Five-Mile rapids and The Dalles city was $2,264,467, and congress, enthusiastic, appropriated $100,000 toward the cost in August, 1894.
By June of 1899 no actual construction had been accomplished but most of the right of way for the boat railway had been secured. Then the navigation interests who were to use the boat railway when complete were heard from. They said the scheme didn't appeal to them at all. So the authorities not being irretrievably committed and not having had any appropriation since 1896, decided to defer action.
Captain Harts, who had called attention to the attitude of navigators toward a boat railway, then submitted a plan for a canal and locks around Tumwater falls, for a dam at FiveMile rapids that would drown out Ten-Mile rapids and for open river improvements between the two points, a canal and locks from the dam to the foot of Five-Mile rapids and open river improvement of Three-Mile rapids.
Congress liked Captain Harts' plan and approved the project, but demanded a further examination with a view to modifying the estimate of cost, $3,969,371.
The result of the re-examination was a recommendation for The Dalles-Celilo canal, about as built today, continuous from the head of Tumwater falls to the foot of Five-Mile rapids at Big Eddy.
Before congress would make any appropriation for the new canal, however, it demanded the delivery of all necessary right of way free of charge. The Oregon legislature appropriated $100,000 for this purpose in 1905 and deeded the right of way to the government. Actual construction was begun in 1905, just 31 years after the first examination was made.
As you look upon The Dalles-Celilo canal at the time of its formal opening and dedication to commerce and navigation, May 5, 41 years after the first examination and 10 years after the beginning of actual construction, do not take it as a matter of course.
