Historic Hood River
Civil Engineering
9-29-2015
Notes
Here’s another Alva Day view of the June 1927 flood at Arlington, OR. This one demonstrates some basic principles of civil engineering pretty well. An undersized culvert on the automobile bridge led to total failure of the structure, as well as major flood damage up river. Yet the Union Pacific bridge survived, and is even supporting a carload of coal.
You can see more views of the flood here and here, and read a contemporary news account.
Arlen Sheldrake
A wise and often used railroad practice to add some weight to a bridge during one of mother natures rampages.
L.E.
I suspect this area is now under Columbia River waters?
I know the town was moved for The Dalles Dam back water.
Longshot
Where I grew up they always parked a line of coal cars on the trestles during major flood events.
Kenn
Arlington was such a green oasis trucking through there on a hot summer day. East and west was nothing but dry and bare, then the turn into town with trees along the main street and people enjoying the shade on the hotel porch.
Kenn
LE, yes this area is well under water. The present relocated RR is on a 20′ fill on the highway showing in the picture, the freeway being well above on the large bridge or viaduct.