The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-11-07

l I
Eastern Oregon. Il marks tho de-!
when the key which has held the con
merce of the Inland Empire is throw
into the great Columbia. This nobl
water way, the nasural outlet to con
merce, is now open to free and unrs
stricted navigation. and the fleets {
the world can float upon its broa
bosom without interruption.
| This great event was duly and az
propriately celebrated, not alono b
the people of the Inland Empire, bu
by representatives from various part
of the state. The celebration in Th
Dalles began at $50 when the Regula
tor cleared from her dock with 800 pee
pie on board, ard q half hour later
special train on the O. r. & N. puller
out with 300 more East Oregonians el
route to the Cascades.
At 1:30 Gov. Lord, in the presepc
OF several hundred people, who has
congregated On the south bank of the
canal, delivered a proclamation an
nouncing the opening of the locks
This was responded to by Capt. w
L. Fisk, chief of the engineer corps
after which Col Day, one of the con
tractors, invited all guests to assem-
BILE on the steamers Marie and Sadie
B, which we're stationed in the lower
basin of the canal, to witness the Off
cial opening of the gates. Several
hundred congregated on those boats
while thousands boarded the steamers
Dailes City, Sarah~Dixorn and Harvest
Queen, that were anchored just below
the lower gate.
At lao the machinery Of the canal
was put in operation, and gradually
the water in the lower basin began to
recede. At 2:l5 the lower basin had
been emptied, and the pondrous gates
began to swing open. This was sig
nal for demonstrations without restric-
tion, and every steam whistle on the
reservation began blowing, the bands
began playing, and the canon on the
Sarah Dixon began belching forth the
glad tidings that the lock was opened.
When the great gates swung apart,
the steamers Marie and Sadie B. and
little launch. the Water Witch, drop
ped down to the entrance of the canal.
and then steamed back to the lock
gate, the Marie taking her position on
the Oregon side, while the other two
vessels crowded closely to the edge OF
the canal on the river side. During
this lemons ration tho Regulator,
which ,s anchored in tho upper buy,
kept up a continuous whistling, an
nouncing to the people above the Cas-
cades that the locks were opened.
The Dalles City, ladeued with peo-
Pile from Eastern Oregon, soon floated
proudly into the lower lock, followed
by the Sarah Dixon and Harvest
Queen, and when they were safely
within the canal, the pig
gates began to close. and promptly aL
2:45 the gates from tho aqueducts were
opened, and the lover bay began filing
with water. Itrequircd just 10 minutes
to fill the lower basin, and while this
was going on the different bands en-
iivened the occasion with patriotic airs
and a quartet from Portland sang
number of well known vocal selections.
ha has llt,
filled. the Sadie B. carrying Gov. Lord,
Senator Mitchell, Congressmarl Her
mann, State Treasurer Metschan and
cf other invited quests,
steamed up into the upper river, FOL
lowed By all the other boats in the
canal. This called forth another voci-
ferrous demonstration both from the
people on board the vessels aud the
thousands who were standing along
the edges of the canal.
Ii was / o'clock wh IN tho last boat
had glided into the placid waters of the
upper river, and none seemed prouder
to get back into those waters than the
Harvest Queen, which was built on
the upper river IL number OF years ago
and taken down over the falls after the
completion ofthe railroad had obviated
its necessity in these waters. On
board this vessel was the Grass Valley
cornet band, which discoursed some
excellent music, aud on board the
Dalles City, was our home band rent
ing the air with sounds OF JOY and glad
tidings.
After the canal and locks had thus
been successfully operated, Day Bros.
threw open their banquet hall, where
the invited guests from Portland, in
Guiding the state officials, Senator
Mitchell, ex-senator Dolph and Con-
gressmen Hermann and Tongue, as
sembled, while The Dalles people en-
barked on the Regulator, Dslles City
and Sarah Dixon, for this place to con.
clude the celebration. The boats
started on their voyage up the river
with the Dixon in the lead. followed by
the DallAs City and Regulator. This
order was main tanned until Mosier was
reached. when the Dixon and Dalles
City fell to the rear, allowing the
to lead the way to the queen
city of the Inland Empire.
The arrival OF the feet at The DaIles,
was announced by the booming of cam
on, shooting of sky rockets and all
other appropriate demonstrations, and
when the Regulator llnded at her
dock, a deafening cheer went up for
the noble vessel, indicating that the |
people Of this vicinity are sill loyal to
the boat that has been such success
full regulator of freights.
The feet of boats and the passengers
they carried were received by the
citizens of The Dalles as royalty as If
they had been harbingers from heaven.
Stationed along the dock we're tho
members OF Co. G. and Jackson Engine
Co. to receive the guests, and line of
march was formed as follows:
1st-Lieut Col. ]. NJ. Patterson COM
manding Third battalion o. N. G.
2d-Dalles Concert Band.
3d-Carriages with reception COM
mittee and invited guests.
4th-Mounted squadron as guard of
honor.