Dave Knows Portland

November 1, 1889: Portland’s First Electric Street Railway Line Makes Inaugural Trip

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Morning Oregonian headline, 2 November 1889The formal opening of the Portland-St. Johns electric railway line, the first electric line in Multnomah County, took place on Friday, November 1, 1889 (Morning Oregonian, 2 November 1889). The line extended from Downtown, across the original Steel Bridge, and then North to St. Johns.

The construction company, required by its contract to turn everything over in good running order, invited about a dozen gentlemen to take part in the inaugural ride. The men boarded the well appointed car, elegantly furnished in cherry and ash . . . provided with electric lights, which made a beautiful effect at 3:30pm.

In a few minutes the words, “All right; go ahead.” was spoken, when the young man manipulating the lever, turned on the subtle fluid, and away the car sped. It ran rapidly and with scarcely a jar. There was none of the jerky motion so common to the horse, steam or cable car. “How very smooth she runs,” everybody exclaimed when the car got fairly under way and went spinning across the bridge. A few moments delay was occasioned by the swing to and fro of the ponderous draw, to enable a steam to pass through. Then away the car went whirling along. The eastern approach of the bridge was passed, terra firma was speedily reached, and then the electric motor car went “kiting” around the acute curve and shot away down the street toward Albina. After running about a half a mile, another car, upbound, was met a switch. The car coming south was loaded “to the guards” with people of Albina.

The new line, replacing old horse-drawn streetcar lines, would open for regular traffic soon after. The Morning Oregonian writer speculated, presciently, that the enterprise would open up a large section of the country, and will doubtless be the means of rapid settlement on the peninsula.

Further reading:

October 29, 2006: Portland Aerial Tram Cars Arrive in Portland

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Portland Aerial Tram CarTwo weeks late, the pair of Swiss-made tram cars destined for use on the Portland Aerial Tram finally arrived in Portland on October 29, 2006.

The two tram cars that will be used to shuttle people back and forth from Oregon Health and Science University to the South Waterfront arrived on a large ship at the Port of Portland’s Terminal Six Sunday afternoon.

The journey for the cars started in Switzerland where they were fabricated.

The cars were originally scheduled to arrive in Portland the week of October 16th. Tram Project Manager, Rob Barnard, told KGW “The ship that they were on didn’t have a lot of freight for the Portland area. It was running late and they diverted to Canada where the majority of their shipment was.”

The cars were built by Bern, Switzerland based Gangloff Cabins.

The Portland Aerial tram officially opened to the public on January 27, 2007.

Photo credit: Tram photo by Wikipedia user Cacophony. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

October 28, 1911: East Portland Built Sternwheeler Multnomah Sinks in Elliot Bay

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Sternwheeler Multnomah at Three Tree Point, WA two years before her fatal voyageSunday Oregonian headline (29 October 1911)When the sternwheeler Multnomah was launched in 1885 it was one of the fastest, and certainly the finest fitted, steamer on the Willamette (Morning Oregonian, 22 May 1885). She was placed on the Portland – Oregon City route, making two trips a day. She later ran routes on the Columbia too, including excursions to Multnomah Falls (The Sunday Oregonian, 1 July 1888).

In 1889 the Multnomah was transferred to Seattle, where, thanks to her formidable speed, she quickly attained the title of “Greyhound of the Sound” (Morning Oregonian, 23 November 1889). She plied the waters of the Sound for the next two decades, but technology advanced and the now not-so-fast wooden ship ultimately came to be a mere hulk engaged in carrying freight between Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle, until the fateful night of October 28, 1911 (Morning Oregonian, 29 October 1911).

During a dense fog at midnight the steamship Iroquois outbound from Seattle with passengers for Victoria, struck the freight steamer Multnomah, from Tacoma to Seattle, and cut her in two. The Multnomah was sunk in very deep water. All the persons on board were saved. Fifteen head of cattle went down with the Multnomah. The Iroquois proceeded apparently undamaged.

According to dive reports after the accident she lies in 270 feet of water, her freight deck littered with the still tied down skeletons of the drowned farm animals

October 25, 1906: Peter Iredale Wrecks on Clatsop Spit

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Iredale wreck - Photo by Heather at Mile73.com
Iredale wreck – Photo by Heather at Mile73.com

Morning Oregonian headline (26 October 1906)The British barque Peter Iredale, bound for Portland, Oregon, had an exceptionally pleasant trip up the coast from Salinas Cruz, Mexico, until the early morning hours of October 25, 1906 (Morning Oregonian, 26 October 1906). At 2am Captain Lawrence spotted the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse and gave orders to make sail and head for the mouth of the Columbia River. At 6am, with breakers ahead, all hands were called to the deck and the crew attempted to work the Peter Iredale off shore. But strong southerly gales, the current, and the rising tide foiled that plan. Before 8am she struck the sands with her port bow.

ASTORIA, Or., Oct. 25 – (Special.) – With three of her masts gone and lying broadside high on the beach, the big four-masted British bark Peter Iredale is wrecked in the breakers about three-quarters of a mile below the old Point Adams lighthouse, south of the Columbia River jetty, with every indication that her bones will bleach in the sands, although there is a bare possibility that she may be saved.

The bark went ashore during a strong gale about 7:30 o’clock this morning. Her masts went overboard soon afterwards. All on board were rescued by the life-saving crew. Captain Lawrence, master of the bark, and his officers remained by the vessel all day. Tonight most of them are at the Point Adams life-saving station. Twenty members of the crew were brought to this city this evening, all safe and sound.

The wreck quickly became a tourist attraction, and continues to be to this day. Her bones are still lodged firmly in the sand at Fort Stevens State Park.