The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-02-22
Tinles- Manntaitleer.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY p, 1895.
soMErHING is WRONG.

When the contract was let for the
construction and completion OF the
canal and locks at the Cascades, it was
the universal belief, in fact it was
promised, that they would be opened
in 1895; but the high water OF 1894
necessitated change in the plans OF
the work, and to comply with the new
plans, the date for the final completion
was extended to March l, 1895. But
now we are confronted with the infor-
nation that, even If the canal is opened
for the passage of boat on March 1st,
which is not probable, the gates will
at once be closed, and that they will
not again be opened for operation until
another appropriation can be worked
through congress to build walls be-
tween the first and second locks.
To say that this is disappointing to
those who have for years looked for
ward to. the time when we should have
an open river to the sea, as an era of
prosperity to the Inland Empire, as
time when Eastern Oregon could util-
ize the great waterway for floating her
products to market, is putting it mildly
indeed. The people are not only dis
appointed, but they are lead to believe
that there is something decidedly
wrong somewhere; that either the gov
ernment engineers who prepared the
plans and specifications when the con-
tract was let were set of incompetent
ninnies, or that undue influence is
somewhere brought to bear upon the
engineers now in charge of the works.
The engineer. who prepared the |
plans on which the contract was award |
ed considered the natural walls be-
tween the first. and second locks suffi-
cient to withstand the force of the
water when the locks should be oper-
ated. and made no provision for having |
them protected by solid masonry or
other artificial walls; but now the
engineers in charge condemn them as
being unsafe, and insist that they shall
be protected before the canal is opened
for traffic, necessitating an appropria-
tion variously estimated from SO, 900
TO s400. 900.
If this proposition is true, why have
not those learned engineers discovered
the fact years ago, so that provision
could have been made for this extra
work while the other work was in
progress? Those banks of dirt, as
they call them, have been exposed to
view for years, why, then,f have the
engineers been so long discovering
that they would not Withstand the
waves? Why have they waited until
the other work is nearing completion
before they ask for further money
with which to complete that particular
part of the canal?
The casual observer would naturally
infer that the engineers have had an
object in retarding the work. What
this object may be, if there is any, we
do not pretend to say; but we do be-
lieve that under the state of affairs
that now exist, the people would be
justified in insisting that the war de-
partment cause an immediate investi-
CATION to be made, and ascertain If
some of the engineers are not working
in the interest of some one else than
the government and the people. Bet
ter stall, practical test of the locks
should be made as soon as the channels
leading to the canal are opened and
the machinery for operating the gates
is in place. The passage of a few boats
through the canal can do but little if
any damage. If dozen boats do no
damage to those unprotected walls.
then it would be safe to open the canal
for general traffic. If, however, they
should suffer material damage from
the effects of the water, that will be
abundant time to condemn the work,
and order the canal closed for repairs.
The opinion, or rather the skill of
the engineers who prepared the plans
on which the contract was let, is cer-
tainly worth something, and it is but
right thai the work when completed in
accordance with those plans, be given
a test. Nothing short of practical
test will satisfy the people that the
engineers are honest in condemning
that portion of the work that is claimed
to be unsafe