The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-04-27
AN OPEN RIVER.
The Progressyof Work at the Locks Prom

ises at Early Opening of the River.
Since the government work at the
Cascades has been changed to the con.
tract system the people have increased
confidence that an early completion
of the improvement will be realized,
and any person visiting the Locks will
see that there is substantial foundation
for encouragement. The very high
water last June delayed operations con-
siderably: but since the flood has SUBJ
sided great eXertions have been made
to push the work forward so as to make
up for the delay, and the contractors
can be complimented in making very
good showing in this line. Citizens OF
The Dalles and vicinity have direct
interest in an open river, and for long
years have looked forward, with anx-
ious expectations. to the time when the
Columbia should be free from every
impediment to navigation, Frequent
visits have been made to the place, and
everything pertaining to the work
carefully noted. Of late these visits
have been very satisfactory, and the
end can be discerned.
During the week reporter of the
TINES made trip to
the Cascades and spent a few hours in
| walking over and examining the canal
and locks. Above the bulkhead the
stonework is about completed, except
that the embankment will have to be
rip-rapped the same as the lower end
of the canal. The walls on the sides of
! the locks proper are nearly completed
and ready to receive the gates. The
lower ones. or what are termed gaurd
! gates, are now in position except one
half of the upper section. These are
put in to keep the backwater from
flooding the pit and stopping excava-
ton. The gates are in pairs, and there
will be four of these pairs when the work
is completed. One gate or section is
separated from the other by space of
several feet, and when closed one is
circular toward the lower end of the
canal and the other toward the upper.
| These are immense steel frames, and to
| put them in position require the most
powerful machinery. train load OF
| these massive steel structures from the
| east are now on the ground waiting to
| be unloaded. and will be put in place
as soon as possible. as the masonry is
about ready to receive them. These
come in sections and as they are put up
and riveted together. The lower section
| AZ feet above the bed of the canal, the
next higher and so on until the upper
one will be over fifty. feet vertically
from the cemented bottom or floor.
There will be only one lift and one
! lock proper; but the gates are used so
as to guage the volume of water during
! the passage of boats. At first turbine
wheels were considered necessary to
open and close the gates; but it is an
derstood hydraulic pressure will be
used, and the water will be piped from
a distance of two miles in the noun
tains. This will furnish fall of about
200 feet, and give an immense power.
In looking along the line of the
canal one can easily see the great
progress made in the past year, and
can discern the outline of the canal
and locks when in operation. The
wall of heavy masonry forms a contin-
uous line on both sides from dead
water below to dead water above the
rapids, except where the bulkhead of
! 1880 intervenes. This will be removed
as soon as the gates are up. There is
some portions of the walls yet to be
| finished, the excavation in the upper
end to be completed, rip-rapping the
embankments and the bulkheads to be
removed. and the canal and locks will
| be in operation at the Cascades. The
contractors confidently expect to ac-
cOmplish these results during the pres
ent year, and it appears very probable
they will.