Roads Still Blocked

Crews Clearing Highways Near the Dalles

Main Traffic Artery to Pendleton Closed, but Detour is Being Arranged for Today.

The Columbia River highway between The Dalles and Pendleton, which has been impassable since the storm, will not be open before December 5, it was announced today at the state highway office. Motorists caring to venture a hard trip, however, will probably be able to get through after tomorrow by making a detour by way of Wasco, crossing the John Day river at McDonald's ferry and thence to Blalock, it was said.

A crew of men is now engaged in clearing the road between this city and Biggs, and another crew is understood to be clearing the way from Biggs to Wasco, in Sherman county. From Wasco to Blalock the road is open. About 20 cars arrived at Wasco last night, having broken the way from Blalock after considerable hardship. These cars had been stalled at Arlington since the start of the storm and will probably reach The Dalles tomorrow for shipment to Portland by boat. The Dalles-California road is still closed to traffic because of snow, although a warm rain, accompanied by a chinook wind this afternoon made rapid strides in melting the white mantle. Sixteen automobiles were brought to The Dalles last night on the steamer Teal. Owners expressed surprise when they were informed that roads east and west of The Dalles were not open, saying that they had been informed otherwise in Portland.

Rev 2000-02-18