Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-31

high as three thousand feet. The river fiows
with a smooth, deep current easily navigable
10 large vessels except at the "Cascades'
where considerable fall with large powders
in the bed OF the stream impede navigation.
Around this point the government is building
extensive locks-a work for which large APP
preparations have been made, and still larger
ones are asked; but which has already
grown old with the varying fortunes and
dilatory measures connected with congress
sional action.
In many places the rocky bluffs show the
columnar structure peculiar to basalt. we
have all seen in our Biographies pictures OF
this formation as found in Fingals Cave and
Giants causeway, and few other localities,
but according to lie Coute, that Of the
Columbia river is the finest in the world
huge sided prisms, evenly jon,ed and
fitting closely together, with marvellous
regularity. All this rock was undoubtedly
POURED out from the interior Of the earth in
melted state, and these regular formations
were caused by contraction of the mass in
the act Of cooling.
The railroad follows along the foot of these
precipices for large part of the way. ln
many places the road bed was built up from
the river bottom with rocks torn from the
face OF the cliff, and here and there are still
to be seen. hanging just where they were
used, the ropes and ladders by which tie
Cinnamon climbed to the top of the bluff,
and then held themselves up at their work
Few roads have ever been built amid great
or difficulties Of construction than this one.
1t is unqucs,ionably true OF the Northern as
Of the Central Pacific road, that without the
aid of the Chinese it could not have been
built for many years later than 1t has actual
ly been done.
The mountains arc full of streams an here
and there they flow over these precipccs
| forming falls aud cascades of great beauty
Some Of these in all probability, rank among
| the highest In the world. Taken together, it
may be questioned if another such collection
| is TO be found anywhere. For instance, our
party was camped for fortnight close by
one of the fairest OF these, about 70 feet high,
known as the bridal Veil" On one side,
up the river, within distance of two and a
half miles were two others, respectively 10
and 1850 feet high. These three are close by
the railroad aud in plain sight from the cars.
| About two miles In the other direction ls
another, the highest and finest OF all. A
stream Of water, ten or twelve feet wide,
dashes over huge projecting shelf, and
makes plunge of fully $50 feet through the
air, striking the rocky bottom with tremen-
dous force The visitor may climb in under
The archiDg cliff until h, stands behind the
fall and more than one hundred feet back
from it, A sense of the power aud inagnl-
tude of nature, and his own lltlleness In
comparison, is thrust upon him inslinctlvely,
and with involuntary awe he looks out AMID
the laundering and beating of the cataract
upon the mighty trajectory before lin. The
rocky chamber in which he stands is formed
of columns of basalt, whose broken ends
make both the floor and roof. The fall it9ell
is contained in an amphitheatre 400 or 5Ou
feet across, which so effectually holds thu
sound that no knowledge of the existence OF
the fall is had till the tourist turns bend In
the trail and comes directly upon them.
Another OF the wonders of this region IL
the pc,rified wood that is found in great
abundance. Finest Of specimens may be
seen lying by the side of the track, and they
have been used Unfortunately with othel
stone in building the culverts anc
grade of the road. In one place WHERE
the road cuts through high bluff
numerous logs and stumfs we're cu
through. One log was lying parallel to thu
road and had been divided lengthwlse ever
to the roots, the whole petrif1ed. Near it ,
large stump standing upright had been Gu
off. 1t was more than two feet in diameter
and the rings Of growth showed beautifully
from the centre to the circumference.
had the perforated appearance OF ash.
The Salmon fisheries, for which the Col
umbla is famous have had very favorable
year. The low allows the fish to be takel
during four months from April and tn
season Just closed has been the most pros
porous known. Six hundred and nineteel
thousand cases were put up by the canneries
each case holding four dozen cans. 1t
said that GOO miles of nets were kept in tn
river this season. Nearly all the fishing AM
canning is done in the lower Columbia an
about its mouth. Astoria is the centre, AN
shipping point. 1t would seem that few ifs
would be able to get by the myriad meshe
spread for them, but as matter OF fact enoug
do escape to afford no inconsiderable amour
of fishing in the higher waters to Indian
and others on small scale. AT the Cascades
$50 miles from the mouth of the river, say
an ingenious coutrivance for taking fish q
ones leisure. by which the stream ilse
is made to turn them out by il
own current. This is known as the Fish Whct
devised few years ago by a shrewed labor
saving Yankee. In appearance it resemble
somewhat thelhugc, oldfashioned mill-whce
, is 10 or 20 feet in diameter and ten feet long
| In place of the buckets of mill. wheel ther
are three huge scoops made Of strong wir
netting opening wide on the surface of tn
wheel and curving in narrow towards tn
! centre. The whole is set in q frame an
| lowered by pulloys TIL the axis is only fey
feet above the water, and With the scoops
the lower side opening down stream. Aumcl
GUS tloat-boards are placed on the outer Sid
of the wheel and the current of the river
striking against these, turns it slowly. Tn
water is high and rOily, and the fish, on hi
, way TO spawning grounds in the head water
and smaller streams, swims directly into th
mouth Of the net set for him, which, eve
turning, relentlessly scoops" him in. AS tn
wheel turns the fish falls In towards the cen
ter upon board which forms the tuner sid
Of the scoop and is placed at an angle inclr
ing toward the shore side, and down h
comes tumbling and founderipg out into
box placed to receive him. Shade OF tn
mighty lsaak the anglers art is shorn OF a
its sport and beauty; there Is no skill requil
ed and no enthusiasm awakened. Mechanics
genius and the instinct Of business have CON
bined to reduce the piscatorial art TO tn
same dull plane to which all art is bein
reduced in this prosaic age of moder
machinery. Iron and wood are made to d
the work Of brain and muscle, and in thi
case rob them of thslr sport as well. Tn
wheel turns around, and the graceful salmon
pride of the Columbia, Is poured ignomir
iousy out as from mighty hopper.
The first through train on the Norther
Pacific is expected to reach this coast 10
few weeks and Portland is bestirripg herse
|; to receive President Willard and his guests
manner fitting her position as the metroI
: oils of the northwest. w. N. +.
|