The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-01-10
THE icE-pLlcKAlE.

in the issue of the Sth inst, fully re-
alizes that there is an ice blockade on
the Willamette and Columbia rivers,
and at once begins to talk about
building wagon roads to the D"lles
or Astoria, as the only means oil es-
cape from this nAw fearful dilemma,
but which formerly Portlanders but
"little cared for"
Now, in all seriousness, and can
dor. why cannot the editor OF the
Oregonian accept the sltuatlon,
and turn bis attention to the most
natural, as we'll as the most laoctico-
bic means of escape from these terri,
bic ice-blockades, which not only cut
off Portland, but the entire CONNER
cial interests of this rapidly growing
Young State? What is the use of
talking about building wagon roads
through impossible mountains, when
sixty miles of railroad, from the
"IIeart of the valley" will give
Portland an outlet to the Pacific ocean
forever free from ice blockades?
Sooner OF later the Oregonian will
have to acknowledge there is such a
place as Yaqhina Bay-and that it is
the natural key to the yIain;6elds' of
the Willamette valley. The Yaquina
harbor, in its natural state, is far snpe
rior to what that of Charleston, and
many other important harbors along
the Atlantic coas: were before being
improved. A comparatively small
outlay, on the part of government,
will make Yaquina Bay the best har-
hor between San Francisco and Puget
Sound. Facts are stubborn things,
and it is useless for even a great pa
per, like the Oregoniaa, to imagine
shat it's SCOTS will be sufficient to pre-
vent, for all time to come, the people
from seeing their own best interests.
The commerce of this State demands
an outlet to the ocean, and that out
let CAN be secured through Yaquina
: Bay, and WILL be, all opposition TO
the contrary. The most important
step in this direction, and for which
our Senators and Representatives
should laEor, is break water at Cape
Foulweather, four miles north of ell.
trance to .Yaquina Bay. But we did
not intend to write a homily on va
quina Bay, but simply to give oul
readers the Oregonia1a s vail over the
ice-blockade, as follows:
We are now shut in by ice for the first
time in four years. Perhaps it is not once il
four years, taking an average for a long pc
riod, that our rivers are thus obstructe1
Formerly we cared little for it. To the gen
eral community the Inconvenience was small
for there were few travellers, and the bnsi
ness of the country was not so extensive as
to make little interruption of it serious
thing. Portland didn't care much for tht
occasional mid winter suspension, and tht
country and towns up and down the Colum
bia river really had little to do at this tim,
of year, so we all got on comfoxtably enough
and didn't worry much about it. But con
ditions have so changed that this interrup
tion of communication is becoming both in
convenient and irksome as well as a serious
drawback to the country. When the mali
avenues of our commerce are closed even
for fortnight-we begin to feel more keenly
how important it is that provision be mad,
TO overcome the obstacles thus interposed,
and the railroad question under this view
grows much in Importance. 1t is not like
ly that we shall very soon see things dom
which will prevent the winter blockades; bu
Portlands growth IN wealth, population anc
commercial Importance viii ultimately placs
her where her own resources Will enable he
to take care of this matter It is much tht
fault of this city that the matter of common
roads up and down the Columbia river ha!
hitherto been neglected, Portland has no
done enough in this behalf on her own ac
count indeed the city has virtually done
nothing nor have the delegations sent by ou
county to the legislature done their duty eff
fectually in this behalf. The wagon roat
should long precede the railroad, and usu
ally does, and though the railroad is not ye
IN our power the wagon road certainly Is
Wagon roads from Portland to The Dallti
and from Portland to Astoria would be O
great service at a time like this and in fact
would be of use at all seasons of the year
To many it will justly seem quite absure
that we should be putting in so strong claim
for a railroad, and yet should thus far hav
neglected to provide a wagon road ON mail
route to facilitate communication by ordinar,
methods. Though the railroad is not We
built, nor even in a very promising way w
need not be cut off as we are from inter
course That it is so is much our rown fault
Proper energy and enterprise on the part O
Portland would effect important results. i
the matter of keeping open communication
If we had freeze every winter there is II
doubt something would have been done lon
ago. But as it is, we don't expect freezin
weather, or at most think it uncertain. Gu
condition is good deal like that related i
the account of the s'Arkansaw traveller.
The house couldn't be covered when it rair
- ed, and when it didn't rain no roof wa
wanted. We can't construct roads when
freeze is upon u.s. and when the rivers ar
open it is much easier ami quicker to trave
by steamboat. Hence we do nothing fror
year to year in the direction of roadmakine
and when we are ice bound we resolve thu
something ought to be done, only to forge
it when navigation opens and think no moi
about till we are bottled up again
Portland had lively blaze on Ne
Years eve The fire was soon under contrt
but thieves made good use of the conf,
SION, and laid in large; supplies for the wiz
ter, including household goods, wearing al
parel, etc.
Carrying the U. s. mails between Portlan
Il