The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-01-25
Take the wings
OF the morning, pierce the
Barcan Wilderness.
or lose myself in the con-
tinuous woods
where rolls the Oregon and
hears no sound
save his own dashingS.
Bryant in ''Thanatopsis."
By Fred w. Clemens

The river is to be harneSSed. The
greatest power river on the Ameri-
can continent. The river which the
poet famed century and more ago
as the Oregon who heard no sound
ssaye his own dashings." The river
into which Robert Gray sailed to
dye to his discovery its permanent
name, the name of his ship, Column
hia. The river which, with the
tortuous Snake and It's other tribu-
taries, drains the vast region into
which the covered wagons rolled
bringing the dauntless pioneers to
lay the foundations Of great civ
ilization beyond the Rockies In the
undeveloped Oregon country that is
now the states of Washington, Ore
gon and Idaho. The river which
gathers together the waters OF
100000 square miles and rolls them
over rugged declines and through
mighty gorges, past timlbered noun
tains, mineral hills fertile farms
and populous cities and mingles
them with the pillows Of the Pacific
upon whose spacious bosom floats
the ever-rowing commerce OF ma
lions.
Greater than the Colorado and
its Boulder canyon Is the Columbia
and its impending development.
Greater is it than famed Niagara;
greater than the international st.
Lawrence waterway; greater than
the Tennessee and its Muscle
Shoals! Greater than all Of these
combined Is the practical power de-
velopment Of the Columbia river
In the Pacific northwestern empire
Of America where, among It's thous-
and towns and cities, Portland at
the confluence Of the Columbia and
Willamette, and Seattle and Ia
coma on Puget sound, reign as
queens OF the water front, with
Spokane and Boise centers Of a
great, intermountain hinterland
rich In people and products.
It Is the purpose Of this article,
illustrated by the relief map, to
picture in brief to the people of the
Pacific northwest the vast possibili-
tes-nay the probabilities and, In
fact, certainties-whi lie before
them as this unparalleled resource
Is developed. It's application to the
regions other natural resources
means an industrial civilization In
this favored area which challenges
the Imagination and forward vision.
Romantic beyond the power Of
words to describe is the age-old his
tory Of their empire. Enhancing
beyond forecast is It's future. Be
lore dipping into that future may
We revert for a moment to an
amazing history that Is written only
~ the hand Of nature?
A Stupendous History
Countless generations ago the
surface Of the earth In this region
underwent vast geological changes.
Great mountain ranges appeared
ana from the interior Of the globe
came many successive lava flows
which spread over wide areas, form
ing layer upon layer Of lava rock
nom q few to many feet In thick
ness, some Of them developing soil
and forests before being submerged
y another molten flow.
Far In the north in what Is now
British Columbia, a little stream
surgled seward from the western
Slope OF rocky, rugged mountain
system. From an elevation Of some
looo feet it flowed northward some
100 miles, when it veered sharply In
nairpin curve and headed south.
u reached what Is now the inter-
national border line, crossed into
our territory, swung to the west
ward again and, encountering
mountain chain now called the Cas-
eaoes, formed great interior sea.
rowing over these mountains at q
low point, it began with them
nattie OF the ages, which, probably
aioeo by subterranean forces, 1t
won. The place of victory is called
sne Columbia gorge where today 1t
uoWs unanimously over rocky de-
pfs which legend would have us