, 1873-10-02
guset Sou,ld 9ispateh,

TACOMA HARBeR.- The Tribune pub
fishes four certificates from employees
Of. the Tacoma Mill Company to prove
that Capt. Phelps and the officers of the
U. S. S. Saranac misrcpresentod the
harbor Of Tacoma, both in regard to an
chorage and protection from winds.
and thereupon fatty charges Captain
Phelps not only with lying but with
being bribed by citizens or Seattle to
make these representations, and COM
cludes; "1f Capt. Phelps conduct in
this affair we're properly represented TO
the Navy Department, We would not
question for a moment the probability
of his receiving a severe and deserved
censure. .'ran zia ni lisai.3a .a.1ob ffed
So far as concerns tho harbor of Ia
coma, this is no longer question OF
any public importance. The kite-fying
expedient of making that q terminal
city, to be put upon the market as fancy
stock, has exploded and can never be
renewed with any prospect Of success,
and any further discussion of the sub
ject will only result in making more
apparent the rascality of the scheme.
These attacks upon the character of
distinguished officer of the Navy, and
gentleman heretofore above reproaeh.
but betrays the malice of thwarted vii
Amy. The constrained certificates of
employees made at the instance of cir
employers, with no personable respon-
sibility for their accuracy, can hardly
be taken as conclusive evidence to iIn-
peach the testimony of an old navy Off
Ger whose honor and sole earthly ambi-
tion is in his profession. If any >indi-
cation of Capt Phelps character was
needed in this matter, the official charts
and the testimony of every disterested
navy officer, coast surveyor and intelli'
gent mariner who has ever visited that
bay will fully sustain his statements.
Capt. Phelps visited every bay aud inlet
upon this Sound, in man of-war, many
years ago. and then learned by personal
observation that there were no sound
ings in front of the present town site of
Tacoma, and expressed great astonish-
ment when he first heard that Tacoma
had been selected for the railroad termi
nus. Capt. George, the pilot of the
Saranac has been eight years Govern
ment pilot upon this upper coast and
has frequently explored every harbor
upon Puget Sound. Before the Saranac
left Seattle for Tacoma, Capt. George
told Admiral Pennock that he thought
anchorage could not be found as far
from the shore as it would be necessary
for the ship to lie. The Admiral e1-
pressed great desire to stop at Tacoma,
and Capt. Phelps promised to do his
best to find anchorage, though none was
indicated upon the Government chart.
That Capt. Phelps did do his best there
can be no reasonable doubt, and be was
no more responsible for not finding
bottom where none had ever been found
before, than was Com. Wilkes or Capt.
Lawson, the coast surveyors. Perhaps
those mariners who certify to the good
qualities of the harbor can tell old sail
ORE how they can run ship into Taco
ma with safety under sharp north
wind. No one has yet dared to try it.
The Directors of the Northern Pacific
Railroad knew as we'll before as they
know now that there was neither harbor
Or anchorage at that point. The official
report of Thomas H. Garfield and Sam.
Wilkeson, Commissioners appointed to
examine and report upon the proper
point for terminus upon Puget Sound,
emphatically and distinctly declared
Tacoma out of the question, both as re-
CARDS depth of water and exposure to
the north winds.
Capt. Phelps. having demonstrated
by practical test that the chart was
right. was in duty bound, as an officer
and gentleman. to publicly use the
influence of his position to expose the
manifest fraud intended in locating the
terminus of the railroad at that place.
DUTIES OF The PRESS. of the