The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-05-28
CANAL AFFECTING IDAHO

The largest lock canal in the west
has Just been completed by the fed
eral government on the Oregon side
of the Columbia river just above the
Dalles, Oregon. This waterway makes
the Columbia river navigable contin-
uously for 500 miles from the sea.
1t is eight and one-half miles in
length, and was constructed at a
total cost of approximately $4,000
900. The construction period ranged
over almost a decade, and the opera
tions have progressed with practical
" no interruption since the initial on
of the huge Job in 1906. The canal
was formally opened to traffic on
Nav s. with elaborate ceremonies in
which all parts of the 100000 square
miles of territory comprising the
Columbia basin were represented by
prominent citizens.
Through the operation of the canal
the inland state Of Idaho enters the
category of commonwealths that
boast a seaport, as vessels Of the
river sternwheel type can now nayi-
gate from the Pacific ocean to Lewis
ton, head of navigation on the Snake
river, the principal upper tributary
of the Columbia, a distance of $50
miles.
The construction of this canal was
by no means simple task, and it's
successful completion reflects great
credit upon our army engineers. For
length of about five miles it had
to be cut through solid rock, and in
some cases it was necessary to make
cuts ~ feet deep.
The Columbia, which is the third
largest river in the country, has a
drop of 80 feet in eight miles, where
it passes through the Cascade range.
After a series of falls and rapids it
is compelled to traverse channel
only 1855 feet wide for three miles,
while its nomal width is almost a
mile. Through this narrow crack
the boiling current is 200 feet deep.
Both shores are made up Of lava
a solicited stream that in centuries
past flowed across the wide valley
and damned the mighty river. When
the engineers surveyed the site they
found what was not rock was shift
ing sand The rock question was
merely a matter of dynamite and the
sand and gravel question was settled
by lining the canal with concrete re-
inforced by heavy steel.
This work called for the excava-
tion of practically 100000 cubic
yards of solid lava rock, 504, 900
cubic yards of common dry excavat-
ing, and 5O4,0 900 cubic yards of sand.
AS many as 1900 men were at work
at one time, and eight steam shovels,
% locomotives and 200 cars were
used, There are five locks, with eight
passing basins. The minimum depth
of water is eight feet and the ordi-
nary width Of the canal is As feet.
Each lock is 800 feet in length. The
principal locks are at Big Eddy above
the Dalles and at the lower end of
the canal. There three gates serve
to form tandem locks, or two locks,
that give lift of 70 feet out of the
total 90-foot fall that the canal over
comes.
Now that the Cello bar to navi-
cation is overcome, the next step in
freeing the Columbia as far as Revel-
stoke, British Columbia 900
miles from the ocean-will be the
removal fthe Instructions at Priest
river rapids, Washington and Kettle
Falls. This done the Columbia will
come to be numbered as the longest
navigable river in the United States,
except the Mississippi, and the great
inland empire of the Northwest will
enjoy the advantages of a waterway
to carry its fruits, timber, wheat,
wool, and livestock to the seaboard.
Scientific American.
~