, 1889-02-28

eifc Coast, in an exhaustive report to
Gen Humphrey, Chief Engineer O.
S. A, recommends Neah Bay as a
harbor of refuge for naval and COM
mercial marine and koitla Point on
the western entrance to the bay, and
Bdadah Point on the eastern en-
trance; and Wardda Island be strong
" fortified. Also Port Discovery,
Protection Island and the entrance
to Admiralty Inlet.
Capt. Chas F. Powell Q. S. a, of
the engineers, says: Il judge Admi-
rally Inlet one of the first defenses
that are required. Port Townsend
Bay is commUdious anchorage
which vessels can readily reach from
the sea without pilot"
In October, 1884, a board of epgi-
Eeers, officers of the =. S. a, consist
ing of Maj. John l. Rodgers, 1st. Ar
tillery, Capt. E. Taylor, 1st. Artillery,
and Capt j. w McMurray, 1st. Ar
tillery, were appointed by order of
Gen. Nelson A. Miles to examine and
report on the Notifications necessary
for the protection of Puget Sound.
They reported emphatically that
Point Wilson, Admiralty Head and
Marrowstone Point presented them-
selves to the board as the only suit
able points for occupation in an eff
fort to control the navigation of the
waters of Admiralty Inlet by land
batteries and recommended that Point
Wilson have open batteries with a
parapet of 40 feet thickness. Gen.
Miles in endorsing this report says:
1T IS a matter of surprise that this
important harbor and entrance TO
Puget Sound has been SO long neg
lected. Many val
uable points have been selected, but
L regard the two main entrances tc
Puget Sound as of the first import
ance, Wis; Admiralty Inlet and De.
eeption Pass"
| General GiGbon in endorsing the
report of Capt Woodruff q. S. A
Jan. 4, 1888, says Admiralty Head is
one OF the positions at the mouth oi
Puget Sound waters absolutely nee
essary for the defense of that en-,
trance Point Wilson, opposite Ad-
miralty Head, is another essential
point for the defense of the Sound.
Gen. Duane, Chief Engineer Q. S.
A, in his report TO the secretary OF
war. April u, 1888, on the practicable
lty of tortifying the entrance to Puget
Sound, says: The power of the ord
nance and perfection of the appli-
ances of the present day permit
the occupation of the headlanas, Ad
miralty Head, Point Wilson and
Marrowstone Point"
As regards Notifications on Fuca
Strait, Gen. Duane says: 1t is be-
lieyed that the conditions of the pres.
ent day are unfavorable to any such
fortified positions exterior to Admi-
rally Inlet"
The foregoing extracts will show
the unaminity with which all the
various officers, since 1850, have
rally Inlet is the point of the frs!
} consideration for the heavy fortifca
tons for the protection OF Puget
. Sound These three forts. Point
Wilson, Admiralty Head and Mar
rowstone Point, together with the
proposed canal through the Cinema
kline Pass, to connect Port Town
send harbor and Oak bay, Will make
Port Townsend bay the most desira
BILE point on Puget Sound for the 10,
cation of the naval station, and after
the commission las examined and
discovered the merits of every place,
We venture the opinion that they will
decide to recommend the locality in
dicated by the Port Townsend board
of trade. The canal through the
Chemakum portage, the dry dock
and the stone seawalI along the three
miles of water front can all be con-
structed at less cost than to dig a
lcanal from Admiralty Inlet to Lake
Washington. and equip it with its
necessary machinery This commits
sion will have to report to the Secre-
tary Of the Navy. He viii make his
recommendations to congress, and
then we will know what will be done.
But long before the government viii
take any final action, the Port Town.
send southern road will be com-
pleted, and facilities afforded to the
government of which the public know
but little at present. The compile.
tlon of the Port Townsend southern
railroad will solve the problem and
make this city the city of the penin-
isuIa, the grand emporium of the
northwest