Identifier: reportsofexplora121unit (find matches)
Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Year: 1855 (1850s)
Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America
Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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nakane, in longitude 120° 05, a distance on the parallel of about eighty-fivemiles, but by the river at least one hundred and twenty miles. It then flows southwesterlyfor about fifty miles, and at the mouth of the Pisquouse, in latitude 47° 22, again turns towardsthe southeast, which course it preserves as far as Walla-Walla, a distance by the river ofone hundred and sixty-five miles, or one hundred and forty in a direct line. From theColumbia entrance up to the Cascades, a distance of one hundred and sixty-five miles, the riveris without obstruction and can be navigated by large steamers. Sea-going steamers can ascendas far as Vancouver, one hundred and fifteen miles from its mouth. The Indians say that atthe Cascades the river used to be perfectly free, but the gradual encroachments on its precipi-tous banks at length gave rise to a land slide, which, falling into the river, made a sort ofnatural dam, which is evidently the case from the appearance of the shore. There is a portage
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GEOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 251 around the Cascades of one mile and a half. The next obstruction is at the Dalles, two hundredand five miles from its mouth. At this place the Columbia makes a bend like a horseshoetowards the south and runs through a basaltic trough, with walls about twenty feet in heightand two hundred yards apart; the current is very rapid, but is not rough. For canoes, aportage of eight hundred paces avoids this obstruction; for steamers, canaling a considerablelonger distance would be required. In the absence of careful surveys, I have not the meansof stating the distance along which improvements must be made to furnish continuous navi-gation, or, in the absence of such improvements, the shortest land portage which would berequired. The portage now in use is from the Dalles to the mouth of the Des Chutes, a distance of elevenmiles. But this distance can unquestionably be very much reduced. For the past two seasonsthe army supplies for the Walla-Walla post have been transp

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