American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-04-29


the world surpasses the dalles, yet 1
has always formed an obstacle Z,
transportation and progress in one o
the most fertile valleys of America.
"Where Rolls the Oregon
Think of a basin with an area q
} 100000 square miles. Then think Of
n principal drain FOR this vas,
watershed. 400 miles in length, rjs.
ing on the western slope OF the Ca.
madam rockies and emptying finally
into the Pacific ocean. Think of this
drain having a flow of from 1O0, OOC
cubic feet a second at a low stage to
100000 cubic feet a second at its
flood tide. Think of the great tribu-
taries that feed it on its journey down
the mountains. think of il bounding
over waterfalls, roaring over cascades,
surging and frothing through can
yons, boiling through chasms, length
ening and widening at times into
stretches of placid river and lake
Al you begin to form an int.llicent
concept of the Oregon" of william
Cullen Bryant's "Th~anatopsis."
The Columbia, which widens into
many expansive sweeps at intervals on
its downward course. seeming to
stretch itself as it escapes the narrow
basaltic walls aud the hurried pas.
sage over the stones and boulders.
greatly contracts again at Cello.
80 odd miles east of Portland, and Il
becomes again hampered for room
This is n of the most rugged
stretches in the 1400 miles of river bed,
and the stream seems to become more
unmanageable than ever near the falls.
The highest of the falls in the rapids
is 30 feet. 1t is below Cello, or about
Sc miles from Portland, that the basalt
opens into a great ~crevice, let's the
stream sink into 1t sidewise and create
a phenomenon that has been a wonder
to millions since Oregon was discov-
cred. Here the Columbia, not figur-
atively, but actually, turns over on
its edge, narrowed down from a mile
or so In width to 5S yards.
How deep the cut through the basalt
Is nobody can say with positiveness.
Engineers have essayed to sound IL
time and again, but the powerful cur
rent has baffled them. However. out
or various experiments and conjectures
and estimates the belief has gained
ground that the river at this point is
about 400 feet deep. There are numer-
GUS legends connected with the DaIles.
some of them interesting as folk tales,
n one may hear in the town of the
same name, hard by, of attempts, not
all unsuccessful, by daring boatmen to
negotiate the passage. The Dalles was
for many years, perhaps for centuries,
a great indian salmon fishing ground.
The watershed of the Columbia en-
braces most of Oregon and Washing
ton, all of Idaho, about one-third of
Montana and considerable areas of wy
oming, Utah and Nevada. AS has been
intimated, the river and its larger trib-
utaries have a number of considerable
stretches of still deep water. These
are interrupted at pivotal points. The
~navigable stretches on the main stream
are, first, that from the Pacific ocean
to the Cascades, about $50 miles, there
interrupted by a cataract of 40 feet
descent; second from the Cascades to
the Grand Dalles, so miles where there
is a series of Instructions with a total
to Priest rapids on the Columbia
200 miles, and on the Snake except at
low water, for about $40 miles.