Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/476



temporary aid from the city treasury, the citizens decided to place the business of making a reHable ship channel to the ocean in the permanent form of a mu- nicipal corporation ; and the port of Portland commission was incorporated by special act of the Oregon legislature. The suggestion for the creation of this port of Portland corporation inside of the city corporation — imperium in im- perio — came from Major Alfred F. Sears in a letter to the Daily Oregonian, May 12, 1883, in which he said: 'Tf our river is to be kept open, it must be done by a board like the Clyde trust (of Scotland) working in the interest of Port- land, and with her money."

The port of Portland was incorporated in the year 1891, and then commenced the regular and systematic work of making a ship channel to the ocean that would float the largest ships desiring to come to this port. The work was ener- getically prosecuted with dikes to narrow the channel, and dredging to deepen it. In 1891 vessels for Portland drawing more than 17 feet of water found it neces- sary to discharge part of the incoming cargo, and to take on part of the out- going cargo at Astoria. As a result of the work of the United States engineers and of the port of Portland since that time, there has been no lighterage required during the last six years, and at the present time vessels drawing 25 feet of water are able to pass freely up and down the ship channel without delay.

Four years ago the port board decided to build a dry dock for the docking, cleaning and repairing of ships in this port, and save the loss of time and ex- pense of going to Puget Sound or San Francisco for such services. And ac- cordingly a site was purchased near St. Johns and work commenced and a dock of the floating type constructed at a cost of $377,342. since which time it has rendered effective service to the port and city, and made much more than op- erating expenses.

The total expenses of the port of Portland commission since its organization in 1891 for river improvements, dredges, dry dock and administration, has been $2,586,282. The present officers are : C. F. Swigert, president ; A. L. Pease, vice-president; C. F. Adams, treasurer; John Driscoll, secretary, and J. C. Ains- worth, P. L. Willis, W. D. Wheelwright, members. Clerk of the board, John P. Doyle ; chief engineer, J. B. C. Lockwood.

An active discussion is now going on pro and con public docks at the city water front for the receipt and discharge of freight and produce, especially the transfer between railroads and ships. Mr. J. N. Teal, attorney for the trans- portation committee of the Chamber of Commerce, after visiting many commer- cial cities in Europe, closes a 16-page pamphlet report to the chamber with the following recommendation : "A commission should be created at once with ample powers and funds. It should give the problem the most careful consideration under the advice of the best experts. It should then proceed carefully and con- servatively on the plan adopted. The result will be a port and harbor and facili- ties in Portland that will attract the shipping from every part of the world do- ing business on this coast. It will make of Portland one of the great ports of the world, with all that implies just as certainly as like work made Rotterdam, Bremen and Hamburg in Europe, Glasgow and Liverpool and other ports in Great Britain.

THE BRIDGES.

The next most noticeable public works are the bridges. The first means of crossing the river at Portland was Uncle "J'^^^y" Stevens' canoe, followed in due time by a skiff, and then by a scow-looking flatboat to carry teams. And as the city and east side country grew apace, the ferryboats were improved, and the Stevens' ferry proved to be a very profitable investment ; finally purchased by Joseph Knott, and by him and his sons operated until the construction of bridges put it out of business.

But the bridge question started twenty years before the ferries were put out of commission. For years it was the stale recommendation of every candidate