Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-06-22
DOFCASCADEs
INDIAN TRADITION OF FALL OF
GREAT NATURAL BRIDGE.
Terrible Battle Between Mount Hood
and Mount Adams Brought De-
sTuction to Bridge of
the Gods"

| suuction 10 'bFiuBc OF
| the Gods"
The cascades In the Columbia river
near the Dalles are a 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 i.000.-
600 cubic feet OF water at low water
stage In the river. The water rushes
| and dashes over great rocks and
through crevices and forms many
waterfalls and deep. swirling pools.
From the topography OF the. adjacent
country the scientist judges that at
one time there was here either a won
dertul waterfall or. as Indian legend
has II. an immense natural bridge.
Let us follow out the Indian tradl-
;lon about the place. says WIlhelmn's 8
Magazine.
Indian lore has II that at this point
there was natural bridge across the
Columbia and that beneath this i'm
mcnse natural archway flowed the
rolling river and that the redmen nav
iGnted this water way In their ca
noes, This bridge was covered with
pines and frs and trail passed over
II leading from bank To bank. The
name OF this trail was In the Indian
language "Tomnnowns." which means
bridge OF the gods" As the Indians
have no written language. this history
has been handed down by word OF
mouth from one generation to ano her
for hundreds and hundreds Of years
until the present day.
An old Indian who once lived u1oa
the banks OF the Columbia relates that
when he was n very young boy his
grandfather called him to n secluded
spot one day and In most impFcss We
manner told him the legend OF the
cascades. Said this aged Indian:
My grandfnthcr'S father said that
when he was n little boy thcF. was n
bridge across the river one sleep from
KlickItat Tan Indian village near
where the naIlcs IL nowl and that he
sat upon the rocks 900 feet above the
present river and hshcd In Htill water
the Hsh there were plcnty.'
The -KlIckiiat Indians have tho
story among the legends OF their
tribe that at one timc there was
aged KlickI,nt once said and main
iaincd with all gravity: My grand
fathers mother padded a canoe under
that bridge: II was dark for vc=y
long time: she had little 10y with
her who was much frightened: this
hoy when he grew up often told OF that
great. long. dark. very dark way far
under the ground
Other Indians tell the story that at
one time many moons ago the great
mountains now called Mount Hood
and Mount Adams made a terrible
battle and fought dcspcratcly-Ho dcs-
pcTatcly that the earth shook and
trcmblcd-and In the fight that the
mountains were set afirc and n great
lake which lay In tho depression
above the bridge was drained: that
the bridge was torn down and the Gu.
tire character OF the country changed.
This immense battle no doubt was
m carthquaLc and tho firc to the In.
dians' mind was volcanic action Of
these two mountains wherein vast
quantities of molten lava were spcw"d
out and destroyed the forests upon
the bridge with It's forest OF trccss was
destroyed and tho banks OF the river
cavcd in. which accounts for the many
dead tree trunks which strcw the river
he'd from tho little town OF Mosier.
Ore. TO the Cascade Locks. which, al.
though submerged. still stand "a Il
were like Eravcstoncs telling the tale
Of n dead and forgotten past.
The two mountains. which are the
pride of the region. are OF volcanic
origin. The broken mountain range
upon each side OF the river shows
plainly that such condition could
have and must have existed at one
time. The detached rocks broken
from the precipitous banks and the
canyon sides upon each side of the
river bear out this theory. The old
water line marked plainly upon the
rocky sides of the prccipitous banks
tell the story OF water levels above
that of the present day. a bridge
ncross the Columbia OF earth. rock
and trees did Mt one time exist. The
time OF its existence. however. is about
as possible OF determination as the
| date of the garden OF Eden. Very like.
ly 5000 or G.OOO years have elapsed
since men crossed over upon that
natural bridge and as many since It
fell in ruins to make an impossible
barrier for navigation. but It did sure
| ~ exist and the locality of its exist
rnce is an interesting and delightful
place to visit.