The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-06-22

Ols II dul ILL
truth Of such a statement.
"On examining Portland's location
with reference to routes Of transporta-
ton, we find it remarkably liable to flu
ture isolation. Portland attaches great
value to a location at the head Of navi-
CATION and makes this the test of COM
mercial superiority. If this be such a
test, Portland's loss Of supremacy Is
certain. That city is not at the head of
Columbia river navigation, but a good
25 miles by water remote from it. The
head Of navigation Of ocean vessels for
The great future business of the Column
bia basin must be sought on the CO.
lumbia itself, above Vancouver. 1t is
not possible that the great but unwieldy
lows from the Columbia will double
back on their course and run counter to
their coastward direction, and run up
the narrow willamette narrowed still
more by contracting dikes) and against
a swift current (made still more swift
by contracting dikes), to Portland.
"The natural route of the Union Pa
cinc is not to climb over the hill point
opposite Portland, but 70 follow Il
water line gradient down to the end of
the hill point and to cross the VILLAIN
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
read 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 Pint,
| find The ocean as neal as is Portland.
AS Astoria develops competing ability
for ocean exports and imports, none 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 bust
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. It Is one Of the poorest pay
ing freight routes on the Pacific Slope,
It's gross earnings are hardly a fourth
of the average earnings of railways per
mile. This Is due to a succession of
tremendous SUBMITS and depressions
(the SUBMITS at Sisson's, at the SislSi-
yous. at the Rogue River-Umpqua dl-
vide, and at the Umpqua-Wtlamett
dlvide); to SHOWS at these SUBMITS; to
side-hlll locations, excessive curvature
and to long stretches of wild, u%nproduc-
tive country. Some time in the future q
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.
1.-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
large tows at the mouth of the VILLAIN
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 win aid the railways from
the valley to Astoria in competing with
1t, The river also is so shoal that much
Of its traffic is suspended a large part
Of the year.
I'VE find no timber of Importance
necessarily tributary to Portland, and
even for her home consumption she is