The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-01-08
HISTORY or YHE COLUMBIA.
STEPS Toward Csl.bntiag lbs Centennial ami
Tdag..

There Is 4 movement on foot, says the
Seattle Telegraph, to celebrate tittingly the
Tooth year Of the discovery Of the Column
bia by Capt. Robert Gray. 1t Is now over
ninty-eight years since the adventurous
captain turned the prov Of his ship, the
Columbia, into the mouthof the Oregon
or the Great river Of the West, as 1t was
then known irOm vague reports gathered
from Indians. The precise time Of
Captain GrayS discovery was April, 1872.
Captain Cook, the celebrated navigtor,
had some time before in Boston, told Of
the vast number Of Sea otter to be found
on this coast. This caused many ships
to outfit for the otter fisheries, Captain
Gray's among the number. In the
course Of his voyage on this coast he dis
covered the mouth Of q large river in
latitude 10 deg. 10 min. north. Entering
with some difficulty, on account Of sand
bars and breakers, he came to anchor in
. spacious bay.
The Indians beheld him with wonder.
They had never seen q ship or . white
man, and when they first deserted the
Columbia, they thought It was floating
island; then some monster Of the deep;
''but when," as Irving recounts, they
saw the boat pulling for shore with
human beings on board, they considered
them cannibals sent by the Great Spirit
10 ravage the country and devOur the in
habltAnls." Captain Gray did not go far
up the river, but remained about and ex-
amined the short for some days. Going
out at length be finally met atsea the
celebrated discoyerer Vancouver, and
told him what he had found, and gave
him his chart Of the river. Vancouver
assembled il about 100 miles, until within
view Of the snowy mountain, which he
then gave the name Of Mount Hood.
In view Of all that has happened since
Captain Gray's discovery these facts, now
historical, read like Q wonderful story.
The captain, as Is stated, was greatly
elated by his discovery, which was very
natural. Captain Jonathan Carver, Sir
Alexander Mackenzie and others had
projected enterprises, vainly trying to
find this river, the existance Of which for
Q long time seemed little more than o
tradition among the Indians. Gray
thought 30 we'll Of the country that he
projected other expeditions. His descend
ants for many years have resided at
Astoria, probably the very place where
Captain Gray first landed.
Old residents about Gray's harbor,
named for him, and Astoria, and, as
1t would appear, all over the great
stretch Of territory known at one time
as the Oregon countary, seem united in
the conviction that the centennial Of the
discovery Of the great Columbia ought 70
be fittingly observed. As yet the matter
is only being revOlved in the minds Of
the people, but before the close Of 1891 It
Is believed that something definite will
be done.
Already Spokane Falls has taken steps
toward erecting o monument to John
Jacob Astor, who founded post in the
very early days on Spokane river, as well
a. ct the mouths Of the Columbia and
Okanogan.
Il was through the tiTeless work o
such intrepid men a. Gray, AstoT, Meek
Whitman and others that this great anC
mArvelOusly rich domain, country thai
no patriotic man can contemplate with
out q swelling Of the heart, was saved u
the United States. Their discoveries
and heroic efforts In behalf Of the nation
should be commemorated, and ii Is mos
fitting that the people who live In such I
favored land should take the frat step
toward II.
The close Of the year 1890, wonderful
a. il has been, for Oregon and Washing
ton is an appropriate time for lookin
backward, and seeing what these me
have done, and telling over and owe
| again the story Of their intrepid an
, ever 10 be remembered efforts. Down I
the latest time their names will be n
: vered. The centennial Of the discover
Of the Columbia would mark . gea
, epoch In the history Of this land.