The Volcanoes of Lewis and ClarkOctober 31, 1805
|
|
Home
-- The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark Map of the Journey -- Volcanoes, Basalt Plateaus, Major Rivers, etc. CALENDAR of the Journey -- October 1805 to June 1806 Along the Journey -- Pacific Northwest Maps - Columbia River, Volcanoes, Flood Basalts, Missoula Floods, Geology, etc. The Corps of Discovery -- The Journey of Lewis and Clark About the Reference Materials -- The Journals, Biddle/Allen, DeVoto, Gass, Moulton, Topo Maps, and others USGS Lewis and Clark Links -- Links to USGS Websites highlighting the Lewis and Clark Journey Resources Publications Referenced and Websites Visited |
PREVIOUS
October 30 Dog Mountain to Cascade Locks |
October 31
"Lower Falls of the Columbia", Cascade Locks "Lower Falls of the Columbia", Cascade Locks, Table Mountain Landslide, Greenleaf Basin, Greenleaf Peak, and the Red Bluffs, Bridge of the Gods, Rapids below Cascade Locks, Bradford Island and Hamilton Island |
CONTINUE
November 1 Columbia River Gorge, Cascade Locks to Bonneville |
| On October 7, 1805, Lewis and Clark and the "Corps of Discovery" began their journey down the Clearwater River and into the volcanics of the Pacific Northwest. The Corps travelled from the Clearwater to the Snake and down the "Great Columbia", finally reaching the Pacific Ocean on November 15, 1805. Along the journey they encountered the lava flows of the Columbia Plateau, river channels carved by the great "Missoula Floods", and the awesome beauty of five Cascade Range volcanoes. |
| The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark |
| To the Pacific - October 1805 |
|
"Lower Falls of the Columbia
Cascade Locks |
| The Lewis and Clark camp of October 30 and 31, 1805 was on an island on the Washington side of the Columbia River, just north of today's Bridge of the Gods. This area is today known as Cascade Locks. The island is now under the waters of Bonneville Dam. |
|
|
Cascade Locks:
Cascade Locks: In 1896 the Federal Government built a series of locks around the treacherous Cascades rapids. In November, 1878, construction began. However, it was not until November 1896, that the locks were dedicated and opened for use. Delays in construction included reduction of appropriations by Congress, winter storms, high water, deep snows, and delays in receiving materials. During this time, the community grew from a small settlement of Native Americans and three white families to a booming construction town with all the flavor of the wild west. By 1893, there were about 1,000 inhabitants, many living in tents, shacks, and other temporary buildings. There were many saloons established, and it was during this time that the community was frequently called "Whiskey Flat". After the construction of the locks, the town became Cascade Locks. The Cascade Locks Marine Park has an Interpretive sign, trail, and museum. -- Oregon State Archives Website, 2002, Lewis & Clark Bicentennial of Oregon Website, 2002, and City of Cascade Locks Website, 2002 |
| He resumed his search in the morning, through the rain. [Captain Clark was looking at portage around Table Mountain Landslide] At the extremity of the basin, in which is situated the island where we are encamped [today the island is underwater], several rocks and rocky islands are interspersed through the bed of the river. The rocks on each side have fallen down from the mountains; that on the left being high [Oregon], |
|
|
Oregon Banks of the Columbia River upstream Cascade Locks:
|
| and on the right the hill itself, which is lower [Table Mountain and Greenleaf Peak], slipping into the river [Table Mountain Landslide]; so that the current is here compressed within a space of one hundred and fifty yards. |
|
|
Table Mountain Vicinity:
Table Mountain Landslide: Near Bonneville, the lava layers making up Table Mountain slid into the Gorge, about 1100 A.D. This series of four landslides, covering five square miles, blocked the Columbia River. The Second Powerhouse of Bonneville Dam butts against this landslide. If you look north of the dam, you can see cliffs exposed after the mountain gave way. Original inhabitants of the area may have marveled at the 200 foot high landslide blocking the Columbia. They could have crossed on foot, possibly giving rise to a story about "The Bridge of the Gods". This natural dam created a lake that stretched almost seventy miles (up to the present day John Day Dam). After a few months, the Columbia rose high enough to wash through the southern side of the landslide creating a flood of water that was 100 feet deep at Troutdale. Things returned to normal, except the river was displaced a mile to the south and a set of rapids, the Cascades, had formed. In 1938, the rapids disappeared under water rising behind Bonneville Dam. The only hints of their existence are the remnants of a navigation lock at Cascades Locks built in 1896 to allow boats around the rapids. -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Website, 2002, and Swanson, et.al, 1989 Red Bluffs: Local landslides, some taking place as recently as 200 years ago, have occurred in several areas along the Columbia River. The large Bonneville landslide, between the cities of North Bonneville and Stevenson, exposed the Red Bluffs. Steever soils formed in material from this landslide (stony clay loam, highly productive forest soils). The landslide, which consists chiefly of the Eagle Creek Formation and Yakima Basalt, blocked the Columbia River for a short period. Another landslide between Wind Mountain and Dog Mountain consists chiefly of material from the Ohanapecosh Formation. This landslide is still active. It moves 40 to 50 feet a year at the upper end of the slide and 5 to 10 feet a year at the toe. -- U.S. Forest Service Website, 2002, Gifford Pinchot National Forest |
