Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-02-29
$1,000, 600 Expended in the I'm
provement Of the Columbia.
PROGRESS OF THE NEW WORK
Interesting Information by One Who
Is familiar With the treat
Undertaking.

: Columbia river, is in the city and give
some interesting facts regarding til
construction of the locks He said:
The work was commenced 10 or /
years ago with a small appropriation
Another contract was taken by Mr. Nc
complete the contract, and the govern
lnent finished the appropriation
The last contract was intended tc
complete the entire work and was IA
ken by j. G.. and l. n. Day of San Fran
cisco for 81 ,235. 000. 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
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 ii
viii be necessary 10 have the wall pro-
tected by riprapDins on the river side
of the locks for q distance of from $500
to 1000 feet The point of that protec-
in crescent form, built of stones of Ger
tain dimensions set in cement. On the
u1-riyar side there is vet to be exca-
waited about leo, coo yards and about 15,-
G90 yards before a boat can pass
! through.
AT the lower end of the submarine
| work, between the blasted rock and
| gravel, there is vet to be excaya led
| about 5000 yards, all contemplated IN
! DER the present contract, and no money
! t. do it with.
The high water of two years go did
| great damage being at that point II
! feet higher than ever before known,
I The upper guards were seven feet lower
tnan the high water. and when they
We're put in they We're thought to he 10
| feet above any high water.
The water to open and close the
! valves and the gates is obtained from
| the mountain about 5000 feet distant,
/ and is operated under q 600-foot head.
/ Il is brought down through a 1G-inch
steel-cap welded pipe, the heads Of the
| pipe being reinforced ard put together
J with lead in the same manner as is
usual in making connections of cast
! iron pipe. OF the concrete work, speak
1 Ing aDprcNiIna tely, there is about $4,000
yards. and the steel and iron in the
gates and connections aggregate 1.25n
O0o pounds
'The gates We're made in sections and
We're shipped out in sections, weighing
from 16 to so tons. and from $1,000 to
80 600 rivets We're used in putting each
gate together The gates have no out
,n
hinges the same as q door The weight
Of the upper guard gate is about &56,3oo
; pounds and when completed it was so
nicely adjusted that four men could
easily open and close it.
ITO proceed with work Of such mag
nitude requires an immense plant,
! which consits of six locomotives, 81
hosting engines, 30 derricks 2000 over
. head travellers capable of handling u
TONS one steam shovel largest size, one
large modern steam dredge, two air
compressOrs, an electric light plant OPP
Grating 50 are lights. a complete ma
chine shop with all of the necessary
tools. q blacksmith shop with six forges,
10 pumps with capacity ranging from
200 to 1000 gallons a minute with en-
gines and boilers to drive them, four
large sand washers, one largest size
rock crusher and a small crusher with
a cement roller and three cement mixers
and engines to drive the same, ore
complete saw mill plant with a capacity
of %, oo0 feet a day. The stonecuttin2
sheds are 400 feet long.
THE stone for the work on the locks
is quarried on Herman creek about
4 miles above the locks. The contract
ors built spur from the O R. & n. to
the quarry and the stone is brought
down with their own cars and loco
motives. From the head of the locks
to the lower end is about $500 feet.
The work at present is in charge Of
Lieutenant Harry Taylor of the corps
Of engineers United States army. He
has several civilians under his direc
ton, three assistant engineers, four
axmen and chainmen, two men in the
testing department., one general in
spector and two sub-inspeetors.
"Nill the benefits to be derived by the
construction of the locks Justify the
| millions which have been spent?' asked
| the reporter.
| Yes, / believe it will be of immense
y
| of the towns are without railroad COM
muncation and of course they would
| be benefited Another advantage
! gained will be the fact that the grain
| products from the country along the
| Snake and Columbia rivers can be ta-
| ken by steamers to Portland al a min
! imum cost
"There are still other obstructions in
| the Columbia which will require trans
ferring Of shpments?'
Yes; at The Dalles, but I believe that
| obstruction can be overcome by a ma
| rine raiway-such as is in successful
| operation in Nova ScOtia-Whereby
| steamers can be taken from the river
and transported around The Dalles
! without breaking bulk. There is no rea-
son why steamboats, should not run
| from any point on the Columbia or
| Snake rivers. At present the rate for
| grain is almost prOhibitory and the
people living in that section are enti-
| tied to protection which railways will
never give until compelled to-
But waterways are not the protec-
ton to the shipper they formerly Were.
The railways now parallel the water
ways and by low rates often drive the
steamboat companies out of business, .
said the reporter.
Yes. l know that replied Mr.. AL
| drich. "but still the knowledge that an
| open waterway exists from the interior
| to tide water generally holds the rail
! wavs level There will always be
steamers for local business, and when
the railroad companies draw the lines
too tightly the steamers can do through
business. I know the railroads will fight
| The Dalles marine railway, but it Will
not do any good: it will be built sooner
or later
"How much has been spent by the
government so far In the construction
of the locks?"
"As understand it, about $7,000,0O0'