Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-19
DAILY AND WEEKLY:
the P0ST-IMTELLlcENCER PUB. co.
Seattle. June 10 1888.
FACTS OF INTEREST.
Yakima Signal. I

For several years past the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, assisted by
the United States Geographical Survey
ino Department, have been making an
Investigation in the various natural fea-
tnres of this country which cannot fail
"a he of great value when the work shall
have been completed. The investigation
has been carried on 10y numerous spe-
c;alists operating in different sections of
the county, the result of their labors
heinc brought to the general ofhce
vbich ia located at Newport, Il. l., and
there arranged fer publication. One
uarty of these specialists passed through
town this week on their way eastward.
Durino the summer they have been 80
ionrninp in the Cascade mountains, ly-
inc west of here. The party is under
rhe direction of Mr.. X. u. Goode, who
il a son of Hon. John Goode, formerly
a member of Congress from Virginia.
M. Goode il a practial topographer
and ia assisted in his Investigations this
simmer by Prof. Il. s. Brandegee, a
bctanist and forestry expert, and also
bv Mr.. Frank Tweedy, assistant topo-
grapher. A.
facts which will doubtless interest some
OF its readers.
The question has often been raised
and discussed as to which OF the several
passes through the Cascades represents
the lowest elevation. According to the
measurements made by these experts,
their respective nights are as follows /:
The summit of the Natchez pass ~ a.
500 feet above the level of the SEA; Ia
coma pass, 3,430: Sheets pass, 3,6O6;
Stampede pass, 1896: Yakima pass j.
625; Snoqualmie pass, 3,llO; tiowiitz
pass, 800. The elevation of Yakima
Is $50 feet and that of Ellensburg Is l.
600 feet. The elevation of Ainsworth.
ut the mouth Of Snake river, il $50 feet.
The summit of the Umptanum hills, by
way OF the Durr road, between here
and Ellensburg, Is $500 feet anc the
summit of the same hills, by way of the
Pressey road, is 5000 feet.
One Important discovery made by MIR.
Goodies party is that Mount Adams is
several hundred feet higher than here
tofore supposed, while Mount fahoma.
or Rainier, is 100 feet lower. The hight
of Mount Adams il acertained to be
1890 feet aud that of Tahoma 14,2JO
feet above the level of the sea.
The forestry expert finds that the
coniferous trees of the Cascade monnt-
aims are greater in variety tnan In any
other part of the United States If not in
the world. In the entire Rocky mount
ain region there are not more than ten
or twelve varieties while in the Cascade
there are nineteen, which may be classed
as follows:
Pines.-Pinus ponderosa, or yellow
pine (three leaves). Pinus contorta, or
black pine 1.-TWO leaves). Pinus albe
oaulis, or ridge pine Give leaves). Pi-
mus monticola, or mountain pine Give
leavos).
Firs.-Pseudo tsuga. or red FIR.
Balsam frs.-Abies grandts, or white
fir. Abils nobilis (verJ rare). Abies
amabilis (very rare). Abies snb-alpina
(very rare).
Larches.-Larix occidentalis, or west
ern iarch. Lark Lyelii discovered by
Professor Lyel). Picea engelmanii, or
spruce.
Hemlocks. ks.-Tsuga pattoriana and
Tsuga mertensiana.
Cedars.-Junipera Virginiana. In
iperus communis. Taxus brevi folis
(yew). Thpja gigantea twhite CEDAR.
Mr.. Goodies party haye also obtained a
list and samples of all grasses and other
vegetation peculiar to this region.
They will perhaps make Topographic
cal survey of the Simcoe range, be-
tween hcre and The Dalles, before leav-
ing for the East.