The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-02-24
County and City Official Press.
Saturday, February "a, 1877
RAILROADS VERSUS RIVERS.

Probably the two facts that the Cas-
caae and Rocky mountains inclose 4
territory that Is imperial III extent aud
resources which must ssud its products
10 Pacific port for outlet, and that the
axiaI line Of tiiis :-ssEc must by a
sort Of law of gravity. be by the los
and direct alignment Of the Yakima
and snoqualm.e Pass. and the open
channel of Puget Sound, are csrcum-
stances that are not always duly con
sidered hy men who are weighing a
choice OF location for business and
homts. The Giscernment taught by tx
lcrience is too often retroactive rather
than progressive IN its glance; compe-
tent only TO bcwail the helpless East
instead of penetrating the hopeful flu
ture We can see how We let our
golden opportunities slip in the cradle
days o! Chicago, San Francisco aad
St. Louis. but cannot profit by the re-
grei to repair the lost chances by i'm
proving the present tina. arc offered in
the incipient Chicsgoes or Bostons
that are springing IN the new. There
is as much truth as poetry in Henry
Clay's remark. that experience TO
many men is like the storm!ights of d
ship, Illuminating only the track that
is passed over"
There is an old theory. oftea asserted,
that water transportation is always.
everywhere and under all conditions,
cheaper than land; which is being year
by year exploded by the logic of facts.
Though the Hudson. Mississippi aud
other chief riyers flow north and south,
the great currents OF the nations busi-
ness have for years flowed in an cast
and west direction over the railroads,
AID utterly we observe that the rail
roads, though interest burdened. are
draining the traffic off the Erie Canal
itself, which runs east and west and
was butt earlier and ty State appro-
priations.
Tho Massachusetts State Railroad
Commission, consisting of Chas. Francis
Adams jr., A. ID. Briggs and Francis NJ
johnson, have recently submitted their
annual report. which shows the amount
of agricultural produce moved from
west 10 east last year by rail as COM
pared with tina. by water, to have been
more than one half The ratio has been
gradually crawling up for II number of
years. In 1873. il stood 29.S per cent.
by rail to ZOE by water; in 1874, 50
per cent. by rail to g. per cent by
water; in 1875, ii per cent. by rail TO
90 by water; and at last, in 1875, it was
$40 per cent by rail TO 474 by water.
This showing is the more astonishing
and the more gratifying in view Of the
tact that II has taken place in the face
Of reduction in the freight rates be-
tween Chicago and New York by the
canal in consequence of the competition
from 1919 cents per bushel to %. the
lowest notch Ia which they could go.
without falling short of expenses
Even at this. the railroads are absorb.
ing the traffic.
What is the bearing of these facts up
on the project of canals and locks around
tho several Cascades of the Columbia !.
What would be the utility Of THIS route
even allowing the locks tn be made, as
against narrow guage railroad from
Walla Walla. the emporium of the in.
terier,lto Seattle. the maritime emporium
Of the North. vest Ii the expensive
broad guage road is more than match
for the complete, free channel Of the
Eastern canals. of wha, avail will b. the
obstruc.ed channel Of the Co,um his
against the more economic narrow
guage Even if the government car
ries out the improvement Of the Cas-
cades there will remain the difficulties
Of the bar q, the mouth If the river
All tho Efforts that have been made thus
far u amend tho character of this for
midahle impeiimcnt ~ commerce have
thus far proved futile. aud any practical
improvement, may be sc, down as
physical impossio,l,ty.
In regard 10 this subject. Henry Law.
one os the ablest English civil engi-
neers. says, The extent Of onmplica,
lion Of the causes hearing upon the dis
position at ailavions in embauchures is
So great, that nothing can he predicted
with certainty as - the effect Of any
modification upon their outline. whether
produced by nature or art, |, seems.
therefore, advisable 10 adopt merely
temporary methods Of removing the
derosi. which may ol.s,ruot. rather
than 10 oonsiruo. expensive works with
the hope Of controlling tie powerful
and unknown operations Of na;use.
IL appears 10 lie generally admitted 10y
the Italian. French aud German ensi
asers, that where sand-hanks have once