The Perilous Passage of the Spokane Rapids
A bold river captain finally conquers the treacherous Columbia rapids, signaling a new lifeline for the region’s isolated mining camps.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
C. J. Santee, formerly of Spokane, but lately a successful miner of Keller, reports extensive operations in his district. He brought in 200 pounds of high-grade copper ore from his property to be assayed. 'We now have better facilities for shipping our ore,' said Mr. Santee. 'Captain Griggs of Wenatchee has succeeded in passing up the Columbia, including the dreaded Spokane rapids, with his little steamer and on Saturday last took away about 60 tons of ore from the mouth of the San Poil. Captain Griggs says that the Spokane rapids are not a circumstance to the Rock Canyon, and promises to keep up his trips as long as the water is low.' It will be remembered that Captain Miller of the Chelan found a Waterloo at Spokane rapids and the news of the successful passage of the dangerous point will be hailed with pleasure by the miners all along the Columbia. Mr. Santee states that all of the mines he names have hundreds of sacks of ore out ready for shipment.
“Captain Miller of the Chelan found a Waterloo at Spokane rapids and the news of the successful passage of the dangerous point will be hailed with pleasure by the miners.”
The Spokane Rapids and the rugged river geography described here were fundamentally altered by the construction of Grand Coulee Dam, which submerged much of the Upper Columbia’s reach. Today, the river is a series of reservoirs, and the 'dreaded' rapids exist only in geological history and memory.
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