Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-08-28

Columbia, with time enough on his
hands to carry out his cherished scheme
of searching for the river of whose ex-
isfenee he felt 50 certain. He sailed
south from the Straits OF Juan de Euca,s
and on his way down the coast fell in
with Captain George Vancouver, on his
famous exploring expedition that end
Cd in the discovery of Puget sound
The two captains exchanged courtesies
and compared notes. captain oray
mentioned the river that he hoped to
tlnd. and Vancouver laughed at him.
The latter said that he mad carefully
examined the entire coast for two hum
dred miles under the most favorable
circumstances. that the lineof breakers
was unbroken, and that he had only
noted signs of river water near an OPP
ening mat appeared so insignificant
that he did not deem & worthy of atten-
ton.
On the following day, May 1 /, Cap
tain Gray sailed the Columbia into this
insignificant inlet, and discovered one
of the grandest rivers in the world,
which he named Columbia IN honor
of his ship. He named the extreme
point of Tape Disappointment Point
Hancock, and the head land on the
south side of the river Point Adams.
after the two most distinguished men
of hts nativet State. Behind Cape. Dis
Impeachment he found Il beautiful bay,
which he named Bakers, and to the
point bounding it on the east he gave
the name Or Chinook. Fifty years
later the testimony of Captain Gray
Iog-book gave the noble RIVER that he
thus d scoyered to the United States,
and moved the in, irrational boundary
line three degrees north, to the Straits
of Juan de Fuca. s.u qe
On November I, 1906. the intrepid
explorers Lewis and Clark, coming
from the interior, rea he'd tile mouth OF
the SColum bia. which they called by its
Indian name of Oregon.
In March, 1911, company of ful
traders, sent out from New ork by
John Jacob Astor. founded the settle
ment of Astoria, near the mouth of the
river. which thus became the first
| American settlement on the Pacific
| Coast Astoria Struggled for existence
! for- three years, aad then fell into the
hands of the British, who changed its
name 10 Fort George. .Itis compara-
| lively but a short time ago that it again
came under the American flag, and was
/ rechristened Astoria. To-day it is a
city containing several thou
sand inhabitants, who are very proud
of their handsome Masonic Hall. their
| CustOm-house. and, above all. of
| the immense salmon-canning bust
ness conducted by its mer-
chants. The canning establish
ments are huge unsightly structures OF
/ wo d. built out over the river on piles,
! ~ 81,
pairing and canning the salnlo on is con-
Quoted by ( hinese workmen. But il
/ these esi Adjustments are blemishes on
the lands ape. the shing fleet viii h
sails out from Astoria every evening
during the season presents a most pic
turesque sight. The boats are snail,
sharp at both ends, cat-rig@ed, and ca b
carries the two men necessary to man.
/ age tae giH-net with which its cargo is
Ito be SECURED a favorite resortAfor the
/ fshermen is in the vicinity of Pillar
Rock, which rises abruptly from neal
the middle of the river a few miles above
Astoria, IRON here they pursue theil
prey down to the mouth OF the river
where it sometimes happens that they
cast their nets so near the bar that tho
outgoing tide, rushing like a mill-race
efs.S The products of their toll have
found their1way into every market in
the world, and to day Columbia River
canned salmon commands D higher
price than any other.
The most notable object near The
mouth OF the Columbia is the illamool
Lighthouse. 1t is built on a rocK 81
precipitous. and rising from the mids
of a tideway so terrible, that no boa
may approach it closely without being
dashed in pieces. To over ONE thes'
difficulties huge derrick with a far
reaching arm raises and lowers an iroI
cage in which are contained the visitor
or supplies that reach the lighthouse
from the mainland. In this peculia
feature of inaccessibility this light hous,
stands alone in the world. -Hdrper''
He ;iy.
l. - "a - 1902 Il 81