[Chapter IX.]
Strange Occurrences.
“Henceforth my heart shall sigh no more,
For olden times and holier shore,
God’s love and blessing then and there,
Are now and here and everywhere.”
“I must tell you of several most wonderful occurrences which have taken place since 1913,” continued the old lady looking at some papers which she held in her hand.
“It was deemed necessary, about the year 1951 to increase the water supply for the City of Portland and it was ascertained that the conditions at Mount Hood forbade looking to that place for a greater supply and it was decided to utilize the, as yet, great and untouched abundance of water offered by Mount St. Helens, and three years later the pipe line was completed, and water from beautiful St. Helens was turned into the new and immense reservoirs constructed for the ever-increasing population.
“It was fortunate for the city that this new supply was projected and consummated just at this time for it was but a year later that Mt. Hood, which had been ‘groaning’ for some time began to belch forth from its intestines a mass of smoke and lava which bared the mountain of snow and caused much consternation among our people. The volcano continued active for several weeks, at intervals, finally entirely subsiding and it has been on its good behavior now for 25 years. Repairs were made to the pipe line and Portland, today, is getting a portion of its water supply from Mt. Hood as of yore.
“The radical changes in the methods of railroading have caused a new era in locomotion and rolling stock. Steam gave way to gasoline and that energy to electricity which held sway for a long time only to be replaced by a newer power, which is not as yet given out to the public.