Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-23
CCorrasnondance p r. Arn

Correspondence p. 4. Argus.
Pogr ANGELES, Feb. A.-After the
last severe gale, which damaged so
many vessels up Sound, noticed an ar
ticle in your columns giving list of
noted harbors in this Territory. saying
Port Angeles was a good harbor but
small. Allow me to correct you SO you
will not make that mistake again.
don't wish to ignore the many good
harbors on Puget Sound. such AZ Port
Townsend, Seattle and Bellingham
Bay, but when you say that Port An
geles is too small, think you have not
paid much attention to the charts, as it
is one of the largest and best hartors in
the Territory. If you will take that
chart you will find 1t to be five miles
long, two miles and a quarter wide,
with good anchorage for large vessels
in any part of it, aud perfectly safe in
any wind. The heavy northeast winds
do not reach here, for some reason.
and the southeast wind is unknown
only as a zephyr. The prevailing gales
during winter and summer, are from
the northwest and southwest, which
makes the harbor perfectly land-lOcked
and smooth. During the recent gale
which damaged so many vessels up
Sound, three large vessels lay at anchor
in this bay perfectly safe.
When Gen. w. Scott was in this bar
Dor. twenty years ago. he called 1t the
Cherbourg OF America, and by that
name 1t went for some time. 1t is true,
"a the Seattle Posi- says,
that it requires capital and brains to
make city of importance, which. am
sorry to say, We lack to a great extent
| in fact, the place Is in its primitive state,
owing to the Goyerument having re-
served nearly all the water front and a
mile back for military, naval, custom
house, and hospital purposes, which
takes in all the best of the water front
also having surveyed town site and
sold lots, many of which have been sold
since by the county for taxes. YOU
correspondent bought one twenty years
ago, paying SIS for it, and the lot Il
here vet, like many more, awaiting the
! brain and capital to enhance their val
ne. The few struggling settlers in this
vicinity are doing their best to make Ar
honest living, with strong hopes-liks
Nicawber. waiting for something t.
turn up-your humble correspondent
! with the rest. Yet we of Clalam coun
| ty are very teuderfooted when ANY ol
| YOU up-S0unders, who seem to b luxu
rating on the prospects of the future
speak disparagingly of its harbors Oh
resources, for il is a well-kn0wn fac
that any shipmasser who knows any
thing about Puget Sound or the Straits
| of Fuca. feels safe in any weather wher
| he has Port Angeles under his lee. Anc
don't pretend to be prophet, yet
| will saw right here, that If ever the c. p
| Il. X. crosses johnson straits 10 Vancou
yer Island, it will not stop short Of
Barclay Sound. when, perhaps, you up
Sound people will hear more of Por
Angeles than you will like The ses
| tiers in Clalam county are very quiet
peaceable set of people. and are per
| fecssy willing that Seattle and Por
TownSend should have all the booms al
present, yet are very sensitive wheE
anything Is said against their pfincipa
harbor, which only awaits the capita
and brains which the Seattle PosT-lN
TELLIGEScE2 says is required. Th,
| hari or We have is only 90 miles from
the -, and the capital and brains vii
soon aerive, and don't yoa forget it,
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