Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-05
RAGING FLOODS.
More Than Two Hundred Miles Of
Union Pacific Track Under WattL
DAMAGE WILL REACH MILLIONS.
Captain Willard Young Describes the
Inundated Cascade Locks, tho Larg.
est In the World.

Although far removed from tho
great Columbia river loods, Of which
tue talegraphlc dispatches tell, there is
grave concern among many Salt
Lskcra as 90 the dirsful results In
tho Inundated districts for hundreds
Of miles throughout the northwest.
NAmong the most anxious In this
city, perhaps, arc the Union Paciho
oticialg. la conversation with Mf.
Busluy today representative Of the
NEWS was told 10y that gentleman that
the damage TO property was immense
along the Columbia river, and when
asked TO mark on tho map that section
4 country now under water he drew
pencil from his pocket aud msic
circle which embraced about ont-ihird
VI the states u Washington, Oregon
aud Idaho. Of course, he said
with faint smile that his
statement was rather over
drawn, but tho condition was
appalling. Tho whole Of the Union
Pacific track between Umgtils aud
Portland, a distance Of 1856 miles, all
VI which IL above high water mark, IL
now inundated, anI vast stretches VI
IL torn out aud washed away.
superintendent Bancroft IL now and
has been NJ near tho big Hoods as posi-
bic Tor the last week or ten days, and Il
IL not known when he will return.
O..
track IL also hidden from view ia
the Hooded region between Nampa
and Huntington northwest OF
have been carried away aud
trariic 10 entirely suspended. The high
water Ia this section comes from the
Snake river ~ II also does on the
branch line running from Pocatello
TO Helena where there are numerous
wAshOuts from Market Lake to IdahJ
! Falls.
The lose that will DO sustained 10
enormous. Tue CJat OF building the
1850 milus Of road referred 10 and which
parallels the Columbia river for the
whole VI that distance was f25, 900 pcr
mile. In Mt. Burey'a opinion, that
added 10 what the Inhabitants OF
| Portland will lose, will aggregate mil.
lions. IL 10 tho worst oaiBmily that
has ever visited the north west.
Captain willard Young, now city
| engineer, who IL better acquainted,
perhaps, on tho Columbia river, than
another Ut0nian, WIS asked Tor his
opinion as 10 whether the great Cascade
] Locks a gOodly portion OF which
were constructed under his supervision
would stand the terrible strain they
were now put 10. In connection
! Herewith lie told tue story OF
their building. They are the largest
/ In the world, but are not yet complete.
| ho work OF building was c0mmenceI
| 10 1878 under Colonel Wilson, VINO
now has charge Of the government
/ buildings At Washington, Progress,
however, has been slow on account OF
Congress appropriating only about
| Sl0U,OOO per year for the work. rne
original estimate Of cost was a., 900, 900.
Up TO date about Sl,5JO,OO0 has been
spent and great doHi remains yet to
/ DO done.
Mt. Young had charge Of the work
| from 1883 10 1854 and says that II IL
simply siuponu0uH and his description
lott no doubt as 10 that It was a.
strong a. man and money could make
/ " NAA NNk Nv AfAlN NAHAh ~ AAAAN AAHN
been washed away during the present
| floods. The Columbia river runs very
swiit at that point. The TALL IL twenty
/ four feet % 5000. The purpose was 10
make the stream nayigable.
Said MI. Young. "rhere N u very
| pretty legend among tho Indians as 10
the formation Of the Cascade. IL IL
that Mt one time there was a great
natural stone bridge spanning from the
| Washington 10 the Oregon siio OF the
river NJ that point. rhe mountains
there are high And ptcoipitOus and
the gorge narrow whore the river
passes through. The story runs that
| MI IT. Helens on one side and Mt.
| Hood on the other engaged In uAT.
| fol aud while great volcanic etupu0ns
/ were going on, threw stones ~ each
| other In such vOlleys aud with such
force o. 10 break down the bridge,
cause II TO tumble into the stream below
and form "A sort of waterfall, giving II
| the name Of Cgscade."