The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-05-15
COMMERCIAL FACILITIES OF
WASHINGTON.

Prominent Typographical features Of
Washington are its great shore line
and its deep navigable estuaries. The
frontage ON the Pacific reaches from
Cape Disappointment at the mouth Of
the Columbia, latitude 46' Is, to Cape
Flattery at the mouth of Fuca Strait,
latitude 49, 23. The distance in a di-
rect line between these two points is
l40 miles, and yet the coast survey
tells that Washington has shore line
of 1888 miles. Of this, some 627
miles belongs to Islands in the Georgia
Archipelago; GA miles to Admiralty
Inlet and Puget Sound; 1872 miles to
Hoods Canal; l6l miles to the Straits
of Fuca, and 154 miles to the Pacific
Ocean, excluding the shore lines Of
Gray's harbor and Shoalwater Bay
Tho size of this Territory should be
borne in mind. Extending from the
Columbia river on the 46' parallel Of
latitude to British Columbia north and
south, a distance of 2l0 miles, and
from the Pacific Ocean to near the
base of the Rocky Mountains, a dis
tance of $50 miles, embracing an area
of about 10000 square miles, or nearly
Al 900, 900 acres.
The straits of Fuca lie between
Washington and Vancouver Island,
and is twelve miles wide and over so
miles long. At it's eastern terminus it
separates into two branches, called
Hoods Canal and Admiralty Inlet, the
latter being known as Puget Sound, Of
which Hoods Canal is considered its
western branch. Puget Sound proper
is 70 miles long on the meridian, and
over 100 miles by its meandering chan
mel. The width varies from i mile to
5 or moro, and its depth from 30 to
100 feet. Hoods Canal is 60 miles
long by its channel, about two miles
wide on an average, and about forty
to eighty fee. deep. At ats southern
end it approaches within two miles of
Puget Sound, SO that a short canal
would connect them. North and east
from Fuca Straits are many islands.
Everywhere here the waters are deep
and free from sunken rocks, and the
shores are usually bold. The celebrated
Capt. Wilkes once said, 81 venture
nothing in saying there is no country
in this world that possesses waters
equal to these for commercial purposes.
Other eminent navigators have ex-
pressed opinions similar to this. Pu-
get Sound, Hoods Canal, and the
Straits of Fuca may really be termed
"the Mediterranean Of the Pacific"
Besides these waters it has Shoal-
water Bay and Gray's harbor on the
west, opening into the Pacific Shoal-
water Bay has its mouth 25 miles
north of the Columbia river, and is 6
miles wide and 25 miles long, with an
entrance l5 feet deep. The water is
shallow, as the name indicates, and it
is believed that this bay was once one
Of the mouths of the Columbia river.
Gray's harbor, Is miles further
north, has about the same depth of
water at its entrance, and is Of tri-
angular shape 10 or IL miles on either
side.
Then on its south boundary flows
the great Columbia for $50 miles. Then
500 miles flows the crooked course of
this great river within the Territory
The Columbia can be navigated by
steamboats, 600 miles from its mouth,
and by ocean steamers over 100 miles,
to Vancouver. Its chief tributary
from the eastern slope of the Cascades
is the Yakima. The largest tributary
to the Columbia is the Snake river,
which flows through the southeast
corner of the Territory about 100
miles. This river is navigable nearly
l5O miles from its mouth for river
steamers.
Besides these, in Eastern Washing
ton are the Similkameen, Okanagon,
Clark's Forks Kettle and the Palouse,
with smaller streams. In Western
Washington are numerous rivers, but
they are generally short The largest
BY far is the Skagit, fed by the gla-
ciers Of Mt Baker. This may become
an important navigabls stream. The
others are the Stalukwamish, Squa-
mish, Snoqualmie, Lewis, Cedar, Green,
White, Puyallup, and Nesqually rivers,
all emptying into the Sound; the
Chehalis flowing into Gray's harbor,