Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-12-05
Az OPEy WATERWAY.

A eonvention vss hsld ct The Dalles
on the "a ins;-. 10 take steps 10 secure,
10 possible, the opening By the general
government Of the Columbia river 70
1nobstructsd navigation. Is Vas con-
posed Of delegations from Astoris.
Portland. Vancouver, walIA waIla, The
Dslla=, GoldendaIe, waitsburg. Pepdle
ton, Weston. Colvilis. Union and Wssce.
10. A. B5vIby vas made President
and ~. ) Brown Secretary.
letter y.s read from Watson O..
squire, Governor Of Washington Tern
tory, expressing bis deep interest in the
matter Of opening the Columbia rIver.
The Governor said be had given the
matter bis attention heretofore, and
hoped 90 do more IN the future.
A resolution was I'D opted asking Con-
Rrs=s to take Immediate action for open
Tag the C,lamois RIVER from its mooth
N toe nor;n boundary of Washington
Territory.
William Dunbar, Louis Sohns, Louis
MAYER, X. W. Crasdali, John 5. White.
). Rothschild, j. NJ Boyd, Robert Mays,
". r. Courtney, JOAN AdaIr and ID. r.
Il
on Memorial j. q. TruiiIngsr. ID. r.
Ihompson, l.. NJ Hldder, Robert Mays
and II. L. Holmes an Ekscstive Com
mittee. j..
C.P. Church said the shipments Of
produ.ss we're iscressinR all the while
and the ColuSsbia river BASIN was eaps
Die Of producing from 100000 TO go
OOO, go b1shsls of wheat annually. or
a a.1.a ~ hA
coDpetition on the Upper Colum oia,
transportation charges on wheat we're
cents per mile Der ton. while on other
prodacts it vas 3 cents per ton per mile.
The memorial prepared by the Memo
rial Committee represents that with toe
exceptions OF obstruction at the Cas-
cades and The Dailes. the Columbia IL
navieable for large steamers for 1872
miles inland. with tributaries OF 3O
miles. For 1872 miles 10 the United
states 10 flows through a country well
adapted TO agriculture, and capable OF
sustaining large populations; there are
also other fine rivers; that a large part
Of il 10 wholly without transportation
means to the seab0ard, and in no part
are there facilities except by the Colum-
bta and Snake rivers aud one railway.
canal and locks are reqqired at the Cas-
cades, leo taiies from the mouth, and
at The Dalies, 20 miles. There are
from the latter point 10 kittle
Falls more than 700 miles from the
mouth. only q few rocks which need re-
moving. That she improvement would
provide transportation to 300 square
miles of land susceptible Of cultivation.
That the Government has already ex
pended on the Cascade locks $500
and the engineers estimate that $4,000
will complete 1t so that boats can pass
through. That the works at the Dalles
would reqaire an improvement for sew
en- miles, bat would cost bot little more
than the Cascade locks. That the to-
Biography of the region p.ecludes the
construction OF railroads, except at an
enormous expense, and the opening OF
the river 10 not only practicable bat in
dispenssble to the development and
prosperity Of the region through which
Il flows. That the tonnage over the
Columbia hsr for the year ending Sep
tember, 1886, was S69, 9:3 tons. That
the Improvement of toe channel at tile
entrance of the river as veil az at the
Cascades asd other points, has hitherto
been prosecuted under the disadvantage
of insufficient appropristions,w which rem
dered II impossible to garry forward the
work rapidly or economically. That tbs
aitiz sns of Portland for the past two
years have been compelled to raise large
amounts of money by private subscrip
tons to make temporary improvement |
la the Columbia in order to keep the
channel clear to the sea, because OF TIE
made 1acy OF the Government appro
priations. The Columbia bars are Spoken
OF as being easy TO remove. The immens,
ore deposits on the upper Columbia near
Colvilis, Okanaean and Osaiees Lakes
and other points near the banks Of To,
Columbia, II Is said. would yield mil
lions were the river open. Your memoir
aiists, therefore,, respectfully, bat ear, est
ig pray that appropriations be made fol
the improvements already In progress
OF such amounts that the prosecution
of the works may be continued unit
they are completed, and that steps b,
immediately taken TO beRir the i'm
provement Of the channel of the Co
iumbia wherever the same may bs nee
essary TO navigation. Your memorial
lists further pray that the banks of the
Columbia river at all places where Oh
struotiops exist, requiring the use Of the
same for improvement, be reserved foi
settlement and sale.