The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-06-24
SHORT STRETCH
VERY EXPENSIVE
THIRD OF MILECOST NEARLY $4,000
Mitchell'S Point Portion Of Columbia
Highway Built Differently from Any
Other Road in the World

Unless construction work begun b.
/ the state Of New York State Highway
Commission around Cloud mountain on
the Hudson costs more. the Mitchell
/ Point section of the Columbia highway
will be the most expensive wagon and
automobile road in the United States.
This quarters of a mile of new
road, being built by the Standifer-
Clarkson Co., of Portland, under the
supervision of the State Highway Com
mission of Oregon, will cost $50, 900.
However, except for third of mile
this work is ordinary filling. The re-
naming third mile comprises the gi-
gantic task, that when completed. will
make the Mitchell Point section of the
road the most noted in the mountainous
districts Of the Pacific coast, or the
world.
Engineers declare that no other high
way in the world has ever been con-
structed just as the third of a mile
around Mitchell Point. For several
hundred feet the road passes through
tunnel cut in solid rock. In the side
overlooking the Columbia five big win
dows, "peepholes, have been cut, Civ
ing light for the subterranean passage
and making IL possible to secure an
effective view Of the Columbia, 100 feet
almost directly beneath the roadway,
which seems TO jut out over the base OF
the cliff at this point. The Axenstrasse
of Switzerland, about which so much
has tbeen written, is of similar con-
struction. But in the case of the latter
road, instead of holes having been cut,
the. side windows are more like SER
les OF arches or arcades, and have been
built up, the road having been merely
cut into the side of the mountain. The
walls of these windows at Mitchell
Point are of the rough stone. No con-
crete has been needed to hold them in
place. They are 10 feet thick in
| places.
Unless the motorist passing through
the tunnel gets down from his machine
and peers over the edge of the window
base it will seem to him that he is
above the Columbias waters. A kodak
picture taken by q. A. Pfaff. member
OF the engineering gang which has been
at work on the road. shows this illu-
sion. The Bailey Gatzert, Of the Regu-
lator line, was just opposite the win
dow at which the yuun: engineer was
stationed, the light was just right. and
the photograph resulting is reamrka-
| BILE one.
Mitchell Point is huge formation of
basalt and lava rock, and through il
run several seams of peculiar, hard
coal. The Standifer-Clarkson crews
crussed three foot seam in their exca-
walton work. In appearance the coal
is very similar to the Pennsylvania an
thracite, but its burning qualities are
poor. In reality there are two points,
Little Mitchell's and Big Mitchell's. as
they have become known TO those who
reside near the gigantic crags. The
small point rises to height of from
300 to 400 feet just above the rivers
edge and the O.-W. RE- N. Company's
tracks. From its topmost jagged point
ii slopes gently back to the base Of the
larger crag, and through this pass the
old state highway, over which motor
cars must travel until the tunnel is
curves and up grades impossible except
to high powered machines.
The second and larger formation rises
to an altitude of more than 1000 feet.
II extends back in gentle slope to the
range of mountains that form the west
barrier of the Hood River valley. The
ridge of Big Mitchel's is sharp edged.
The mountaneer who dares an ascent
of it must crawl on hands and knees to
reach the summit. at the very point.
and the topmost points of both these
peculiar crags Of the Cascades jut out
over their bases.
ITO be continued)