The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-02-29
100000 Expended in the Inn
provement Of the Columbia.
PROGRESS OF The NEW WORK
Interesting Information by One Who
Is Familiar With she Great
Unic: taking.
Spokane, Wash, February %.


some interesting facts regarding the
construction of / he locks. He said:
THE work was commenced 10 or u
years ago with a small appropriation.
Another contract was taken by Mr.. Nc
Bean of Chicago. He was unable to
complete the contract, and the govern
ment finished the appropriation.
1.-The last contract was intended to
complete the entire work and was Ia
ken by j. c. and 1. N. Day of San Fran
cisco for $1,235 600 At that time the
government had about 100000 available
outside of the amount Of the contract.
The work was to have been completed
last March, but owing to high water of i
two years ago, which did considerable !
damage, a years extension was grant
ed The money is now all expended,
but the contractor will endeavor to get |
another extension.
"To protect the work already done 1t |
will be necessary to have the wall pro-
tected by riprapping on the river side
of the locks for a distance of from 5000
to 1000 feet. The point of that protec- !
ton on the plans already made must be
in crescent form. built of stones of GER
tain dimensions set in cement On the
up-river side there is yet to be exca-
Ndleu dDOul lVofOoo y AA 10 anu eNDDNN 49,
900 yards before a boat can pass
through
"At the lower end of the submarine
work, between the blasted rock and
gravel there is yet to be excavated
about 5000 yards, all contemplated m
der the present contract, ana no money
to do it with.
1.-THE high water of two years ago did
great damage, being at that point Il
feet higher than ever before known
The upper guards were seven feet lower
than the high water, and when they
were put in they were thought to be 10
feet above any high water.
1.-THE water to open and close the
valves and the gates is obtained from
the mountain about 5000 feet distant,
and is operated under 6O0-foot head.
1t is brought down through lO-inch
steel-cap welded pipe, the heads of the
pipe being reinforced and put together
with lead in the same manner as IS
usual in making connections of cast
iron pipe. OF the concrete work, speak
ing approximately, there is about $4,000
yards, and the steel and iron in the
gates and connections aggregate 1,25O,-
900 pounds.
1.-The gates were made in sections and
were shipped out in sections, weighing
from 16 to so tons, and from $1,000 to
10000 rivets were used in putting each
gate together The gates have no out
bearing at the points, but move on
hinges the same as a door The weight
of the upper guard gate is about $4,000
pounds. and when completed it was so
nicely adjusted that four men could
easily open and close it.
"To proceed with a work of such mag
nitude requires an immense plant,
which consits of six locomotives, 90
hosting engines, So derricks. 2000 over
head travellers capable of handling 10
tons. one steam shovel largest size, one
large modern steam dredge, two All
compressors, an electric light plant OPP
Grating so arc lights, complete ma
chine shop with all of the necessary
tools a blacksmith shop with six forSes
10 pumps with capacity ranging from
200 to 10000 gallons a minute with en-
gines and boilers to drive them, toui
large sand washers, one largest size
rock crusher and small crusher with
a cement roller and three cement mixer:
and engines to drive the same, one
complete saw mill plant with capacity
of 25O0O feet a day. The stonecuttlnt
sheds are 400 feet long
"The stone for the work on the lock-
is ouarried on Herman creek, abou
miles above the locks. The contract
ors built a spur from the o r.. & N. t
the quarry and the stone is brough
down with their own cars and loco
motives. From the head of the lock
to the lower end is about $500 feet.
1.-THE work at present is in charge o
Lieutenant Harry Taylor of the corp
of engineers United States army. Fl
has several civilians under his direc
ton, three assistant engineers, fou
axmen and chainmen, two men in tn
testing department, one general in
spector and two sub-inspectors."
.'Will the benefits to be derived by tn
construction of the locks justify tn
millions which have been spent?" aske
the reporter.
Eyes, 1 believe it will be of immens
advantage to all Of that country. Man
of the towns are without railroad con
munication, and of course they woul
he benefited. Another advantae
gained will be the fact that the graz
products from the country along II
Snake and Columbia rivers can be t
ken by steamers to Portland at mil
imum cost"
'There are still other Instructions
the Columbia which will require tran
ferring of shipments?"
Eyes; at The Dalles, but believe tn
obstruction can be overcome by a m
rine railway-such as is in SUGGEST
operation in Nova Scotia-where
steamers can be taken from the riv