The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03
THE COLUMBIA OPENED.
Completion Of the Cascade Locks
Gives Vast Territory a Broad
Inland Waterman

washington Tor on ta3f cay. Win ASrTc-
pirate ceremonies. the Cascade locks On
the Columbia were opened and the large
steamers assembled the Columbia beyond
that point. This great government work
had been irtermtttentsy IN progress for
twenty years. and the appropriations given
out BY congress sor the work during 81
these years amount 20 ABOUT .gss,ee1-
Even now the locks. although open 20 trait
fc are rot fully com pet 81 and mcdiaca-
lions ard improvements s-e IL pTczress
that viii cost another large sum. These
are found 20 he nscsssary 70 enable beats
to ascend the river al al times OF the year.
The lock IS 80 sest long. 80 fees wide.
and has a lift Of ~ feet. Il was calculated
30 DC available fer vessels az all stages q
the river up TO twenty feet above low
water mark. and the general design per-
rnltted the passage o. boats - fee; above
low water mark should further needs re-
Guire e. 1t was afteTward found. after
the improvements below the cascades. that
steamers could ascend 70 the mouth Of the
canal az much higher stages, than was
contemplated. snd therefore notifications
are necessary 70 make the cansl passable
a. all the high stages OF the river during
which the canal can be reached. These
notifications provide for adding six feet
10 the height OF The banks and side walls:
the CONSTRUCTION OF a protection wall on
the outside OF the river bank OF the canal
.
ing the hrst. by constructing suitable
walls between the upper lock gate and the
INNER guard gate. These are 70 cost about
s5a.ooo. The. high water OF 1894 showed
that without this second lock there would
be an average or three months each year
when the canal would not We available
for navigation. although during a good
f portion OF this period steamers could as
cend the lower rapids. Much other work
yet remains to be done at the locks.
History of the Work.
/ The first surveys 81 the Cascades were
+ made in 1s74 by Robert a. Habersham,
now United States surveyor general Of
Oregon, and In the following year the pro-
ject OF constructing locks was brought
before congress. In 1876 congress appro-
priated $4,000 for the purpose OF build
Ing canal around the cascades" That
winter the surveys for this canal were be-
gun. and in the following February a full
report. with chart OF the proposed canal.
the work OF the government engineers.
was laid before congress. This plan called
for canal 200 feet long. including 5000
feet OF crib work breakwater: width in
the cutting at the surface AT low water.
IS feet: depth at low water S feet.
The rest of the plan was as follows:
THE fall at low water. e feet. will be
overcome by two locks. These locks will
be $50 feet long. 46 feet wide. with a depth
OF eight feet on the miter sill at dead low
water. There VIII be a guard gate AT the
upper end OF the canal which will be
closed when repairs are necessary or large
quantities OF drift running, or in case OF
extreme high water"
This plan was laid before the board OF
engineers OF the Pacific coast. and the
board made a careful examination OF the
site in June. 1877. Its report altered some
OF the details. making the locks SEQ. In
n ~ n
suit the boats that were likely TO run on
the river and use the locks. The guard
and first lock gates were 10 be "a feet high,
and the middle gates IS feet. The upper
lock walls were 10 be IS feet. and the low
er y feet high.
The First Contract Let.
The first contract. which was for exca-
walton. was awarded TO Bau & Pratt. of
New York. in 1878. but before the work
was proceeded with II was thought add
visable to improve the low water navisa-
ton below the Cascades. Then, In 1850.
the project for the locks was again modi-
fed to provide for a navigation from low
water to a stage twenty feet. above, and
then 1t was decided to construct a single
lock 462 feet long. 90 feet wide. lift "a feet.
and gates 70 feet wide. canal prism 10 be
5000 feet long. % feet wide at the bottom
and feet deep. Upon this modified plan
work was actually begun in 1881.
BY 1855 the government had spent 81, $780,
900 upon these works. when the lock pro-
ject was again referred 10 board OF en-
gineers, which directed that provisions be
made only for navigation up to 20-foot
stage above low water. which, 1t was
thought, would give ali-the-year-roun
navigation. The width OF the canal was
increased TO $50 feet above the locks. and
to 40 feet below them.
The work proceeded until 1892, when
congress decided TO put the locks under
the contract system, and J. G. &c /. N
Day. OF San Francisco. were awarded the
contract. They began work in February
1893. and accomplished more In three
years and nine months than the govern
ment did in the eighteen years succeeding
the first survey. In March or the fol-
lowing year the locks were submerged.
and this showed the necessity Of giving
10 the top OF the work an additional
height, and ii was July before the waters
had sufficiently subsidized 20 permit OF the
locks being pumped out. After this there
was no serious interruption OF the work.
A Beneft to Washington.
The opening of the Columbia TO naviga-
ton by these locks Is an event that or
sets bsnehcially a good part OF the whole
state OF Washington. as II gives to tho
farmers and mine owners and all shippers
an alternate route by which they can
pendence on the railroad. For the Column
bia river never leaves the state after the
meanderinss about Its source in British
Columbia. and II has. with its tributaries.
no less than 1.759 miles o, naviTsble water
The Columbia deserves TO be counted
among the wonderful rivers OF the world
for many reasons beside that OF its size
and length. Not content. like most rivers.
with skirting one slope OF a mountain
range and then crossing the plain 70 the
ocean. the Columbia draws u, supply by
its vast network OF tributaries from both
slopes OF the Rockies both slopes Of the
Gold range both slopes ~ the Blue noun
taiRs, both slopes OF the Cascades. and
from the Coast range. And flowing
through q country that Is a mass 81 noun
tains u seems 70 have departed from the
natural order and declined the course Of
least force against the mountains. and cut
a passage way according 70 whim. one
may say. for want OF better figure In
two notable instances II has refused 10
bs restrained BY natural barriers. and has
burst through them-in the western spur
OF the Rockies and in the Cascade range.
The Great Rivers Course
This great Washington river rise, in
the lOSlands OF the Kootenai district ~
British Columbia. between the Rockies
and the 5eikirks. having It's sources I'm two
small lakes. ard therefore being uayiya-
bl. 10 II. fountain head. IL Vows north
westward 10 the Selklrks and forces a
passageysy through that range then
turns abruptly southwark between the gel
kinks and the Gold range After leaving
Revelstcke. II broadens into the two beau