The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-06-02
THE RECORD SMASHED
The High Water Mark Passed
in Portland.
THE RIVERS ARE STILL RISING
The Metropolis Being Flooded With
a Vengeance--The Overflow the
Greatest Ever Known.
HE RIVERS ARE STILL RISING

The waters in the Columbia and Will
lamette are still rising, and old river
men predict further rise of two feet
before 1t becomes stationary. At Port
land yesterday morning a rise OF wi
feet had been attained, which Is one
foot above the high water mark of 1876.
The Burnside street bridge is over
flowed, while the water is within a rev
feet of the Morrison and Madison street
bridges. The lower portion Of that city
is suffering the heaviest damage, and
the losses will figure up heavy, even II
the flood should subside at once, which
is not considered possible by those COM
petent to Judge. Sixth and Seventh
streets, north from Ankeny, are entire
ly under water, and at Fourth and
Stark streets reaches the Southern Pa
cific railroads tracks. The flood on
Burnside street extends west to the
plaza blocks. The tracks of the South
ern Pacific and Northern Pacific at the
terminal are entirely covered, and the
big freight houses surrounded by the
still encroaching waters. The floors of
the Grand Central station are several
inches under water, and business at the
station is entirely suspended.
Capt. Crang, of the Telephone, says
that on the up trip Thursday night, he
passed a house and barn, floating down
the river. He says the warehouse at
st. Helens is almost ready to indulge in
a sail towards the Pacific ocean, and
that many other buildings along the
route are in imminent danger of float
ing off. 1t is difficult to make a land
ling anywhere along the river, and
Capt. Crang AYERS that the rise will
continue for several days yet The river
is lined with driftwood, and wreckage
of all descriptions, and a general scene
Of desolation is visible all along the
banks.
In an interview yesterday with an old
we'll known pilot, who has been here
and on the river since 1861, he expressed
the opinion that the water in Portland
would reach the Perkins Hotel, corner
of Fifth and Washington, before 1t
stopped. ANY CITY," said this gentle
man, that is built above the conflu-
ence of two great rivers, such as the
Columbia and Willamette, and at the
same relative distance as Portland Is
situated, is always In danger from
flood. There are two sources of dan
ger to be always apprehended. One is
rise from the river on which the
city is built, and the other from the
back water of the river into which
the former empties. Distractions in
the river are valuable aids to increasing
flood, and the Upper Columbia is full
of them. They serve to contract the
volume of water, and the consequence
Is. that when a rise occurs there is
less room for the free distribution of
water, from bank to bank, and the
inevitable result is an overflow. AS an
illustration take the unprecedented rise
at The Dalles, where the water has
risen fifty-fve feet. Here the river
is narrow and near there is opstructed
in various ways The building of
dykes is another source of danger, and
are potent factors in swelling the vol
ume of water 1t is bad policy on
this account to build them. They fill
in with sand behind them and thus con-
tract the water, which in a flood or
| freshet offer an aid to the destruction
of property. There is one of these
dykes at the mouth of the Willamette
another at st. Helens, and a third one
at Walkers Island. The one at st.
Helens is two miles in length, extending
UP and down the river, and is in con-
sequence prolific of serious conse-
| quences in time Of a rise. With these
dykes and other distractions, together
with the fact that Portland is situated
above the confluence Of these two
mighty rivers, that city will never be
safe from floods, and an annual recur-
renee is possible, according to the down
fall Of snow or rain. On this account
the metropolis is not apd never can
be, great terminal point Now Astoria
will never be troubled with a flood. Her
natural situation and environments
preclude the possibility Of any such an
occurrence. In view of this fact there
is no doubt in my mind, but that AS
toria is bound in the near future to
be the terminal point Of this section
Of the Pacific Coast country. Situated,
practically, on the ocean, with an har-
Dor equal to any in the land, with
no possibility Of being overfiowed, our
city offers more advantages for ter
minal point than Portland, and in the
province Of time will reach the goal.
An honest, united effort IN this direc-
ton. is all that is needed to accom-
plish such a result When these facts
are made apparent to the public, set