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diff --git a/49371-0.txt b/49371-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5797369 --- /dev/null +++ b/49371-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,432 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 49371 *** + +Transcriber's Note: + +Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. + +Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. + + * * * * * + + + + + THE WATERWAYS OF THE + PACIFIC NORTHWEST + + BY + CLARENCE B. BAGLEY + SEATTLE, WASHINGTON + + REPRINTED FROM "THE PACIFIC OCEAN IN HISTORY" + BY H. MORSE STEPHENS AND HERBERT E. BOLTON. + THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK + + Copyright, 1917, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. + + + + +THE WATERWAYS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST + +CLARENCE B. BAGLEY + + +Recently, as I have studied this subject its magnitude has grown +more apparent. The space allotted my paper will permit little +more than a historical sketch. It has been my life work to gather +together the written and printed history of the Pacific Northwest, +but I am not a professional writer of it. + +For my purpose this caption refers to the Columbia River and its +tributaries, and Puget Sound and the rivers emptying into it, +including the Fraser, and their watersheds. The Columbia and Fraser +are the only rivers that break through the great mountain ranges +which parallel the shore of Washington and Oregon. With the Pacific +Ocean only a few miles away, with its intricate network of great and +lesser rivers, and its inland tidal waters whose aggregate littoral +exceeds the distance between Cape Cod and Cape Flattery, it is +remarkable how much of the exploration and industrial and commercial +development of the Pacific Northwest has come from the East towards +the West. + +Alexander Mackenzie in 1793, when he discovered the upper reaches +of the Great River; Lewis and Clark in 1805; Simon Fraser and John +Stuart in 1805-6; Daniel W. Harmon in 1810; David Thompson in +1811, and a little later Wilson Price Hunt, and thereafter nearly +all the leading men of the Northwest Company and the Hudson's Bay +Company, braved the hardships and dangers of the trip over the Rocky +Mountains and down the turbulent waters of the Columbia or the +Fraser. + +John McLoughlin, James Douglas and Peter Skene Ogden, Nathaniel +J. Wyeth and the first missionaries, John C. Frémont, B. L. E. +Bonneville, all led expeditions westward. Astoria was founded +from the sea, and the expeditions of Astor's party to establish +inland posts went up the river from the west, but they were all +failures. For nearly seventy years the canoe and the bateau, the +ox team or the horse team attached to the prairie schooner, were +the instruments whereby the pioneers searched out the country and +peopled its valleys and plains. + +During the period between 1842 and 1855, old Oregon was mostly +peopled by immigrants from the Mississippi valley, who came +overland. After the completion of the railroad across the Isthmus in +1855, immigrants from near the Atlantic seaboard took steamer at New +York City for Aspinwall, crossed the Isthmus by rail, thence to San +Francisco by steamer and to Oregon and Washington by sailing craft +or steamer. Troubles with Indians between the Missouri and Columbia, +of frequence in the later 'fifties, followed closely by the great +Civil War period, materially checked the influx of population +overland. In fact, not until the completion of the Northern Pacific +in 1883, and soon afterward of the Oregon Shortline, did the real +development of Oregon and Washington begin. + +In 1850 there were in old Oregon only 13,000 white settlers, 1049 +of whom lived north of the Columbia River; in 1860 Oregon had +52,000, Washington, 11,500; in 1870, Oregon 91,000, Washington +24,000; in 1880, Oregon 175,000, Washington 75,000; in 1890, Oregon +314,000, Washington 349,000. The Northern Pacific Railroad had been +completed in 1883, quickly followed by the Oregon Shortline, and +Washington had gained nearly fivefold in a decade and had passed her +older sister in population. In 1900 Oregon had 414,000, Washington +518,000; in 1910 Oregon had 673,000, with Washington 1,142,000, or +a gain by the latter of more than 100 per cent in ten years. Oregon +had an assessed valuation of 905 millions and Washington, 1025 +millions. Neither had a bonded debt. + +The Canadian Pacific, Great Northern, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, +Northern Pacific, Oregon Shortline and Southern Pacific railroads +had all