| Within this narrow limit it runs for the distance of four hundred yards with great rapidity, swelling over the rocks with a fall of about twenty feet: it then widens to two hundred paces, and the current for a short distance becomes gentle; [In 1926 the Bridge of the Gods was constructed below the "falls".] |
|
|
Bridge of the Gods:
Bridge of the Gods: The Bridge of the Gods is a cantilever toll bridge spanning the river just west of Cascade Locks, and occupies a place where, according to Indian legend, a natural bridge at one time arched the river. This bridge, they say, was cast into the river when Tyhee Sahale, the Supreme Being, became angry with his two sons, who had quarreled over the beautiful Loowit, guardian of a sacred flame on the bridge. The two sons and the girl, crushed in the destruction of the bridge, whose debris created the Cascades, were resurrected as Mount Hood, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens. The present man-made Bridge of the Gods was built in 1926, and was raised in 1938 to provide clearance over the rising waters behind Bonneville Dam. The huge rocks of the legendary, ancient natural bridge lie beneath the waters of the Columbia River just upstream from the new bridge. The Bridge of the Gods, located 2.6 miles above the Bonneville Dam, has a fixed span with a clearance of 135 feet over a middle width of 284 feet. -- Oregon State Archives Website, 2002, City of Cascade Locks Website, 2002, and NOAA Office of Coast Survey Website, 2003 |
| but at the distance of a mile and a half, and opposite to the old village mentioned yesterday, it is obstructed by a very bad rapid [below Bridge of the Gods] , where the waves are unusually high, the river being confined between large rocks, many of which are at the surface of the water. |
|
|
Rapids below Cascade Locks:
|
| Captain Clarke proceeded along the same path he had taken before, which led him through a thick wood and along a hill side, till two and a half miles below the shoots, he struck the river at the place whence the Indians make their portage to the head of the shoot: he here sent Crusatte, the principal waterman, up the stream, to examine if it were practicable to bring the canoes down the water. In the meantime, he, with Joseph Fields, continued his route down the river, along which the rapids seem to stretch as far as he could see. |
| "... I proceeded down the river to view with more attention we had to pass on the river below, the two men with me Jo. Fields & Peter Crusat proceeded down to examine the rapids the Great Shute which commenced at the Island on which we encamped Continued with great rapidity and force thro a narrow chanel much compressd. and interspersed with large rocks for 1/2 a mile, at a mile lower is a verry Considerable rapid at which place the waves are remarkably high, and proceeded on in an old Indain parth 2 1/2 miles by land thro a thick wood & hill Side, to the river where the Indians make a portage, from this place I Dispatched Peter Crusat (our principal waterman) back to follow the river and examine the practibility of the Canoes passing, as the rapids appear to continue down below as far as I could See ..." [Clark, October 31, 1805] |
| At half a mile below the end of the portage [the portage was across the Table Mountain Landslide], he came to a house, the only remnant of a town, which, from its appearance, must have been of great antiquity. The house was uninhabited, and being old and decayed, he felt no disposition to encounter the fleas, which abound in every situation of that kind, and therefore did not enter. About half a mile below this house, in a very thick part of the woods, is an ancient burial place: it consists of eight vaults ...... After examining this place captain Clarke went on, and found the river as before strewed with large rocks, against which the water ran with great rapidity. Just below the vaults the mountain, which is but low on the right side, leaves the river, and is succeeded by an open stony level, which extends down the river, while on the left the mountain is still high and rugged. At two miles distance he came to a village of four houses, which were now vacant and the doors barred up: on looking in he saw the usual quantity of utensils still remaining, from which he concluded that the inhabitants were at no great distance collecting roots or hunting, in order to lay in their supply of food for the winter: he left them and went on three miles to a difficult rocky rapid, which was the last in view. Here, on the right, are the remains of a large and ancient village, which could be plainly traced by the holes for the houses and the deposits for fish: after he had examined these rapids and the neighbouring country he returned to camp by the same route: ...... |
