Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-13
DAILY sSs1 a:s:s'' : CONSOLIDATED In 1881
,xERIC N ME ITERRAsEAE,
Dan Picture Of the Puget
Sound Country.
n. Empsr. Of '"e North r"''"e
, Prr.,ni and Futsr~ An Anus
Ing and Not Wholly '"'rr'' we"
:. nv n Correspondent Of the
,.s,..eapo.i> JDnrna'.''

0inAeaDOsf>
Nvv TACOMA, w. L.. March T. ne
- area Of the globe pfessn'1 no podf
a,.s,er at all worthy to he ci t-seo VIM
u,as, Sound, in extent OF siflace' oeP.n
- wa..rs. aud su5litnity OF e'cothptS-
mo w landscape. Ttkilg ~, s,a.ss I.o,"
49,. vast reservoir OF tue acih' 'o@Hii
!, n.s,es inward for ~ miles 'nr"u.n
~ ~ atraits Of Juan de fuca, which are
w. miles in width and OF nhkhn"h
S.n.b extends IN an easteriy ui'eo''on
us uep ,ay AZ Port townsend, where II OIL
1,dsa and thence foiio~lng inuitituoi-
ms system of channels ana Days u
snc,oaehes far into tue iahd III every
.nncaiyable direction until ns oep'ns
,.a,srs are nt length arresteo ai'ho7' aa
the very feet Of the CASCADE range, y"
,niles II ON the point OF lts ocean ofi2ii'
The region which lies buried "ehe..h
this mighty laud-locked sea is Ptsa'eI
in extent than the com6iued area Oh tue
states OF Rhode Island and Delaware ;
and the harbors OF Penobscot' oasco'
Sao and Portsmouth upon the Atiantio'
sye hat AZ pruy coves ana ihiets com
nared with its giant BAYS, upon sohe Oh
wnose peaceful b'soIns fsiAht saieiy
r,de the united naval fi1et OF TN" ~orio'
From the mouth Of the straits 10 Coih-
mepoement Bay the largest ocean stips
NAV safely pass lGOo miles OF haS'rh
hIs sbore line with scarc~iy single reel
ar shosl or other seri"ns oostfuctioh 10
interfere.
the heart of bonndiess CONTIGUOUS
forest. which upon every side stfe'cnes
from the slopes of distant sno" ciao
mountain ranges to the very eoRe OF its
snrf. beaten shores. lhrouRnout th's
great woodland tract lofty pines, mrs,
spruces, oedars and hemlocks inter
m,pple TO produce body of timber IN
surpassed IN extent and variety oy Tue
finest Of the famous forests o' norway,
and from its vast area tue markets Oh
the world may easily draw tnetr sup
plies for centuries to come: Threading
the intricate maze OF chanheis aho
canals, or darting across the surface of
smooth bays upon one oi the many
swift little steamers which ply upon Tue
Sound, grand views of the gliding
shores, with their terraced and wooded
heights and towering headlands, backed
here and there by white chains OF dis-
tsnt mountains, are con lnuaIIv UNFOLD
ed to the eye, a magnificent panorama,
Ia which everywhere majesty ana might
are the predOminating elements. 10
the west the Olympian or Coast ranges
stretch their broken lines ot brown,
.imned clear cut a. silhouette aVains.
the sky, their loftiest peaks wrapped IN
SHOWS and their lower slopes draped III
gray sea fogs, while To the east the Cas-
ondes, buried beneath mantle OF eter-
nal white, rear their OvertOwerlng sum-
mits, with the cloud capped dome OF
old Rainier as their grand central ngure.
To describe this mountain as II appears
from the Sound on clear day Is task
beyond the power of tongue or pom. In
the midst Of a landscape, every feature
Of which IL casting IRON the most
massive Of natures moulds. and dashed
with her bolaest eolorlng, IL stands
alone, at once the mIRhtlest and the
most bea utiful creation OF her hand.
From the deck cf the little Augusta.
since burned, first saw 1t one Sepsem-
her afternoon. AZ 1t suddenly burst into
view through the lifting smoke and va
pors whch had wrapped It In their
white folds for many days. Though a
hundred miles distant, its white mass
seemed 30 fill the whole southern SKY.
and its rounded summit, some two and
three quarter miles above the sea, ap-
phreniiy looned Immediately above ia.
The slanting rays of the western sun
playing In lambent beams of golden
and rosy light upon Its vast fields Of
sparkling snow, the shadows OF its deep
riffs and crevasses, inky black IN the
center. gradually shaded off into royal
purple, until touched at the edges with
iridescent hues Of dazzling splendor.
cswblned to make n picture sush as the
mountain scenery Of the world nowhere
else presents a parallel. Mount Rainier
Is the l0ftiest peak of the Rocky noun
tain sy ystem north of Colorado and south
OF Alaska, and the immense ranges by
which It IL surrounded. some of then
reaching to the belt af eternal SHOWS.
are dwarfed into insigniticance IN the
presence Of its all pervadlnp. overpower-
ing majesty.
The great forest IF the Sound sweep
mp to its feet, but does not climb far up
its sides, more than half of its mass ly
ing cold and naked under the drifts Of
unnuubered centuries Only twice has
the ascent to its surface been success
fully effected. both efforts having been
reported ~ attended by the most
fatiguing toll and innumerable per,ls
calculated TO appal the stoutest heart.
Ihe vlew from its stupendous dome,
only obtained in one instance untram-
meled by smoke and mists, il described
a. 40 fsr-reachine and majestic ~ to
have rendered speechIess with amaze
ment and transfixed those who looked
upon 1t. North. east and south mount
AIN range blended into mountain range.
with the great valleys between. aud their
contained rivers appearing like little
MFeaks OF brown, relieved by winding
tnreads OF silver. while to the west the
Glue surface Of the Sound, cleaning pic
turesquely amid the emerald mass Of It's
chcon passing forest, stretched forth
until bleached into the illImitable ex-
panse OF the Pacific Ocean. A giant
sasin lies At the foot Of the ravine.
whose slowly-meltine lights and walls
nf lee supply the Puyallup River. Bor-
uerinR this ice born stream are broad
nreas OF fertile lands. upon which are
situated many OF the largest hop farms,
which have lately given to Washington
ieriitory our unexpected fame.
Inc approach tn Rainier il hy bride
pains only. from Seattle and Tacoma
out wagon roads are soon to be built,
renderine II more easily and comfort
.o'y accessible to the tourist. who III the
tuture NAV wish To take near view OF
us manifold wonders. alone sutiicien,
70 pay him for his long ride over the
s'ns OF the newly constructed road.
"dy OF water of such Importance ~
rueet Sound, offering as 1t does ihs
freedom and facility of ocean uaviga,
s,"n without Its dangers. in the mids'
oI region containing the eleuents oi
s'sHs commercial possibilities. casuo'
remain much longer almost uunoticec
az - mas been hitherto. The compile
won OF the transcontinental line,
whoa preceded the Northern Pacific
% the signal for the rush of a great
ue OF immigration into the heart o
VOC continent, by means OF which IL,
-chlsd desert wastes were trans
nIo.ned ~ by magic into produrtiv,
neias' and possessed by an intelligent
na prosperous people. and nov afte
voc lapse OF decade a new country
stengh the medium OF the channe
SSnered to commerce by the latel,
nnlsned railroad. is again throvr
en 70 the RESTLESS thousands wh,
uAse long been eagerly pressing upo,
s borders as the last remnant Of wild
s.ness LETT to be conquered The sam,
mhfke0 aha ,na, ,rl,.k 49,. - .