caslock.html

History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River, Oregon.
Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

CASCADE LOCKS D.M.C.
Information gleaned from an article written by Fred Lockley and published in the Oregon Journal:

Mr. Tompkins, in charge of the locks since 1891 is authority for facts and figures given.
The Cascades of the Columbia, in early days, consisted of a number of rapids, with a total fall of 37.3 feet in less than six miles. The upper or main rapid had a fall of 21 feet in a distance of 2000 feet. Then the locks were built around the upper rapids, obstructions were removed from the lower rapids, making it possible for steamers to reach the locks.
On June 23, 1874, Congress passed an act, "authorizing a survey of the cascades and the dalles of the Columbia river for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability and cost of constructing canals and locks at these points."
The survey was made under the supervision of Mayor Michler in the fall of 1874. Robert A. Habersham, later surveyor general of Oregon, was chief of the party and Capt. Allen Noyes, rodman. The map of the survey was sent to Brigadier General A.A. Humphries, the chief of Engineers, by Mayor Michler on January 16, 1875.
Mayor Michler reviewed the technical details of the work and added, "The magnificent, bold and peculiar scenery of these two places, Cascades and Celilo, can only be appreciated after inspection." And further on says, "Among the things to be considered are the strong currents; the sudden bends; the immense rise of the river; the eddies; the whirlpools; and during freshets the large masses of drift , and the masses of floating ice from up river points at the break up of winter. At Hell Gate, three miles above Celilo, the river becomes gorged with ice to the height of 60 or 70 feet. At the Cascades a permanent improvement can be made by the construction of a canal and locks."
The canal was to be 90 feet in width and 3000 feet in length. One lock 523 feet, the other 514 feet, the depth of the water 8 feet, the lower lock to have a lift of 24 feet and to operate up to a 20 foot stage above extreme low water at the lower entrance of the canal. The upper lock is formed by the upper gates of the lower lock, and a pair of guard gates 80 the canal can be used up to a 42 foot stage of water at the lower entrance.
Mayor Michler estimated the cost of the canal and locks and removal of rocks at the Cascades rapids to be $700,000. In the fall of 1876 another survey was made by C.H. Bolton and the report submitted to the chief of engineers by Col. J.M. Wilson under date of February 5, 1877.
Bids were opened October 8, 1878 and the contract awarded to Ball and Platt of New York City.
A.H. Ball, with a force of workmen arrived December 21, 1878 and work was soon under way but was interrupted by the death of Hr. Ball, which occurred Jan. 4, 1879. The contract expired October 31, 1879, but was extended to July 1, 1880, when it was abrogated. On December 2nd the plant of Ball and Platt was purchased by the government. The work had only been started, and the total amount paid Ball and Platt was $79,911.67.
For more than twelve years the work dragged on. The appropriations being small, much of the work was done by day labor instead of contract. On August 13, 1881 a contract was let to David Chalmus and W.E. Holmes, of Portland, for the removal of the rock in the river below the canal and the lower end of Bradford Island, to a depth of ten feet at low water. They removed 4527 cubic yards, receiving $3.00 per cu. yd. for exposed rock and $25 .00 per cu. yd. for submerged rock, completing their contract on February 22, 1882.
On Sept. 15, 1892 proposals were invited for the completion of the work. Bids were opened on November 15, l892 and the contract awarded to J.G. and I.N. Day of San Francisco and contract signed Dec. 27, 1892. The following year a panic occurred, the price of materials dropped, and labor became a drug in the market. This condition greatly favored the contractors. They were paid 50 cents per cubic yard for dry excavations, 31.00 per year for subaqueous.
A large amount of stone had been gathered by the government and most of it was cut and ready to be used, this was turned over to the contractors. For laying granite dimension stone, the contract was $63.50per cubic yard, basalt dimension stone, $36. per cubic yard, basalt face stone $32. and basalt quarry field stone, $28 per cubic yards For rubble masonry they received $2 per cu. yd. and for paving the slopes, $2.50 per sq. yd., while for concrete work they received $6.25 per cu. yd.
The locks were turned over to Capt. W.L. Fisk of the corps of army engineers on Nov. 5, 1896, the contractors receiving $3,820.629. William E. Morris was in charge of the local construction work for the contractors, I.N. and J. G. Day.
At the opening of the locks, the following boats were lined up in the order in which they are named and all passed through the locks at the same time. "Sadie B.", "The Dalles City", "The Sarah Dixon" and the "Harvest Queen". The "Sadie B. being at the head of the line has the honor of being the first through. She was a small boat used in the construction and was entitled to that honor. The Dalles City came next, she being the regular steamboat plying between the Cascades and The Dalles. The Sarah Dixon mounted a cannon on her decks and fired a salute. The Harvest Queen had four hundred excursionists on board and after passing through the locks turned around and entered the locks again, returning to Portland, being the first boat to make the round trip.
In the fifties, sixties and later, a number of boats came over the rapids in extreme high water: The James P. Flint, in 1851. Later the Okanogan, Nez Perce and the Shoshone. June 2, 1882, the R.R. Thompson in charge of Capt. John McNulty ran the rapids. Four days later Capt. Donald McKenzie took the Elvira over. On July 6, 1882 Capt. J.J. Troupe brought the Mountain Queen over safely. On May 26, 1888 Captain Michael Martneau took the steamer Gold Dust over. On May 26, 1888 the Hassalo was taken over by Captain Troupe, and on June 15, 1889, the Wasco made the run in charge of Captain Troupe with Capt. H.C. Coe at the wheel. The Wasco was built at Hood River. Capt. Troupe also took the Harvest Queen over on June 18, 1890. Capt. Martneau brought the D.S. Baker into the lower river on June 26, 1893. Capt. Geer took the steamer Bailey Gatzert over the cascades during the high water of 1917. He had 125 passengers on board. The locks could not be operated on account of extreme high water, so he ran the rapids without waiting for orders, and his license was taken from him in consequence. In 1905, the year of the Lewis and Clark Fair, 1417 boats passed through the locks carrying 133,070 passengers. On June 6, 1894, the high water reached its record mark of 49.7 feet above low water mark at the locks.