| "... from a Short distance below the vaults the mountain which is but low on the Stard. Side, leave the river, and a leavel Stoney open bottom Suckceeds on the Said Std. Side for a great Distance down, the mountains high and rugid on the Lard. Side this open bottom is about 2 miles a Short distance below this village is a bad Stoney rapid and appears to be the last in view I observed at this lower rapid the remains of a large and antient Village which I could plainly trace by the Sinks in which they had formed their houses, as also those in which they had buried their fish -- from this rapid to the lower end of the portage the river is Crouded with rocks of various Sizes between which the water passes with great velociety createing in maney places large Waves, an Island [Bradford Island, see entry of November 1, 1805] which is Situated near the Lard. Side occupies about half the distance the lower point of which is at this rapid. immediately below this rapid the high water passes through a narrow Chanel through the Stard. Bottom forming an Island of 3 miles (wide) Long & one wide, I walked through this Island which I found to be verry rich land, and had every appearance of haveing been at Some distant period Cultivated. at this time it is Covered with grass intersperced with Strawberry vines [Hamilton Island, see entry of November 2, 1805] . I observed Several places on this Island where the nativs had dug for roots and from its lower point I observed 5 Indians in a Canoe below the upper point of an Island near the middle of the river Covered with tall timber, which indued me to believe that a village was at no great distanc below, I could not See any rapids below in the extent of my view which was for a long distance down the river, which from the last rapids widened and had everry appearance of being effected by the tide, -- I deturmind to return to Camp 10 miles distant, a remarkable high detached rock Stands in a bottom on the Stard. Side near the lower point of this Island on the Stard. Side about 800 feet high and 400 paces around, we call the 'Beaten rock'. [Beacon Rock, see entry of November 2, 1805] A Brook falls into the narrow Chanel which forms the Strawberry Island, which at this time has no running water, but has every appearance of dischargeing emence torrents &c.; &c.; ..." [Clark, October 31, 1805] |
| "... This Great Shute or falls is about 1/2 a mile, with the water of this great river Compressed within the Space of 150 paces in which there is great numbers of both large and Small rocks, water passing with great velocity forming & boiling in a most horriable manner, with a fall of about 20 feet, below it widens to about 200 paces and current gentle for a Short distance, a Short distance above is three Small rockey Islands, and at the head of those falls, three Small rockey Islands are Situated Crosswise the river, Several rocks above in the river & 4 large rocks in the head of the Shute; those obstructions together with the high Stones which are continually brakeing loose from the mountain on the Stard Side and roleing down into the Shute aded to those which brake loose from those Island above and lodge in the Shute, must be the Cause of the rivers daming up to Such a distance above, (and Show) where it Shows Such evidant marks of the Common current of the river being much lower than at the present day ..." [Clark, October 31, 1805] |
| In the meantime we had been occupied in preparations for making the portage, and in conference with the Indians, who came down from the village to visit us. ...... |
| "... The morning was cloudy. We unloaded our canoes and took them past the rapids, some part of the way by water, and some over rocks 8 or 10 feet high. It was the most fatiguing business we have been engaged in for a long time, and we got but two over all day, the distance about a mile, and the fall of the water about 25 feet in that distance. ..." [Gass, October 31, 1805] |
| "... Cloudy. we unloaded the canoes and went at halling them past the Shoote took one down at a time over verry high rocks. this Shoote is full of rocks and roles verry high waves &C.; the after part of the day pleasant ..." [Ordway, October 31, 1805] |
|
|
|
The Camp - October 30 and 31, 1805:
On an island on the Washington side of the Columbia River, above the Cascade Locks just north of today's Bridge of the Gods. This island is now under water. In the end of October in 1805 the Lewis & Clark expedition reached the Schutes of the Columbia, in the area today known as Cascade Locks. The expedition was forced to portage around these falls on November 1st, and again on their return trip in the spring of the following year. The falls were later bypassed by the development of a set of locks in 1896, and subsequently drowned with the competion of the Bonneville Dam in 1938. On the return trip home, Lewis and Clark stayed just south of here on April 12, 1806. |
Return to:
[Volcanoes and History Menu] ...
[Living With Volcanoes Menu] ...
