The Ordway new era., 1906-06-22
D0FClsCADts'
INDIAN TRADITION OF FALL OF
a1EAr NATURAL 11IDok
Terrible Battle Between Mount HOOD
and Mount Adams Brought D.
struction to bridge Of
the Gods"

. The cascades In the Columbia river
near the Dalles are 4 very interesting
subject for the geologist and scientist.
: At this point about 100000 CUBIC
feet of water pass each second OF time
: during high water and about s.oVo'-
900 cubic feet of water at low water
stage in the river. The water rushos
and dashes over great rocks ana
through crevices and forms many
waterfalls and deep. swirling pool.
From the topography OF the sdJacen.
country the scientist Judges that
one time there was here either = WI"
derful waterfall or. as Indian 'esehu
has II. an immense natural bridge
To-, rs follow out the Indian tradi'
lion about the place. says "hhe'"u
Magazine.
Indian lore has It that at this point
| there was natural bridge across 'he
Columbia and that beneath this I'M
mepse natural archway flowed the
rolling river and that the redmen nav
igated this water way In their ca
noes. This bridge was covered with
mines and frs and n trail passed over
II leading from bank to bank. Tire
name OF this trail was in the Indian
language 'Tomanowas,' which means
| bridge OF the gods AS the Indians
have no written language. this history
has been handed down by woro OF
mouth from one generation to another
for hundreds and hundreds Of years
| until the present day.
An old Indian who once lived uoon
| the banks of the Columbia relates that
when he was very young boy his
| grandfather called him to a secluded
spot one day and In n most Impressive
manner told him the legend of the
cascades. Said this aged Indian:
My grandfather's father said that
when he was a little boy there was n
bridge across the river one sleep from
Klickitat (an Indian village near
where the Dalles is now) and that he
sat npon the rocks 200 feet above the
present river and fished In still water
the fish there were plenty
The Klickitat Indians have the
story among the legends of their
tribe that at one time there was a
bridge across the Columbia. An
aged Klickitat once said and main
tained with all gravity: MY grand
fathers mother padded a canoe under
that bridge: It was dark for very
long time: she had little tDy with
her who was much frightened: this
boy when he grew up often told OF that
great, long. dark. very dark way far
under the ground"
Other Indians tell the story that n
one time many moons ago the grea
mountains now called Mount Hooc
and Mount Adams made terribl,
battle and fought desperately-so des
perately that the earth shook ant
trembled-and In the fight that th'
mountains were set afire and 4 grea
lake which lay In the depression
above the bridge was drained: tina
the bridge was torn down and the en-
tire character of the country changed
This immense battle no doubt wa
an earthquake and the fire to the In
dians' mind was volcanic action u
these two mountains wherein va,
quantities OF molten lava were spewe'
out and destroyed the forests upol
: the bridge with its forest Of trees wa
} destroyed and the banks OF the rive
caved in, which accounts for the man
dead tree trunks which strew the rive
, bed from the little town Of Mosiei
: Ore. to the Cascade Locks. which. a
though submerged. still stand as
: were like gravestones telling the tai
OF q dead and forgotten past.
The two mountains. which are tn
pride OF the region. are Of volcani
origin. The broken mountain rang
upon each side Of the river show
plainly that such q condition coul
have and must have existed at on
time. The detached rocks broke
from the precipitous banks and tn
canyon sides upon each side Of tn
, river bear out this theory. The ol
water line marked plainly upon tn
rocky sides Of the precipitous bank
: tell the story Of water levels aboy
a that of the present day. A brids
I across the Columbia Of earth, roc
and trees did at one time exist. Tt
!. time of its existence. however. is abo,
as possible Of determination as I'll
d date Of the garden Of Eden. Very lik
s ly 5000 or 5000 years have elapse
l. since men crossed over upon tn;
natural bridge and as many since
|. fell in ruins to make an impassib
9 barrier for navigation, but It did sur
h ly exist and the locality Of its exis
d ence is an interesting and delightf
= place to visit.