The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-07-08

THE CASCADE LOCKS
Only Saved! From Total Destruc-
tion by Superhuman Efforts.
MANY NEW CHANNELS FORMED.
Why the Work viii Have to be Re-
modelled and all Plans Altered
Before it can be of Use.
MANY NEW CHANNELS FORMED.

Cascade Locks, July I'd, 1S94.-No de
scripion of the enormous current tina
has been sweeping past this spot TO
the last month can possible be adequate
TO fully realize what ii is like one mus
come and see for himself. The steamel
Dalles City, a moderately fast craft
reached here from Portland at O'Clock
this afternoon aftef great deal Of
difficulty. Several times when nearing
the canyons that guard the approach tc
the locks, she steamed full speed into
the eddying torrent only TO be driven
back, and more than once her swift fly.
ing wheel lashed the water when the
vessel was standing motionless without
gaining an inch for several minutes.
At the western end Of the little town
where live the government workmen
who have been for several years en-
gagged in tine building Of the locks,
stands the sliding mountain that
spoke of briefly in a previous letter 1t
runs along the river for nearly three
miles and reaches back five hundred
yards into the high land behind 1t,
varying in height from 1000 to $500 feet.
The whole side Of this enormous hill is
steadily sliding into the river. 1t has
a lower strata of soft, treacherous sand
stone, quickly affected by the action of
water, and thirty acres Of its base have
already been swept away. 1t rises from
the edge of the Columbia for the first
hundred feet in a sheer precipice, and
ten yards above the top level of the
flood right under this threatening gla-
cier of millions of tons Of earth, three
hundred Union Pacific workmen are
daily risl1ing their lives in attempting to
establish a temporary grade over which
the companys trains can run from
Bonneville. This resort shows how des-
perately the Union Pacific are striving
to hold the traffic which the d. p. and
a. Co.'S steamers are gradually taking
away from them, but even If the grade
is built it will only be a matter Of a.
few weeks before it is totally obliterated
by the oncoming of the sliding noun
tain. In fact, the company's action in
wasting time and money by prosecuting
such a hazardous undertaking is con-
demned by everybody who has watched
the work. The only way out Of the trou-
BILE, and the only chance the Union Pa
cific will ever get to again secure direct
transportation to Ogden and through to
the East, will be by building right
around the Cascades at the back of the
locks, an operation that will cost sever
al millions of dollars.
The amazement of the Indians at the
force of the water in the vicinity of the
Cascades, and their CONSERVATION and
grief at the sight of whole islands con-
tanning the. bones of twenty thousand
of their dead being swept clean over the
rapids, scattering the skeletons the
whole way along the river, can better
be imagined than described. Many of
the old chiefs, several of whom have
lived in the vicinity for three genera
tions, were horror striken to think Of
the desecration of the remains Of their
great warriors, and the Columbia, for
hundreds of years the great good wa
ter god' of their devout worship, will
be TO them for all time, a traitor and an
evil spirit. They have a legend, re-
vived just now, in fact 1t is the prin-
cipal topic of conversation among them,
to the effect that once, years ago. the,
Columbia river ended at the Cascades
in an enormous lake that extended over
the whole interior of the country There
was solid wall of rock that acted as
dam between the present boundaries of
Oregon and Washington, but one day ,
the Great Spirit caused an enormous
rush Of water along the Columbia. 1t
tore the dam clean out and the river, !
keeping on, furrowed mighty channel
Ind in one day found it's way to the
Pacific ocean. The natives point to the,
of the enormous canyons that
stand on both sides of the river and :
which they say prove the truth of their
tory beyond doubt The great walls !
# rock certainly look as if some gigantic
orce had torn away their extremities.
rhe canyons stand nearly 5000 feet high. :
ind between them lies the village of
cascade Locks, its base swept by the
mighty rush of water, deafening the
ar with its roar, and inspiring wonder
md admiration as 1t foams and seethes
through the narrow gorges.
Major Post. who is in command of the
magnificent work being carried on by
he government, states that the whole
,lan of the locks will have to be
hanged, and that the result of several
ears of hard labor have been swept
way in week. The locks were orig
rally projected at a height Of 1897 feet
bove sea level at Astoria, and as /
Erote you on Monday, the water in the
at this point rose seven feet
igher than that. The new operations
,ill be conducted with the intention OF
part from the loss already incurred, r
bove the Astoria readings. which It is :,
elieved will be sufficient to take the
1ck gates above the reach Of any fus
ure flood. The change in the plans, P
bart from the loss already incurred,
fill OF course bring about an enormous
dditional expense. Across the end Of
lie canal at the east side of the locks. ,
, a powerful dam, and beyond this, 5
uniting into the center Of the river. c
'as long strip OF shore ending at
lass Of rocks called Powder House y
'olnt This whole body Of earth. sew z