The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-06
awHERr ROLLS THE oREaOH.U
Wondered Significance OF the Opening Of
the Cascade Lock-.


wonderful Significance OF the Opening Of
tho Cascade Locks.
New York Mall and Express: The for
NAL opening, a fewe weeks ago, of the
Cascade locks in the Columbia river was
an event which the Portland oregonIan
may well be excused for celebrating with
such exuberance of JOY and profuseness
OF coiored ink. This great public i'm
provement, begun as long ago as the
year 1880 has just been finished, and
gives $50 miles OF continuous and deep
water navigation on the Columbia be-
tween the ucean and the Dalles. The
Cascade Rapids, seventy-ttve miles
above Portland, have always been an In
superabie barrier TO navigation. Since
1888 Congress has been liberal in rs ap-
preparations for the Improvement OF the
Columbia for navigation, and the FIRST
step IN that direction Is the completion
OF this splendid system OF locks at the
Cascades, which lifts ascending com
merce around the rocky and tumultous
rapids which have hitherto placed the
head OF navigation on the Columbia
few miles above the mouth Of the VIII
iamette.
With the exception OF the father Of
waters" himself there Is not in North
America another river so vast, or so I'M
portant TO commerce, as Bryants roll
ing Oregon" OF which, however, the poet
had probably no adequate conception
when he wrote "Thanatcpsls. over
1000 miles inland the Columbia mas
depth enough to float an ocean steamer
The removal Of one more obstruction
the rapids at the Dalles-will open to
navigation 1850 miles Of navigable
waters in the Columbia and its tributar-
les. The Columbia drains fully 100000
square miles, an area four times as large
as New England. Between the great
Finland empire" of four rich states and
the sea there now remains ony the
stretch OF eight miles OF rapids at the
Dalles, and around this obstructtop the
government Is building ship railway.
Within few years the northwestern
metropolis will be celebrating another
Opening" and the commerce OF the
majestic river will then go from the Ioot-
hills OF the RoclleS "unvexed to the
sea-"
Another great government work, COM
pieted almost simultaneously with the
Cascade locks, and destined 20 afeot al
most as intimately the commercial IN
terests OF Portland, Is the great tetty e%-
tending out from Point Adams, at the
mouth OF the Columbia This jetty, the
longest In the world. thrusts Itself boldly
out nearly five miles into the Pacific. II
Is fifteen feet wide on top, and is con-
structed OF rocks, held In place by pies
It closes up the 5outhernly channel OF the
river, and the current, thus conhned,
keeps open a deep and natural gateway
to the sea, besides providing safe fresh
water harbor. The largest vessels atioat
may now enter the Columbia and moor
at the docka OF Portland, 100 miles from
the sea.
More distlncdvely than any Of the
cities OF the northwest, Portland has
moved forward steadily and conserVa-
lively TO It's present commercial suprem-
aey. Unaffected by blooms" II has es-
capped, in large degree. the baclSsets sur
fercd by the boom" cities. And the
Columbia river is the artery of Its Ines
blood.