Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-26
''THE BEAUTIES OF WASHINGTON
TERRITORY.',


Its Climate, Topography, Botany, &c.
PECULIAR FRATuEEsoF THE CoUNrRY-THE Pu-
GET SOUND REGWt-TRIP THROUGH WASH
1NGToN TERRITORY FOREST.
The address delivered by Mr. John P Brown
OF the Agricultural department. before the Dis
tFict Horticultural Society upon THE Beauties
OF Washington Territory" was an exec edingly
interesting and instructive recital of his obser-
vatlons in visit to that territory in the inter-
ests OF forestry. Leaving Washington in April
last, when the ice and snow had not disappeared,
he found on the Pacific coast far north OF this
| city mild, and eauable climate, with roses
blooming In the greatest profusion in every
yard. Alter explaining how it was that the
northwest coast gained this equable climate
throughout the. year by the operation of the
warm Japan current. he proceeded to a descrip-
tlon OF the country and of that notable feature.
PUGET SOUND.
Unlike the Atlantic. the Pacific coast is re-
markably barren of fine harbors. The entire
coast of California has but one that is firstclass:
oregon but one-the Columbia river. while
Washington possesses Gray's Harbor and Puget
Sound and British Columbia has Port Moody
the terminus of the Canadian Pacific railroad
ciic harhors the largest, deepest, safest. by all
| means and by far the best, is the great inland
| sea called Puget Sound.
Entered from the ocean through the Straits of
Fuca, connected with the Alaskan waters by the
! Gull OF Georgia (between the Island of Van
! c0uyer and the main land of British Columbia.
divided into innumerebie channels. passes,
| coves. bays, and harbors by grand archpelagoes,
penlnSulaS, and various indentations of the
shore. deep-in places measuring an hundred
I m Ia
| bors. having excellent holding ground OF six to
eight 1athOms: great in eXtent-having full
! eighteen hundred miles of shore line-yet so
narrow that both shores may be seen at all
times; protected by high lands and forests.
! islands and peninsulas SO that 1T is navigated
with the most perfect safety by the frailest craft
yet so free from sunken rocks bars. and OBJ
structlons that the largest vessels Of the world
! ters-yes. 1t would accommodate the combined
fleets OF the world and furnish them masts and
coal or load them with lumber.
An Indian canoe may traverse its entire
| length, a stern-wheel steamboat navigate it's
whole course, so smooth and like river is its
surface, yet in case of sudden storms a safe har-
| Dor may be found in twenty minutes
Grand in forest and mountain scenery, the
snow-clad peaks of the olympic mass of noun
| tainS upon the west seeming but dozen miles
away, yet in reality sixty or more.
| The irregular peaks OF the distant Cascade
| range, far above the low laying clouds of mist,
with mounts Baker and Rainier ever in view
from some part of the sound. the one II 100. the
! other IA 44O feet in height landmarks that
guide the mariner at sea and interest the trav
eler by land, while the thousand beautiful
! Islands, all differing in appearance rough, rag
ged, rocky, bold precipices in some high tower
ing hills, approaching mountains, in Others,
| While some are low-lying, fiat. sandy or auvia
| tracts covered with grass, pastured by fiOcks Of
sheep and herds Of cattle. Again. some are SO
dense with forest growth that thirty years resi-
| dence has only, caused small openings to be
| made for farms and homes. While q few are
praries diversified with orchards and groves Of
natural trees.O -!
No such body of water exists lsewhere on
| the globe. and none of greater importance to
| future commerce On direct line between the
great cities OF the continent with Japan. China
and Asiatlc ports it is destined to connect the
great railway systems of America with ocean
navigation on the Pacific Near the fishing
/ coast OF Alaska and the north Pacific ocean it
rinliSt beC0me1he rendezvous of the whaling and
! fishing fleets Of the northwest
! Surrounded by the @randest forests of North
| America. its hnberlinterests are permanently
| in advance of all otA:r numbering ports Of the
United states. Themneral wealth of its sur
rounding regions ia rapidly becoming known:
coal. iron copper and other minerals exist in
vast quantities, only waiting the aid of capital
and labor for their development With these
advantages, and farmore. it must become. as it
| is destined tolhe, one of the worlds commercial
ana manufacturing epnters.
| TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TERRITORY
| large portion Of Washington Territory is
mountainous, as the abrupt elevated range of
the Cascades. with its lateral spurs: large irreg-
ular mountain masses. as the Olympic: high
| rolling table lands as the Spokane plateau or
| rough rocky hill lands, as are many of the
islands OF the sound. portion. small COM
pared with the entire area, yet large i'm fact ia
OF river and creek bottoms, beaver marshes and
both tide and fresh water marsh lands.
The Cascade range, extending through the
Territory in a direction with the magnetic
| needle. north 221% degrees east. occupying al
most the entire space between the 121 and 123
merldlans. is cut entirely through by the Column
bla river and partly by the COwltz Snoqual-
mic, Natchess and Skagt rivers, forming passes
OF low elevation decreasing in height toward
the north. BY this Important mountain range
the Territory Is divided into two entirely dis
tinct climatic districts.
The Olympic mountains occupy the great
peninsula between Hoods canal. Straits of Juan
de Fuca and the Pacific ocean. They are largely
uneXplored, snow clad on the SUBMITS. heavily
tlmbered on the slopes, a very rough and irreg-
ular mountain mass
The vicinity of Mount Rainier is characterized
by mountain spurs and canyons. the former COW
cred with fir and cedar timber. the latter guild
ing the melting snow from the glaciers to the
flowing rivers below. and as each season cuts
deeper and deeper it reveals along the precipit-
otherwise would never have been suspected
Upon the blutf, near the coal mines of Carbo-
nado 400 feet above the river, and on the top Of
an almost perpendicular wall a mighty cedar
had fallen, one-third its body projecting over
the bluff; on this climbed and thus secured q
view, unobstructed by the surrounding forest
growth, which was superb. little water fall
leaps by a succession Of cascades from 90 to 60
feet each, to the river below while at the foot is
seen the beautiful stream, rapidly whirlng along
over the rocks its waters clear as crystal except
when white with foam from pouring over the
masses OF rock that have fallen from the rocky
sides Of the canyon.
The gorge. the winding river the tall ever
greens, form picture worthy Of Bierstadt OPP
pOSite are the various tunnels penetrating the
coal beds and from here are shipped vast GUAM
titles of coal to the "bunkers" at Tacoma. where
loaded into ships and steamers, it is taken to
San Francisco.
IN THE FOREST.
once made trip through the forest region,
the direct distance being but six miles. but it
required fifteen hours to accomplish the journey.
Starting at a. m. witha roll of blankets and
two days provisions strapped on our backs.
through marsh and wet river bottoms. over
rough hills and ravines. all densely timbered,
passing some of the largest cedars, reaching
upward from 200 to $50 feet in height and from
to IL feet diameter, also magnificent fir trees.
straight as az arrow, 120 feet to the first limbs
and from Is to "a feet in circumference: besides
hemlock and other trees Of somewhat lesser pre-