The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-02-18

Of the Northeru Pacific railroad In
Waahinston Territory, and - miles
from Portland. II IL navigable At its
Lowest stage. with . least depth Of az
fset on the bars 70 Cowlitz landing, 40
miles from its mouth; during higher
stages miles farther TX miles above
LAton's ferry. The bar ct its mouth
has I fest depth st low tide. Just
above the depth 10 reduced to 81 feet
By heavy drift in the chasnel. From
the mouth 10 Blacks bar, the head Of
the tidal section. distance of 9 miles.
the width Of the river sverAges5o0 feet.
Above this. 10 the head of navigation,
$50 feet. The bed Of the navigsble
portion Of the river 10 principally COM
posed Of large pebbles OF volcanic rocks
varying from dense black bssalt to
pumice, tome Of the latsr 20 light - to
hoat. The banks are from to 20 feet
high. steep and in some plsces vertical.
The valley Of the Cowli,z is fertile,
generally covered with forests Of fine
timber. principally Hr and cedar. There
are several fine tracts OF prairie land
and numerous rich coal veins, as yet
undsvsloped. Tho Northern Pacific
Railroad 10 built along the east or left
baak OF the river for 20 miles, crossing
Of the mouth Of Pumphreys creek.
There are two annual seasons of high
wstsr. enc occurring during the winter
and caused By rains; the other 10 June
q Jsly, due 70 the melting Of the
enovs in the Cascade mountains. The
bottom Of The girdsrs Of the Railroad
hsidgs q Pumphfsy's b 451 feet above
Low water mark and l7H fest above
high water Of June. 1876, the highest
on record. Steamboats, can pass under
the bridge when the " ater is not more
than 10 feet above low water mark.
The most important place on the river
l. Rreeport, formerly Monticello. 81
milO iroo its mouth. It has popu-
lation Of 500. With two stores doing .
general msrchandise business. There
are fifty five families residing in aud
Ground the town. The population Of
the Cowlits valley has increased fifty
per cent. within the last i've years.
The area under cultivation along the
river banks - %. 600 scres. The ex.
ports are lumber, shingles. cattle. hogs,
grain. vegetables and general farm and
dairy produce. During the last year
II 600 passenger and $4,000 tons oil
freight were transported by the two
steamboats, which run regularly, making
daily trips on the rlver.
The distractions to navigation are
Blacks bar. Huntington's bar. Battoe
Rspids. Shappelier rapids. Pumphrey's
bsr, Gravel rapids and Ciuckey's bar
besides another bar 70 which no name
has been given, and numerous snags and
drift piles ct various points. but prin.
cipslly % the bars and rapids. The
number Of snass to bs removed is nearly
800. The Sum appropriated for thii
examination was not sufficient to enable
an instrumentsl survey of the bars e
b made. They ere in great measure
due 70 the accumulation Of drift wood
the removal Of which would probably
cause several Of them to disappear alto
gsthsr. and would certainly produce
such changes 10 the condition of the
channel generally - 70 render necessary
| later survey Of the bars before pro
jecting any plan for their improvement
At present those interested in the navi
gatioa Of this stream ask only that th,
obstruUting drift which reduces tn
available depth Of water by one hal
b removed. This would occupy tn
snag boat three months at nouthiy
cost tor running expenses of $500
Surveys Of the bars after removing tn,
drift will cost 5000 am indebted Il
Captain Jossph Kellogg. owner of tn
Cowlits river steamers. for the informa
ton concerning freight and passengs
carriage during the last year, and 10
| other atatiafica