Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-05-11
CANAL PLAN APPROVED.
Construction Will Begin as Major
Langftt Proposes.

ably commence in June. General Mac
kenzie, chief of army engineers. today
app owed Major Langfitt's plan for start
work on the upper end. lie also
8 omitted 10 the Attorney General title
10 the right of way which the StAte OF
Oregon has presented to the Govern
ment. The abstract Of title having been
previously examined and approved, It
is presumed the title will be found satls-
factory and accepted The law antho =
izing construction of the canal stipulates
that no work shall be done until title to
the right of way and release from
damage has been conveyed to the
United States free of cost.
If the Attorney Gen raj acts promp'-
ly and accepts title, instructions will be
sent to Major Langfitt to advertise for
bids for the work which he outlines IN
his project. In neral terms Major
Langftt's 8 an CO ms to lie neral
plan laid down by the board which
drew up the caoai project. He, how
ever, found 1t necessary to make an i'm
portant change. The original plan
located the first lock at the upper en-
1ance. When soundlngs were made,
il was found that it would b. impossible
20 get rock foundation for heavy
lock at that point, SO the lock has been
located 1899 feet own the cana! AID TIE
entrance will be guarded by flood ;otes
not contemplated in The original plans.
Thee ga es will be used in time o high
water to Keep the sediment brought
down by the i!ver fem entering and
obstructing the canal.
Untl bids are received it il, not known
inst how much prOg'e ess can be ma e
with the fu d. available. There is now
on hand $l55 l76 lemainug from the
old boat railway appropriation, and the
las sion Of Congress appropriated
$50 600 cash 4Gd aut, otized cont. acts
$50 900 additional, making a total OF
s45S 176 with which TO begin work.
Sajor LangfitL's plan contemplates the
axpe, dituca OF only about 1915 900 Of
his amount, he deemiog it expedent
o have some reserve until fu! !ther ap-
ropri ton is made. In his letter ex
laininy his plan, Major Lapgftt says:
1T is necessary t, beg cons ruction
t the canal at tie upper or Cello end,
0 that when the drifting sand stretch
Ginning mi and a quarter below
'elilo is reached, va er may be brought
hr2ug the p rtiaily ffie he'd caral for
Sc in engines for ne king concrete and
Or CO -o.ling sand by irrigation, set
ing out W flows d sand-binding
rasses."
The ork cor EN- plated is the excav&-
iol Of the rtCk site near Cello; the
,uiIding OF he fist look, except the
ates and mancuve.ing machinery, and
he excavation. u the canal to a po,nt
800 feet below the entrance the build
ng OF the necessary wal s; flooring the
anal where it runs through gravel
nakieg hack fills behind walls, and 10
eneral completing the canal, except
he ent ance. for di tanca of 250O or
900 feet at and just below Cello. A
mali cut controlled by a temporary
ate viii let water into The canal.
Practically all work will be done under
ontract in acc 2rdance with the require
nent of Co gress.
If satisfactory progress is made with ,
be work on the upper end and in a
ordance with Major Langfti's plan, it {
presumed that Congress will be gen I
rous in appropriat;ng money to COM '
'ete the canal. ULtii the canal is {
nishcd, the money appropriated for G
ok returns no benefit to the Govern g
lent or to the people dependent upon {
ater transportation, and this is recog- {.
lied as powerful argument in favor =
large lump appropriation next ses- s
IN to complete the work. Construc- G