The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-17
OPENING THE RIVER.
Enormous Cost of Federal Work
on the Columbia.
CASCADES CANAL NEARLY DONE.
The ship Railway at The DaIies Lakei!
TO Be Buiit-A Good Snah"
mel at Astoria

washington city, July 1s.--Maj- j. e.
s,o.. an ~harve OF the river and barbor
improvements in Oregon. has made ms
annual report 20 the chief engineer. ses
eraI trnporfaut works are nnder ms oi-
recfion. notably the mouth OF me toiuln-
bla river. the canal and locks Al tns
ea~ca6es and the deep water cnannel OF
the Columbia AZ Portland.
At the mouth Of the Columbia. sne pro,
feet contemplated a nayigaole chaal is
thirty feet deep at low water across the
bar This work is being accomplished by
a single jetty. A channel thirty-one ieee
deep and half a mile wide Tor seven
eIzf1ths Of a mile al low water mas neeh
secured. The work remaining 70 De oone
consists OF completing a -smaii poFuoh
Of the lefty and seeing TO the maintenance
Of the channel. IL is expected that tihs
work will be completed In four months.
The total amount appropriated TOT THIS
wary has been sse25. $50, which VIII De
enfflcient 10 complete IL. IL was esufnaten
at ss.7ie.ooo and It's construction WIZ
therefore cost sl,ssi29o less than the es-
Innate Mai Post says this remafhabie
exhibit has been principally due 10 the iaet
that the appropriations from time 10 uins
have proven SUFFICIENT 10 practlealiy hia'H-
tain continuous operations. The furtner
erpenditurs OF money for renewing the
elevated track will be unnecessary ais
was used 10 transport material Tor nni'a-
ing the Jetty and was in state OF decay
There Is yet balance available or 49,
sx The work was begun In 1855. The
commercial statistics for 1895 show total
tonnage at Astoria Of TO- As tons, ana az
Portland OF sis. sss tons.
The deep water channel TO Portland con-
templates twenty-five feet depth at low
water from Portland 20 the sea. THIS m
Guides twelve miles OF the Willamette ana
nfnety-eight miles 10 the sea. WORK our
ing the past year has been confined prih-
c.palIy 10 dredging. 10 aid In creating ana
maintaining new channels ana reileEins
deposits OF the extreme high water OF ls4
At several points the channel was shoaied
10 a fepth OF seventeen and nineteen feet,
hut these have been dredged and depth
of twenty-one feet obtained. Maj. Post
eavs the commerce OF the port or fort-
land rs constantly increasing, ana tnas
vessels are becoming larger and OF deeper
draft. and that the completion OF the
project is required at an early date. espe-
cialiy since the depth at the bar OF the Co
lumbia has been obtained. In 1891 the cost
of the project WAS estimated at s5I2 ~,
and 10000 has already been appropriated.
The city o. Portland has expended consia-
cradle money on the project.
The great canal and locks at the cas-
cs9es OF the Columbia. which have been un-
der construction for fifteen years are near
ing completion. Since 1893 the project has
been under the continuing appropriation
system. Maj. Post says this plan has great
advantages inthatft gives sufficient money.
hat has the disadvantage that contractors
may be- fast or slow within certain limits.
The high water Of the hast year seriously
inierfered with the work. but since IL sub
sided the construction has been rapidly
prosecuted. At the same time, the oiiicer
gays. II has not been pushed as rapidly as
Ii should have been. Much remains TO be
done before the canal IA open to navigation,
hut the Officer says there is no reason why
boats should not be passing through by
June 81. 1905 The amount appropriated
thus far is 81, AS. 403, expended during the
year $50 aas, with contracts out for s5ss. ISL
The canal will allow vessels OF eight feet
draft 20 pass TO the upper Columbia.
Another large project begun on the Co
lurnbia was the proposed boat railway at
The nal,es The boat railway. nine miles
long has been graded. and the eurvatures
are said 10 he much more favorable than
expected Negotiations have commenced
20 obtain the necessary right OF way. but
great difficulty has been encountered aris-
ing from the exorbitant prices demanded
by individuals. and further complications
that some OF tho hand needed for the boat
railway is occupied by the Oregon Railway
e. Navigation Company. while the fee rests
In individuals. THE railway company has
Indicated tts willingness 20 surrender the
portion Of rfght-of-way needed for the boat
railway, provided Il Is supplied with other
righ.-of-way The legal questions have
been submitted 80 the attorney general. In
the meantime, portions OF the right-of-way.
whore II has been possible 20 secure rea-
sonable terms, will be obtained. An effort
will Ne made 20 induce the railway com
nany 20 obtain for itsesf the new right-of-
way. the United States to reimburse the
road. Should this be unsuccessful further
legislation may he necessary. as the
opinion Of the district attorney is that the
United States cannot condemn right-of-
way to replace that taken from the rail-
way company. During the delay consider
able study has been given 20 the plan. and
1, II believed the railway can be con-
structesi and equipped for the amount es-
;imated ny she board of engineers IN 1892