reached Pacific coast terminals, and in consequence the +great Northwest had gained remarkably in population, wealth and +volume of trade and commerce. + +In the Willamette valley the water power afforded by the streams +of the Cascades and Coast ranges served to operate the early +wood working and flouring mills, the woolen mills and small +manufacturing plants, but on Puget Sound it was more economical to +operate the saw-mills by steam where the ships could reach the docks +easily and quickly. + +Almost immediately after their arrival at Tumwater, the first +American settlers began building a saw-mill and a grist-mill on +the bank of the Des Chutes River. The irons were bought from the +Hudson's Bay Company and the millstones were made from a large +granite boulder near by. Both mills were run by water power. A few +other small mills were constructed elsewhere on the Sound, but all +were financial failures. + +No large city has grown up in the Northwest on the site of the +great water powers of the Columbia, Fraser, Willamette or smaller +streams. Also, excepting Victoria and New Westminster, no large city +has grown up on the site of the trading posts of the Hudson's Bay +Company or the villages first started by the American settlers in +the Willamette valley or on Puget Sound. Seattle, Portland, Spokane, +Tacoma, and Vancouver in British Columbia, appeared on the map years +after a dozen of their early rivals had been thriving little towns, +and the most successful were founded by farmers from the Mississippi +valley who, perhaps, had never seen a large city. + +A regular transportation line was established on the Lower Columbia +in 1843; and in 1845, deep sea vessels began to frequent the harbor +of Victoria and the Columbia River. These included many war vessels +of the United States and Great Britain. Steamship communication, +more or less irregular, began between San Francisco and the Columbia +River in 1850, and between the former city and Puget Sound about +1857, though the _Otter_ and other steamers had made occasional +trips on the latter route long before that time. Also, about 1850, +steamers began to operate on the Lower Willamette and on the +Columbia below the Cascades. + +After Vancouver's day little is reported of the Puget Sound region +for about thirty years. As early as 1827 the schooners _Vancouver_ +and _Cadboro_, owned and operated by the Hudson's Bay Company, are +known to have sailed from the Columbia River to Puget Sound and +engaged in traffic with the natives as far north as Sitka. In 1836 +the Steamer _Beaver_ arrived in the Columbia River from England, but +in a short time she left the Columbia and began running up and down +the coast in and out of the rivers, bays, and inlets between Puget +Sound and Alaska, carrying grain and other food stuffs northward and +bringing back furs and skins and at times towing sailing vessels to +and fro. + +During all the early years, down the waters of the Willamette and +Columbia came considerable wheat and other grains, but freight rates +were so high that little profit was realized by the grower and the +acreage in consequence increased but slowly. The lumber exports of +the Columbia River region also were large. On Puget Sound, until +metal supplanted wood in shipbuilding, numerous cargoes of ships' +spars went to the Atlantic seaboard and to Europe, but sawed lumber +and piles, with shingles and lath to complete the stowage, were +the chief articles of export. Good coal was mined on Vancouver +Island earlier than on the American side of Puget Sound, but no +considerable shipments abroad began until after 1870. For more than +thirty years thereafter the coal mining industry of the Puget Sound +country ranked closely after the lumber business and a large fleet +of seagoing vessels was constantly employed in the trade. During +recent years the use of oil in competition with coal for fuel has +curtailed greatly the output of the northern coal mines. + +It is more than 1650 miles from the mouth of the Columbia to the +uppermost point of navigation, but rapids and falls occur at +frequent intervals. Until quite recently no continuous navigation +of more than three hundred and fifty miles was practicable. Traffic +between Portland and Lewiston, Idaho, required the operation of +three separate steamers on as many stretches of the stream and still +another on the upper Willamette. This made necessary artificial +methods of getting freight and passengers around the breaks in the +river, and it was not long before an absolute monopoly was held by +one company on the Columbia and by another on the