The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-08

xux EaOoD IN 0KAxoc An cOUNrH.
uAAs x.es.ssr Ds.svaA s@w-rAs ~
enasen - - 6eaee Fran.
wnArcou, June 7.-fSpsciai Fl. J. Doa-
ovnn. of the state road commission. ~
turned yesterday from . trip with The
o&hsr membsss q ~ commission. fors-
maa ard IN iassrpretsr. fro0 Marcus On
the Columbia . far west ~ Antoine's
fairy on the Okanosan river. There hs
left the party and rode los miles on horss-
baek down the west bank OF the Okanogan
rivsr to in junction with the Columbia II
Virginia City. IL bsing his intention 70
take steamer there and 50 down to
wenatches and come home On the Great
Northern. But finding that impossible.
he obtained private ccnveyance ct Vir-
ginia City and drove ffty-iite miles to
CouIss City. going thence by train ON the
Washington Central to Spokane and
thence to Seattle over the Northern Pa
cifc. He reports the trip as one Of the
most arduous and dangerous he ever made.
and he has done good deal Of roughing
it in his work - an engineer. The party
experienced great difficulty in reaching
the Okanogan on account OF the high
water in Ill the streams and the almost
impossible condition Of the roads where
there are any. The horses we're frequently
mired and the riders somesimes compelled
10 dismouns in water waist deep. One Of
the pack animals lost its footing In one
place and rolled down an embankment $50
feet high, pack and all. and Commissioners
Oliver had . very marrow escape from .
like accident The bridge across the
Okanogan At Orc has gone and all the
ferries on the river have been swept away
except the one owned and operated by the
Indian Antoine on the principal route to
Conconuliy.
Mr.. Donovan confirms the reports al
ready published in the Posr-IErELasEs-
GER of the almost entire destruction of
Conconully BY the flood on the Salmon
river. and says that the people there are
greatly in need Of assistance. A large
amount OF provisions and other nscessar-
Conconully river bridges, nine in number,
have been swept away. and the whole val
ley devastated BY the flood.
With reference TO the Cascades
road. Mr.. Donovan says that the commits
sion has practically decided upon the en-
tire route, and upon the plans to b fol-
lowed in the work TO be done this year. the
one great object being to complete trail
~ soon a. possible across the mountains.
both the Baker and Cascade ranges, that
shalt be passable for pack animals and cat
tie. From the point in Stevens county
where work was left OF iaat year twenty
miles Of new road will be built westward
to connect with the roads and trails al
ready built Which can b utilized, at least
temporarily, for distance of los miles. 70
Winthrop, 1t the forks Of the Methow.
From there IL 10 proposed to improve the
old trail up the south fork Of the Methow
to the summit of tie Cascades at = point
near the hsadwaters Of Ruby creek This
part of the route will be examined by the
othsr members Of the commission before
they return here, which will be in
about two weeks. Meanwhile men
will b sent out from here to clear the track
Of fallen trees, etc., so far - built on this
side, and the commissioners will then 60
out from here and locate the trail over the
summit Of the Baker range to the head Of
Beaver creek and down to its junction
with the 6kagit, little above the mouth
Of Ruby crsek. and thence up that creek 70
connect with the Msthow trail at the
Okanogan county limo on the summit Of
the main range. The total length of the
route from here to Marcus. a. it will FIRST
be opened, will BE- between $50 and 80
miles. the air line distance being 90 miles.
In this connection it may b poted that
the cir lire distance from Spokane TO
Seattle 10 225 miles. while IL 10 3lS by the
Great Northern railroad and 40 by the
Northern Pacific. In this county. includ-
ing, Of course. the county roads up - far
a. Glacier creek. where the trail proper
begins, sixty miles are already built and
ffty-fve to sixty miles more will have TO
b built in this county TO reach the sum-
NIT Of the main range east of the Skagit.
Just about the same amount of road trail
will be required in Okanogan and Stevens
counties. the remaining los to no miles
east OF the mountains being covered by
the old Indian trails and county roads
already constructed. The commissioners
believe that by following this plan they
can this year, and with the funds still re-
naming from the first appropriation,
complete good trail for horses, cattle and
footmen all the way from Marcus to
Whatcom. Mr.. Donovan says the plan
seems to meet the hearty approval Of the
people interested east Of tho mountains,
and especially the stockmen who are
particularly anxious for an easier and
more direct outlet to the Sound for their