The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-02-18

Columbia River railroad, now under con
struction, to be laid with the heavies
steel rails of any road west OF the Rocky
mountains. will bring the productions o.
the interior alongside the ship, and in two
hours after her cargo Is completed SHE
can be in the offing bound for her desti
nation.
The Government Jetty.
The jetty deserves more than a casua
notice No government work in tni,
country has been more successful. NOR,
beneficial or more effectual Outside tn,
scientific world II is probably little known
and Its success less. The jetty at tn,
mouth of the Mississippi was built b,
Captain Eads into the Gulf of Mexico
the jetty at the mouth of the Columbis
was built by the United States govern
ment five miles into the Pacific ocean
The debris carried out by its contracted
current does not drop within the 10O-fath
ON line. but Is carried away by the ocear
current and deposited at such distance
from the mouth as to preclude the posi-
bility of impairing its effectiveness. al
seems to be the danger at the mouth o
the Mississippi. The following quotation
is from graphically written article pub
lished In the Scientific American, Jan
uary n, 1894, entitled, The Longest JettS
in the World"
"At the mouth of the Columbia river
the United States is building what Wi
be the longest lefty ever constructed. ii
will also enjoy the distinction of being
one of the very few public works whose
ultimate total cost falls short of The
original estimates The Columbia Is by
far the largest river west of the Rockies
being considerably over 1000 miles il
length. At its mouth is splendid har.
Dor capable of sheltering with safety the
largest vessels afloat. 1t is the only safe
harbor between San Francisco, 700 miles
to the south, and the straits of San Juan
a lac n tA h.
| United States government. recognizing
the value of this harbor to our commerce
| both present and future, sent competent
| engineers to survey the harbor and pre-
sent plan to form permanent and deep
water channel. The plans that were final
ly adopted were for the jetty from Point
| Adams, on the south side, out into the
seething waters for between four and 1--we
miles, to be constructed of basaltic rock
or lava. This 1t was predicted would en-
| trely close up the south channel and pre-
sent firm break to catch the sands that
would otherwise form the shifting bar
| In the north or main channel That eff
fected, the powerful current of the vast
body Of water which flows into the Pa
clhc, would keep open natural or per-
manent gateway into the harbor. On the
south side of the jetty where formerly
there was water from to 20 feet in depth
Is now over 5000 acres of dry land. formed
ocean vessels sail without aid through
the main channel and anchor In the har-
Dor. The jetty Is over four miles long.
10 feet Wide at the top and built up TO
high water mark. Over G000 piles were
driven in the space covered by the lefty
the piles being forced down by a huge
hydraulic piledriver. and 100000 tons OF
rock have been used In the construction.
A model OF the jetty, representing 400 feet
OF Its length, was exhibited in the gov
| eminent building at the worlds fair. and
| attracted the favorable comment of both
home and foreign engineers who inspect
| ed It,"
Such Is the history of the Columbia riv-
err Jetty began in 1884 and finished In 1895
and Its effect upon the entrace is wonder.
| Iul, because of the physical change which
mas been wrought. Its effect upon the
commerce OF the world will be as won
uer1ul because of the safe entrance to
the only fresh water harbor on the Pa
| c1c coast.
| In this fresh water, the teredo, so de-
structive to pllng in the bay of San Fran
cisco and In all of the harbors on Puget
sound, has never been found. The an
| chorage ground Is good and spacious.
having an area of 5000 to 1000 acres. ac-
cording to the report of a government
engineer.
The Railroad.
Inc Columbia River railroad Is now
Astoria with Portland The steel rails
recently landed from the ships Chelms-
FORD and Fulwood. are stored on the ter
minal grounds at Flavel. and as soon as
the grade Is ready will be distributed
along the line
This great fresh water harbor will be
connected with the four transcontinental
lines of the Pacific northwest. and will he
the port to which will converge all ont
bound tonnage. This will bring the wheat
from the willamette valley and the great
inland Empire and lay 1t down by rhe
sac OF the forelgn-bound ships or at the
doors of the Touring mills
An elegant hotel with all modern i'm
provements. has been erected at Flavel
on beautiful and commanding location.
with view east and west on the broad
Columbia
a railroad VIII soon be built into the
Nehalem valley. a distance of only IL
mics, from the present terminus of the
Seashore branch, which will open IN the
nnest timber region in Oregon and de-
Velop the coal veins. which by ANALYSIS
are equal to any yet found on this coast
saw mills VIII be established here to con-
vert TINS immense timber into lumber to
De shipped to Africa. Australia and all
the ports of this hemisphere.
me mouth OF the Columbia Is a point
Whicn VIII attract the attention of can
ital more than any other on This coast
because 1t has everything substantial To
insure successful investment. No point
IN the United States has better advan
ages poth natural and artificial Among
an It's natural advantages. which are
many, the greatest is the vast and incon
parably fertile country tributary to f.
me essential requisite for the permanent
growth of the seaport
The Columbia and its tributar,as ara
the natural waterways to the seaboard
ana furnish the gateway aha FIJI pasa an |
anu FURNISH the gravity route, the easiest |
inu pest way for the railroads by water |
leVei grades to reach the mouth of tha |
Soiunnoia. Here ocean transportation |
awaits the railroad; cold logic points the |
result busy mart the natural EXCHANGE
point from car to steamer. from rail 70
san. Take the map of the world and
where land travel meets the water there
mas grown city. New York is the near
est city on the Atlantic seaboard 10 tho
oosan' ana the greatest port Its export
commerce, gathered from the entire
country extending to the summit Of tho
nocky mountains. moves by rain along
the cnain OF lakes. the Mohawk valley
ana hudson river. eastward to this sea-
board and by water to the old world
ne same Is true of the cities along the
great lakes, Buffalo, Cleveland Cbicago
west Superior and Duluth. These c,tIss
srew because the railroads found them 10
,e me most convenient point to exchange
rom iand travel to water, and vice versa
rom the Rocky mountains westward
IL not sound reasoning that ali the
',unimoaities originating in this vast ter
,,et BOUND oceanwards will follow the
water level, the gravity route TO tba go {
Il the mouth of the Columbia river. into
nat haroor OF harbors naturally perfect .
snere winter or summer, without risk or
eiay either from ice or floods. winds !
,ues or storms. ships may load or dis !
nasse uirect to or from the cars? The $
re not therefore to be considered Nea /
ork on the Atlantic seaboard commands l.
lore than one-half of the foreign com t
ielce originating east of the Rocky e
louhtains. Does 1t require an inspiratlon "