The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-01-25

poetry as CQe oregon.
Far to the eastward, at elevation
OF some 1000 feet, In what is now
Yellowstone national park, another
river had its source In Lewis and
Shoshone lakes. Southerly, west
erly, northerly and again westerly
it flowed until it joined the greater
stream 800 miles inland from the
Pacific. It bears the striking, but
to some displeasing, name Of Snake.
Generation after generation these
rivers flowed, cutting deeper and
deeper their gorges in the lava lay
ers, in places 1000 feet in depth and
exposing 20 or more layers Of solid
rock. And then came to pass one
Of the marvels Of geological history,
glacial age which wrought chang
es in the presence Of which man
may well stand in awe.
Ice Changed Face Of Nature
Scientists explain in various ways
the formation of the glaciers which
moved slowly their great expanse
and incalculable weight southwark.
Accuracy of the explanation is inn
material. They moved. They reach
ed the course Of the Columbia and
filled it. They crossed it and spread
over the land approximately to
where the city Of Spokane now
stands. Thus the Columbia had
to seek new course, which 1t
found before and under the adj
vancing and the later receding ice.
During that glacial period its wat
ers, multiplied in volume by the
melting ice, cut the great 1000-feet
deep gorges in central eastern
washington known as Moses Coulee
and Grand Coulee.
The ice receded. The Columbus
returned to its former course. But
it left in .the Big Bend country
the greatest dry river course and
the greatest dry falls to be found
on the face Of the earth.
Thus in times long past, did ma
ture lay the foundation in the Pa
cific northwest for the greatest
hydro-electric development on the
American continent, development
which, as stated at the outset OF
this article, when ultimately COM
pleted, will exceed the combined
power OF all the other major pow
er resources In this country.
The beginning Of that develop
ment is at hand. Two giant power
projects have been authorized BY
the federal government. Work i
already under way at Grand Coulee
and Bonneville. It is an suspicious
beginning OF new era In the
youthful, resourceful Pacific north
westi
Over Falls and Rapids
The Columbia falls about 1900
feet from the Canadian border to
salt water, which 1t meets at high
tide some miles above Portland. At
the Grand Cou1ee dam site the ele-
vation is 9S6 feet, average low wa
ter. From that point it flows over
several minor rapids and six major
rapids or falls, the majors In DOWN
river order being Rock Island. =
few miles below wenatchee: Priest
rapids, roughly midway between
Rock Island and Pasco-Kennew1ck;;
Umatilla rapids, just above Una
tilla; John Day rapids, just below
the John Day river: Cello falls, be-
tween the Deschutes river and The
Dalles, and Cascade rapids, ct
which are situated the Cascade
locks and just below which , the
Bonneville damsite where work Is
already under way preparatory 70
the immediate construction Of
great dam and power plant.
The elevation Of the Snake ct
Idaho Falls is about 1900 feet. On
the way to its confluence with the
Columbia at Pasco, it cuts its way
through deep gorges and PUSHES
over many precipitous falls and
boisterous rapids. Among them,
from Idaho Falls down river are
American Falls, Minidoka, Miner,
Twin Falls, Shoshone falls, Salmon
falls, Swan falls, johnson bar. Wild
Goose rapids, Captain John rapids
and between Lewiston and Pasco,
Kelly, Wade's, Texas, Rescue island
and Five Mile rapids, the latter only