Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-11-28
CELLO CANAL
GREAT STRUCTURE
ONE OF GREATEST MODERN EN-.
CHEERING FEATS IS PLAN
NED TO CONNECT INLAND EN-
PRE- WITH SEABOARD.


one of the two formidable obstacles
to navigation on the Columbia river,
in building the locks at the Cascades
may be said to have committed it.
self to the securing of a channel
available to navigation throughout
this system Of inland waterways.
The government has commenced
the canals at Cello and it is prob
able that it will! be completed in
four years. says The Dalles Chroni-
Gle. Most formidable distractions
We're made by formidable formations
c. lilo and the dalles of the Column
bia.
In the course of nine miles the riv-
g, passes over falls and rapids and
through a narrow channel As yards
Yards wide that completely block nav
igation. The fall in this dis .ance is
81 feet Major McIndoo scrutinized
this narrow channel Saturday, while
on the way to Cello. Here all the
waters from half million square
miles of earth are crowded into oil
crack as yards wide.
AS one approaches the edge and
peers over he sees the swirling, ed
diving water, boiling aggitatedly
! through the narrow trough. The
sobbing, soughing noise. as the wa
| ter forces its way through sounds
as though some soul were lost in
the valley of despair. There is. at
high water. a dismal groaning here
as though the time worn rocks be-
low. were rubbing their sides togesh-
the rushing river.
! Lewis and Clark on their memoir
able trip to the unknown West. bold
~ steered their boats through this
witches" cauldron but when emil
grants were coming to Oregon some
wears later some OF them ATTEMPTED
to make the run through the dalles
and lost their lives in so doing.
Work has hardly begun on the ca
nal as to distance, for in the three
years consumed In its construction
but a little over three Fights of a
mile has been exctvated and cement
ed. The contractors hope by the end
Of the working season to have com
pleted their contract which will rep
resent an outlay OF $4,000.
1 Great delay in the work has been
experienced because of the annual
high water that precludes all work
during that time.
II A portion Of the canal is now prac
tically completed, having the fioor
laid of concrete. Woykmen are A.
ling the river side with rock taken
from the excavation between I. N
Taft's residence and the river.
. The lower part of the canal will
cover eight and one-half miles at 9
cost of about $4,000.000. and will
be constructed under continuous
contract Congress will appropriate
funds sufficient to pay for the work
as it progresses. At present thu
government is asked to appropriate
: 100000 for work on the canal
ii Many teams are employed in re-
moving the surface sand on the Smith
g. Jones contract, but horses viii
, soon be discarded, and the steam
shovels which are now on the grount
, will replace them and accomplish
, greater results.
This part of the canal will have
; tC be constructed through solid ba
salt after the sand surface is re
moved. There appears to have beel
, a lava NOW all along this part o
q the survey. The plans Of the cana
show that portions of the waterwa!
will be almost a half mile from tn
: river. In order to eQualize the pres
, sure Of the water from the QUITE
' walls. sluice ways will be bull
!, around the locks 30 that the pressur
: Oh the inside will equal that on tn
outside where the river woul
touch.
The contract of Smith & Jone
J, will include one lock and q tunne
which has been completed for go
feet. The height of the cement wal
is 80 feet, three feet wide at the to
), and 16 feet wide at the bottom.
IS In some places the floor Of the ca
d nal was weak. caused by pourous
J, ness Of the soil and in those place
cement 10 inches deep has been lai
over to keep the floor from bulgin
e with pressure or rise OF waite
When the canal has been complete
it will have four locks
) The secretary Of war cOntditione
the beginning of the work on tn
United States securing the right {
]. way free and the state Of OregO
purchased the right of way at
I cost of $4,000 and conveyed II
e the United States.