Page:National Waterways A Magazine of Transportation, Volume 1.pdf/36

 great river itself, the snowclad mountain peaks, the wild Gorge of the Columbia, and the waterfalls dashing from mountain heights, the stately palisades, the great forests, so impress one, the practical side is apt to be overlooked.

The rivers of the West are in constant use and, properly improved, will be of inestimable public benefit. Even now, and as has been the case for years, steamboats ply the waters of the Columbia and Willamette in every direction and this fleet handles in the aggregate an enormous tonnage. Between Portland and the sea there is a constant procession of deep sea ships flying the flag of every nation. Portland is the largest lumber and wheat shipping port in the United States. It has commercial relations with every nation under the sun. The coast tonnage, to and from Portland, is very great, and its people appreciate the importance of the use of water as a transportation agency. Portland has spent millions of dollars, raised by taxation, in the work of improving the river between that city and the sea, and this work is in constant progress. It maintains a dry dock, pilotage and towage service both at the mouth of and on the river from Portland to Astoria by the sea. It is also constructing and establishing a municipal dock and terminal system of the most modern type. The Columbia River might be said to be one great harbor through which a great part of the tonnage of the Inland Empire will naturally flow, on or along the water grades from far-away British Columbia, on its way to the markets of the world.

In this work of distribution—of such vital interest to the producers of the Northwest—the mighty river of the West, the Columbia of song and story, will necessarily play a momentous part. The following is a brief statement of improvements now in progress on the Columbia River and its tributaries.

In April, 1885, the construction of a jetty on the south side of the entrance to the Columbia River began. The south jetty is now practically completed and the low water channel depth has increased from 21 to 28 feet. Plans have been approved for the construction of a jetty on the north side of the river entrance, which will create a depth of 40 feet at mean low tide.

On the Oregon shore of the Columbia, about 14 miles from the sea, is situated the historic city of Astoria, of 15,000 population and one of the oldest cities on the coast. Astoria has a fine harbor and is making plans for extensive waterfront improvements.

From the mouth of the Columbia to the Willamette River, a distance of 102 miles, the river is wide and deep, with only a few shoals. Vessels drawing 28 feet of water have no difficulty in reaching Portland