upper Willamette, +though attempts at independent operation of boats on the latter were +frequent. To-day, a steamer can run from Lewiston to Astoria, or, if +of light enough draught, to Eugene on the Willamette. + +In 1850 a wooden tramroad was built on the north side and later +another on the south side around the cascades of the Columbia. Late +in the 50's the Oregon Steam Navigation Company gained control of +them and installed a steam railroad on the north side. + +About 1860 that company began the construction of a railroad from +The Dalles to Celilo, which commenced operations in 1862, during +a period of intense mining activity in Idaho, Eastern Oregon and +Northern Washington. Thereafter it practically owned the Columbia +above the Cascades. The history of its operations and exactions and +of the colossal fortunes it piled up for its stockholders reads like +fiction. + +The first actual improvement of a waterway that I remember was at +Oregon City. In 1860, at the west side of the Willamette River, the +local transportation company constructed basins above and below +the falls, so that a long warehouse covered both landing places, +making it a comparatively easy matter to transfer freight up and +down, while passengers walked. About 1870, the company replaced this +system by a short canal with locks. + +For a great many years the United States has made liberal +appropriations to be used in overcoming the difficulties of +navigation of the Columbia River and its main tributaries. Under +date of August 6, 1915, Major Arthur Williams, United States +Engineer of the First Oregon district, furnished the following list +of original expenditures: + +Snake River, in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, including $85,000 +appropriated by the state of Washington, $338,786.43; Columbia +River and tributaries above Celilo Falls to the mouth of Snake +River, Oregon and Washington, including $25,000 from the state +of Washington, $494,600.84; Columbia River at The Dalles, Oregon +and Washington (Dalles-Celilo Canal), $4,685,855.79; canal at +the Cascades of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, +$3,912,473.33; Columbia River between Vancouver, Washington, and +the mouth of the Willamette River, $97,532.16; Oregon Slough (North +Portland Harbor), Oregon, $34,437.60. In addition to the foregoing +$390,921.58 have been expended in operation and maintenance. + +In a letter of recent date from Chas. L. Potter, Lieutenant Colonel, +Corps of United States Engineers, are tabulated the amounts +heretofore expended in the second district on all river and harbor +improvements to June 30, 1915, as follows: + +Willamette River above Portland, and Yamhill River, Oregon, +$857,671.92; operating and care of lock and dam in Yamhill River, +Oregon, $43,426.95; Willamette River at Willamette Falls, Oregon, +$83,441.71; operating and care of canal and locks in Willamette +River, near Oregon City, Oregon, $344.22; Columbia and Lower +Willamette rivers below Portland, Oregon, $3,577,958.35; mouth of +Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, $13,156,162.52; Clatskanie +River, Oregon, $18,867.34; Cowlitz River, Washington, $102,208.63; +Lewis River, Washington, $39,587.19; Cowlitz and Lewis rivers, +Washington, and Clatskanie River, Oregon, dredge and snagboat, +$36,138.04; Grays River, Washington, $3,857.23. + +Had this opening up to navigation been completed prior to the +building of the railroads along the banks of the rivers and across +the mountains, it would have been of inestimable benefit to the +tributary country, but until its present population shall have +increased ten fold, perhaps twenty fold, and the railroads shall +be unable to handle the traffic; when the waterway craft shall be +aids to the railroads, not competitors, I believe transportation of +freight by steamboats or by barges with tugs will be impracticable. +Steamboat service up the swift current with little cargo will fully +offset any cheapening that may be possible down stream, so that most +of the business will continue to be done by the railroads. However, +the open river will undoubtedly be a check upon the railroads. + +A few weeks ago, at Lewiston, during the rejoicings over the opening +of the upper Columbia to free navigation, one of the leading +speakers remarked that the party in steaming up the river had seen +but one other boat and she was tied to the dock. + +The state of Washington was in some measure benefited jointly with +Oregon by the work in the Columbia basin noted above. The actual +expenditures by the United States in Washington have been small