The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-05-14
COURT RECEIVES
ROAD ESTIMATES
TOTAL COST REACHES 5000, 1886. 70
Columbia Highway May be Opened for
$4,000, Says BOwlby-LOCating
Engineer Makes Report

.
This does not include hard surfacing,
ard to the sum must be added Sl4,-
l30. 81 for engineering. Mr.. Bowlby
reports that q. b. Richmond, right Of
way agent, has secured rights of way
IN the name of the county through nine
tracts Of land belonging to private in
dividuals. Mr.. Richmond has made il
possible to secure proper rights of way
through all property along the route,
except such as will have to be acquired
by condemnation.
A passable road is already construct
ed through the county except for a
stretch lying between Cascade Locks
and the Multnomah county line and be-
tween Wyeth and VientO. While the
estimates of the report place the open
ing of these stretches at SS3. SS3. u,
MIR. Bowlby says that they are very
conservative and that he thinks the
way may be opened for through traffic
for maximum sum of $40, 900.
The estimates include two concrete
bridges, each a span of 80 feet, the
cost Of which will be $1,000. Two 100
feet span steel bridges are named, the
total cost of which will he $1,000.
Three tunnels will cost $26, ,235.
The report of Locating Engineer El.
lott, which is included in the Mr..
Bowlby's report, states that the work
done around Shell Rock mountain by
convict labor year before last will all
have to be torn away and reconstruct
ed. A large portion of the walls built
by the conVcits fell down last winter.
However, MIR. Bowlby is of the opinion
that portion of the work may be nsed
temporarily in opening up a passsble
through route.
"1he O.-W. K, q N. Co. last year
postponed dealings with the county as
to rights of way along their track until
we had received blue print showing
the route of the state survey" says
County Judge Stanton. 81 have re-
ceived this blue print along with En-
gineer Bowlby's report, and written
the railway officials asking them to
meet us here at a conference as soon as
possible.
The report Of Locating Engineer
Elliott, a portion of (which follows.
contains interesting data:
"Hhe Columbia highway through
Hood River county passes along the
scenic Columbia for a distance of %
miles as surveyed. This survey ex-
tends from the Multnomah county lire.
the summit of the Cascade mountains,
two miles west of Cascade Locks, to
the city limits of Hood River.
'For practically the entire length of
the line the Columbia river is visible
from the road. passing through a rug
ged and most broken country. For
several miles it passes along the base
rock of mountains, whose visible sum.
NIT is 2, 600 feet above. Following the
river and always on the south side Of
the Oregon-W ashington Railroad &
Navigation Company S tracks, at points
it passes at the toe of shellrock slides
formed by centuries of weathering,
until they extend into one uniform slope
for several hundred feet above the
road. Again the road passes at the feet
of many beautiful waterfalls, the water
breaking over the rock ledge high
above the road level.
Climbing on an easy grade for some
distance, the road suddenly follows the
face of a rocky cliff, to be supported
on marches, walls and concrete columns
above the railroad and Columbia river,
punges through solid rock wall, for
a short distance using the open tunnel
idea as used in Switzerland along Lake
Lucerne, followed by a tunnel about
300 feet long. Emerging from the tun-
mel it follows on steady rising grade
past several beautiful apple orchards,
up over large boulders. and out to the
edge of rock cliff 200 feet above the
railroad with an unobstructed view of
the Columbia river for miles up and
down stream, back again along the
and at the toe of other smaller
cliffs climbing another hundred feet
until it is on the fiat and the great
Hood River valley, with its undulating
orchards, is spread out to the south.
lhe Columbia river three hundred feet
below and the broken hills on the
Washington side make up the view on
the north
There exist in many places sections
of the old Oregon state or military
road built about 1860. This road was
built on a heavy grade and about IL
feet wide, and was the only means @
land travel in and out of this section
for years. The railroad built through
this section in 1880, taking, according
to old settlers, portions of the old
wagon road for their road bed. In 1894
the Columbia river reached the highest
mark on record This high water
washed out considerable of the railroad
west of Cascade Locks, and the COM
pany was compelled to move back into
the hill. Following this high water
the hills on both sides of the river be-
gan to slide, and the mountain sides to
settle, causing sinks and lakes. One
Of these lakes developed about a mile
west Of Cascade Locks, causing the
railroad company considerable trouble
and great expense in maintaining its |
roadbed. In the bed of the Columbia |
river at this section the formation re-
sembles soapst0ne in appearance, being |
very smooth, and the most reasonable |
theory seems to be that the water |
from this lake seeps down to this |
smooth formation, and then in small |
underground streams flows out into the |
river, washing out the soil above and |
causing the ground to settle. For
many years tuC IdilIudu CUtHp pduy was /
troubled here continually by slides,
them to move back into the |
lill, until little of the old wagon road |
from Cascade Locks to the Multnomah |
county line exists at the present time.
This section is now broken by sinks
and slides until it is now a rough piece
If country. In 1905 the railroad com
1any put in cut and drained this lake |
vest of Cascade Locks, and in so doing
las apparently removed the trouble. |
Now very little difficulty exists, where.
rs until three years ago a gravel train |
vas busy here most of the time. The |
survey of the highway touches these
ilides at but two points, and these are
Tot at all dangerous.
"The construction of this road will |