost Cham
ber," so called because the first glance
within with a lifht revtals a number
of weird white flsrures, which turn out
to be massive pillars of stalactite and
stalagmite rrown together. The exact
size of this chamber Is not known,
but it is estimated to be -some 35tf
feet long. 150 feet wide, and 100 feet
high. This is an Immense cavern and
forms into compartments, the largest
of which is known as the President's
room, a great and lofty chamber, and
the finest of the whole series. There
is- also the 'Drawing Room' with Its
regular scalloped floor giving the sd-
pearance of a rich carpet and a hall
way with a partly frescoed ceiling
where crystal flowers of weird and
fantastic design have been developed.
At the farther end of this great cav
ern a stream has cut a channel four
or five feet deep.
Place, Seldom Visit 4.
"At the end of this tcreut room Is a
ladder resting, against the marbl
wall, at the top of which is a narrow
passage inelintne- uowardLat an angle
of 30 to 40 degree, which vou trav
erse for about 100 feet. This is a
chamber that Is seldom visited on ac
count of the hard climb, tut the most
wonderful apectacle in the whole laby
rinth Is here to be seen. A circular'
chamber, not more than 25 feet in di
ameter, and estimated to,, be. 200 fett
high. Kvery foot of the wall Is deco--aterf
with clusters of crystallzed car
bonates, resemblin,:. more than any
thing else great snow white swans,
two or three feet across the shoulderM,
wings drooping, every feather distinct,
standing out as though In , upward
flight."
The time is not far distant when
Oregon's marble caves wlljt be the
Mecca for, increased throngs of sightseers.
To Make Observations of the Enemy Is
To Become Target for Marksmen's Skill
French Soldier Relates How He Peeked at "The Bosches" From
a Haystack While the Bullets Rained, Around Him.
From the diary of Jean Gigot, a
French soldier in the trenches, aa re
corded by Walter 8. Hiatt. '
In the Trenches.--We were occupy
ing trenches west of Rhelms, in a cor
ner of the great Champagne ' plain of
which it Is the center. .The Germans
at this point .were perhaps 200 yards
from us'. ' ' "' -, ."
"One afternoon, we heard a rumbling
noise along" the road behind them, and
of course we, wanted .to know: what
was going , on. It seemed to indicate
a heav movement of troop,!Jtut we
could not . tell. , My , adjutant ordered
me to climb the top of a haystack and
take a look over the plain. ... :.
He might as well have told me to
take a rifle and blow out my brains,
so sure was I to hi killed by the Ger
man sharpshooters. Still the Job had
to be done, even at the cost of several
lives. So I crept; out in the white day
light , and began crawling ' carefully
through the trampled grapevines, over
bits of broken wine , bottles ": where
soldiers had feasted hiontha before
while the fighting was yet in the open,
and actually" reached that haystack Un
seen, when up Jumped a whole bunch
of rabbits, fccafed by me out of their
hiding place. Of course, they ran to
ward the German .linea - and attracted
attention, which gave evidence that
somebody -was crawling near that
tack. . - .
- Then the bullets began to" whistle
around the bay. I was safe so long as
I ' lay hidden. - But. I climbed to the
top and peeked out -over the plain aa
I had been ordered, 'despite the fact
that, a whole company of sharpshoot
ers were spattering, away -at me. I
slipped down again quickly" while the
Bosch fire was still directed at the top
of the stack -and got some 50 feet away
before 1 was discovered." The bullets
rained about tne, I was getting away
with valuable information and I must
be stopped. A mitrailleuse swept my
trail, cut down the vines about me. As
I. crawled ny clothes and facewere
spattered with dirt. Wine bottles were
smashed about me. An I got closer to
my trench our troops began to return
the fire of the Germans to give them a
"what-for" so hotly that their fire
slowly died away and I came back at
last in safety. . ,
. I reported that the noiso which might
have seemed a movement of troops wa n
merely a few wagon trains coming aii't
going with food and ammunition sup
plies. But as the noiHe kept up a lieu
tenant later In the afternoon was sent
Out-to lake a more experienced obser
vation, lie reached -the-haystack, but
he never came: back.
P0STW0MEN IN GERMANY
-. Berlin,', Aug. 7. So many German
mail carriers have been, called to th
colors .that the service suffers seri
ously. In many districts the delivery
of letters ; and parcels is delayed for
days. ' To remedy this condition Xti
postal authorities have decided to em
ploy women, wherever this is possible.
Several hundred postwornen have bcerf
appointed In different cities, and in
the rural districts the mail will short
ly be entirely In female hands.
RUBBER BAN STOPS AUTOS
V Chrlstianla, Aug." 7. Rubber has be
corate so scarce in Norway that private
and public automobile traffic is seri
ously hampered, and a great -number
of motor cars have had to be taken oft'
the roads until some arrangement cr.n
be made for securing tires from
abroad.'- The Royal Automobile .club
and-the foreign office are trying X't
obtain England's permission to pur
chase limited quantities of manufac
tured rubber in London. . '