The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-06-28
Seaports Of
the Northwest
lcontInued from Yesterday.l

water line gradient down to the end o
the hill point and to cross the William
cite below Portland. Surveys were made
some years ago from Troutdale west
ward. The deviation Of the present
route over the hill from a direct route
to the ocean, the difficult climb west
ward from Troutdale, and the very diff
cult work Of passing freights through
the cramped West Portland yard, will
Re thus avoided. The Pennsylvania
road has just made such a cutoff, avoid
ing Philadelphia en- route to New York
and such cut-offs are being introduced
at many great cities which are not ter
minals.
railways from Puget Sound, after
crossing the Columbia to Hunters Point
find the ocean as near as is Portland.
As Astoria develops competing ability
for ocean exports and imports, zone Of
the tonnage of this character from or to
the Sound will pass through Portland.
The Northern Pacific and the Canadian
Pacific have already made efforts to Sc
cure Astoria business, and with rail
communication will draw much Astoria
tonnage away from Portland. Should
the Great Northern decide to follow the
east bank of the Columbia, 1t will make
q serious mistake in thereby being less
conveniently situated for Astoria busl-
ness.
There Is nothing left then to Port
land except the original willamette val
ley. to reach which In early days Port
lands locators ran away from all other
territory. Blu. this valley lies almost
wholly westward of Portland. and when
railway lines from the valley reach AS
toria, 1t will require an unnatural back
ward movement eastward and counter
to the desired direction, to take export
tonnage from that valley to Portland.
1.-THE Southern Pacific east side road
is the only line naturally tributary to
Portland. 1t Is n Of the poorest pay
Ing freight routes on the Pacific Slope.
Its gross earnings are hardly a fourth
OF the average earnings of railways per
mile. This is due % o. succession of
tremendous SUBMITS and depressions
(the SUBMITS at Slsson's, at the Siski-
yous, at the Rogue River Umpqua dI-
vide, and at the Umpqua-W Willamette
divide; to SHOWS at these SUBMITS; to
side-hlll locations, excessive curvature
and to long stretches of wild, unproduc-
tive country. Some time In the future a
coast line from California to Astoria and
Puget Sound will be secured by snug
fitting to the hills, and by good judg-
ment In adjusting gradients to the coast
benches. 1t viii constitute the thorough
fare of the Pacific Coast.
"The willamette will be a feeder to
Portland until the great towage sys-
TENS capture the boats at Oregon City
In small lows, and combine them into
lows at the mouth of the William
cite en- route to the Columbia mouth,
just as the Hudson river lows from the
canals pass Albany. At present this
Willamette feeder is subject to a lock-
age charge at Oregon City that lessons
Its value, and will aid the railways from
the valley to Astoria In competing with
II. The river also is 80 shoal that much
Its traffic Is suspended a large part
Of the year.
I'VE find no timber Of Importance
necessarily tributary to Portland, and
for her home consumption she is
sending to the Lower Columbia for logs.
There are no great or small valleys, ex-
sept the Willamette, trending towards
Portland and directing their products
nationally towards her. Export coal
rom the Nehalem will not take three
Of u quadrilateral and come to
for export. In other words,
is very little tonnage originating
n Portland, to draw ocean vessels there
when railways reach Astoria"
The head of navigation" has been a
'atehword In many localities. 1t is wen
Q inquire closely what is the head OF {
@vigationY Is 1t where vessels of nf- .
cen feet dralght can go and must stop,
" vessels of eighteen feet, or twenty
Get or twenty-four feet, or of twenty
ight feet? On a branching river, up
Which branch must II be located 10 Sc
ure commercial supremacy The head
u navigation theory Is based on an +
nascertainable will-o'-the-wisp The S,
'cean vessels have increased their
as rapidly az deepened sea en- 9
RANGES would permit. The real test OF .
commercial supremacy is at the foot of $
lVer navigation, always a definitely /
larked thing, How far down can the !
reat lows and river vessels go, and the /,
always reach, and still concentrate ON {
safe M good seaport. and meet the
eepest draught vessels that can pass
le entrance from the ocean? II there "
a gain made In changing from Is to Z
Feet draught sufficient to justify a :
'st expenditure fora deep inland chan. 81
how much greater is the gain by II
nothing and utilizing at a :
asst port vessels Of 20 TO sS feet II
isught? The very theory and founda- d
~ OF deep inland navigation Is self. J,
'structive, except where transfers of :,
rgo are saved. The inland ports are
ping for much from the w~haleback e
nm OF ocean vessel which carries a .,
eat tonnage with light draught, This Il
'ory Is similarly self-destuctive. If
$ form be proved successful for ocean :,
vice. as is much to be hoped. It win RI
aid the inland ports as aeninst ,theLyl