in +comparison. On Willapa Harbor they have been $241,878.39; at Gray's +Harbor, $3,231,906.78; on Puget Sound they have been, at Olympia, +$197,701.35; at Tacoma, $324,784.10; at Everett and Snohomish, +$664,752.59; at Bellingham, $149,834.69; Skagit River, $101,455.54; +Swinomish, $217,652.29. In addition to the work done at Tacoma by +the United States, the railroads and the municipality have spent +large sums in providing docks and other shipping facilities, and +it is equipped to handle its full share of the Sound and seagoing +traffic. The foregoing figures were furnished me from the office of +the resident United States Engineer, Major J. B. Cavanaugh. + +Portland is the overshadowing city of the Columbia basin, and +has always handled most of its business, while on Puget Sound +trade and commerce have been divided. It is all a vast harbor and +its cities have had access almost equally to the sea. Seattle, +Tacoma, Vancouver, Victoria, New Westminster, Everett, Bellingham, +Anacortes, Olympia, and Port Townsend are credited with an aggregate +of nearly three-quarters of a million of inhabitants. + +During the last ten years there has been expended in Seattle more +than fifteen millions of dollars in harbor improvements. By the +operations of the Seattle & Lake Washington Waterway Co. there +have been 1400 acres of land filled, much of it now covered with +buildings of a most substantial character. When this company began +operations these lands were covered twice a day from six to sixteen +feet with tidal water. Through them it dug waterways forty and fifty +feet deep at low tide two and one half miles long, 1000 feet wide, +and two miles additional five hundred feet wide. This has required +the construction of seven miles of bulkheads, all at a cost of a +little more than five millions of dollars, all paid by the owners of +the filled-in lands. Some four hundred additional acres of land, at +times covered by the tides or by high waters of the Duwamish River, +have been reclaimed. + +A ship canal between the waters of Puget Sound and Lake Union and +Washington is now nearing completion and is expected to be in use +during the current year. It will admit the passage of ships drawing +thirty feet of water, directly into the lakes. + +The locks at the outer entrance have been constructed by the United +States government. The larger is 850 feet long and is the second +in size on the American continent, being exceeded in size by one +of the locks of the Panama Canal. They cost $2,275,000. The state +of Washington, county of King and city of Seattle contributed +$1,250,000 to pay for condemnation of the necessary land and +dredging and digging of the canals. Add to this $6,000,000, raised +by the sale of longtime bonds voted by the people and expended +by the Port Commission of Seattle for docks and warehouses, +refrigerator plants and other facilities for speedy and economical +handling of cargoes of grain, fruit, fish, lumber, coal, etc., and +the above aggregate of $15,000,000 has been passed. + +John W. B. Blackman, Esq., City Engineer of New Westminster, B.C., +has supplied information regarding Victoria, Vancouver, and New +Westminster, British Columbia, as follows: Expenditures in Fraser +River in opening, deepening, straightening, etc., $1,399,645.05; +in Vancouver, mostly in widening the Narrows, $2,174,148.45; at +Victoria in recent years, $750,000 in round numbers, has been +spent in blasting and removing rock from the inner harbor, and a +new break-water is now being constructed at an estimated cost of +$3,000,000. + +The canoe and bateau gave place to the steamboat, the steam cars +took away from the steamboat much of its business, and in the +last quarter century the city and interurban electric cars have +taken over much of the short haul traffic, while to-day the motor +car is dividing the passenger service and almost monopolizing +the transportation of garden and dairy products into and about +the cities. Who shall predict how soon some other method of +transportation shall make the land and water traffic of to-day seem +as archaic as the ox team compared with a high power racing car? + +The streams of Oregon and Washington afford one-third of the +available water power of the United States. A small part of this +is now being used to develop electric energy, transmitted at long +distances at high voltage, though not comparable with one line in +California that is transmitting electricity at a voltage of 150,000 +a distance of about 250 miles. The potential possibilities are +so vast they can scarcely be estimated. In the North one of the +transcontinental railroad lines is formulating plans to operate its +trains electrically between the Rocky Mountains and Puget Sound. +The first cost will be great, but when the new service begins its +greater economy and comfort will undoubtedly compel all competing +lines to follow the lead of their rival. + +The Panama Canal has been in operation only a year and it is too +soon even to predict its influence upon the ocean commerce of the +North Pacific, but so far little of the lumber, fish, or other +commodities from the Northwest have gone through it eastward. Its +influence has been almost negligible, and while considerable freight +has gone from the Middle States eastward fifteen hundred miles to +Atlantic ports and thence around by water, the railroads of the +Pacific Northwest have not as yet seen cause to alter their tariffs +because of it. Doubtless, when the great war in Europe is ended, and +normal conditions are regained, the Pacific Northwest will enjoy in +full measure the benefit of this great ocean waterway. + +To-day passenger ships leave Puget Sound for Alaska ports on an +average of every eighteen hours, and nearly as many freighters ply +on the same route. + +The ocean commerce of the North Pacific with eastern Siberia, Japan, +China, the Indies, and the Philippines across the Pacific, and with +San Francisco, Hawaiian Islands and through the Panama Canal has, +in the last few years, reached enormous proportions. Already the +resources of six great transcontinental railroad systems are taxed +to the uttermost to handle their part of it. + +On the floor of the United States Senate, January 24, 1843, in the +course of debate upon "The Oregon Bill," participated in by Senators +Archer, Benton, Calhoun, Choate, Linn, Morehead, McRoberts and +Woodbury, Calhoun gave utterance to the following: + + "But it may be asked, 'what then? Shall we abandon our claim to + the territory?' I answer, no. I am utterly opposed to that; but, + as bad as that would be, it would not be as much so as to adopt + a rash and precipitate measure, which, after great sacrifices, + would finally end in its loss. But I am opposed to both. My + object is to preserve and not to lose the territory. I do not + agree with my eloquent and able colleague that it is worthless. + He has under-rated it, both as to soil and climate. It contains + a vast deal of land, it is true, that is barren and worthless; + but not a little that is highly productive. To that may be + added its commercial advantages, which will, in time, prove to + be great. We must not overlook the important events to which I + have alluded as having recently occurred in the eastern portion + of Asia. As great as they are, they are but the beginning of a + series of a similar character, which must follow at no distant + day. What has taken place in China, will, in a few years, + be followed in Japan, and all the eastern portions of that + continent. Their ports, like the Chinese, will be opened; and + the whole of that portion of Asia, containing nearly half of the + population and wealth of the globe, will be thrown open to the + commerce of the world and be placed within the pales of European + and American intercourse and civilization. A vast market will + be created, and a mighty impulse will be given to commerce. + No small portion of the share that would fall to us with this + populous and industrious portion of the globe is destined to + pass through the ports of the Oregon Territory to the valley + of the Mississippi, instead of taking the circuitous and long + voyage around Cape Horn; or the still longer, around the Cape of + Good Hope. It is mainly because I place this high estimate on + its prospective value that I am so solicitous to preserve it, + and so adverse to this bill, or any other precipitate measure + which might terminate in its loss. If I thought less of its + value, or if I regarded our title less clear, my opposition + would be less decided." + +The present witnesses the culmination of this remarkable prophecy +made by one of America's ablest statesmen more than seventy years +ago. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's note: + +Minor typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected +without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have +been retained as printed. + +The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the +transcriber and is placed in the public domain. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Waterways of the Pacific Northwest, by +Clarence Bagley + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 49371 *** |