The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-15
The Columbia Rivers Century.

We are not likely to exaggcrate tho i'm
portance which properly attaches to the
| discovery OF Oregon's ajestc waterway by
| Capt. ROBERT GRAY. This event. whose
hundredth anniversary has just been celc-
bratcd. was the first OF series that gave to
the United States their imperial domain ON
tho Pacific. When GRAY returned to Boston
with his story. desire sprang up to cx-
p!ore these unknown regions. JEFFERSON.
Us it happened. had In that very year. 1902.
urged such an undertaking. and when he
became President. lent his aid to tho IA
nous expedition Of LEWIS and CLARKE.
Then tho pioneers began to penetrate to
these wilds Of tho Northwest. and that
great fur trade was established in which
the fortunes Of tho AsToRs were founded.
Meanwhile had come the Louisiana pur-
chase. which included tho Oregon territory
up to the British line. Yet over the deter
mination Of that line great controversy
was to arise; and In this controversy an
entry In GRAY's log for May IL, 1872, was to
play m0mcntous part.
Most ftly. therefore. have tho States OF
Oregon and Washington held this week
centennial commemoration OF the discov-
cry Of the Columbia River; while tho Fed
raj Government with equal fitness rccog-
nized its importance by sending to tho cello
bration two OF our hncst war ships. tho
Baltimore and tho Charleston.
Tho story OF tho discovery Is interesting.
We have already mentioned it in general
terms. but 1t Is worthy OF further details.
GRAY was native OF Tivorton. In Rhode
Island. and had taken part in IN expedition
sent out to tho Northwest coast several
years earlier by some Boston merchants.
Their purpose was to get sea otter skins
there and exchange them in China for ten.
They prepared medals. having on one side
picture OF ship and a sloop and tho
words columbia and Washington, COM
mauded by JOHN KENDRIcx." and on the
other the inscription. Fitted out ut Bos-
tou. N. America. by -" with the names
OF the ELK merchants concerned. Dur
Ing that voyage. GRAY. who had charge
OF the Washington. being second In
c"n'mand under KENDIICx. thought he
Sow signs OF great estuary near the 46th
parallel: however. without pursuing that
qusat. lie exchanged ships with KENDRIcK
and sailed to China In tho Columbia Hav-
lug hrcnmnMvig;.ted the globe, ho rcfltted
Horn TO rcioin KENDRIcK In tho Strait OF
juan de F'ica. This accomplished. he called
south along tho coast. In 1902. TO SEQ
whether he could not find the great rivcr.
1t should be said TINT tho existence OF a
mighty stream flowing into the Pacific had
long been rulnorcd. In fact. there had been
Efforts for two hundred years to find u
waterway between the Atlantic and tho
Pacific. Some romancing navigators had
even pretended that they had found 1t.
The traders had also had stories from In
diaps further east. for many years.
of n great stream at tho west. The
Spaniards yentured to put down such a
river on their maps. and to give 1t not only
locality but q name. calling 1t tho San
Rogue: and when GRAY's discovery was
announced. they tried to point out the exact
voyage OF ono Of their own sailors which
had revealed 1t. But tho evidence seems
to DO that 1t had remained only vague
rumor until that spring OF 1892.
The curious fact has been mentioned that