The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-09
POSSIBILITY or DEFENSE.
View Of the Topography Of Seat
tie for That Purpose.
Col. Halier's sf<msir-xefe~tzeu 81
csmnitssss 10 Receive she
Sas.i e,smmisssan.

Tie 5a{Et cnzmlss&e ca tie recsssfsu az
the naval cn<nmsxsSou held = s.ss-rs,sr Il
she cEsce Of Mr. C. H. KitssnEsr vsssz-ssxv
xfserncsn- CO. e. o. Halier vas ss,zsosr,-.
Cd chairman sn1 Mr.. Alexander Bsrx GEO.
yssary
a COMMITTEES 70 meet the naval e,snsass-
sion on arrival consisting OF kssxrs Geo. 3
Adair. J. A. Hxt5eif ard J. P. Hays. was
appotrtssas Col. HaIlsr wss added % TIE
eem1is1ee - a. ex-usfscEo member.
Committee To ssak. efter The f.,1sncsal
ARRANGEMENTS xnd - make arrans-s,nerts
for entertaining and transporting he CON.
mission wss appointed. II cuasisss OF
MezsEs- c. II kfttsuger. d Z Drsse ard J.
n. Thompson.
ID accordance with request Col. Halter
Aad prepared the fs,slowsag raencir OF she
military posi- 1ilisiex OF the sors,xrauhs
around the city Of seattle. for defense IL
wss read 70 the committee
Modern s1yeafien Is constantly fra-
rrnFfng the capabilities or the hesrv
ordnance and ilgkf Gre arms. bat. ssstsmssw
thai vessels of wRr cannot Feat snfe!esr
steel armor to make thea fuvairerahle
against the MDdevn improved monster
orsfnanae and their enormous ssouieai
pointed shells protected from them with
great certainty from batteries Oh land.
10 30 - miles. and rtnembering that
vessels after entering Admiralty straits or
inlet between Points Partridge and Wilson.
are coafiaed 10 . narrow chsnnes-xay five
miles as the farthsst--it is o5sioas thar
with the modern ara amens AZ sadscscus
points no enemy's vessels are tale after
passing those points.
The military engineers. 2. 8, A.. have
recommended ch0san points of land 70 be
reserved for military Notifications 10 OBJ
struct The rssags OF an eaeny's neet
But. xuppossrg Sect had successfully
passed the Notifications contemplated at
Points HilSos. Feaiweather Bluff, and tie
batteries opposite nn WILDLY island then
what could project seattle
In answer would say. the land ~ Ali
point. West point and the bluff &c Salmon
bay are wonder Sully adapted for heavy
batteries. and forts cations there, assisted
81 torpesioss, wcusd completely neutralixe
su enemy's feet, II moi destroy t.
We can readily understand the oaslef
from lakes Union and Washington when
We consider II Is the neck OF botile--tne
likes representing the bottle-and the
Notifications ~ SallEcu bay representing
the cork; the cork can effeeTualIy shut ont
and protect the within. a. will No vessel
coald get near enough 10 shell the city
But suppose a ease. By darkness
akd caring hostile ship might enter
Elliott bay. We wesuid find the modern
shell having superseded the oid-faskioned
spherical bo1ah-shsAis thrown from Is
inch rorsars. could do no damage on
Lake Washington for the reason that
their trajectory Icing reduced almost
, 20 sIsaign. line, compared
shell would have 90 rise 800 fees 70 clesr
the heights between the 5ay and Lake
Washington, aud, being nearly straight
line, would necessarily pass over the mast.
head OF TIE largest man-of-war ever con-
sfTncsed, ii aschored near the steep hills
on the wcsE side OF Lake Washington
II Is Obvious from these considerations
that Lake Washington, In military point
OF view. offers shipping and worSshers.
etc, "a local security from water attack
due TO position and natural surroendEngs''
(Srd proposiiionl and presumiug "the
principal lines of dRfenSc;r Ind proposi-
fionl refer to the defense OF Puget
sound and is commerce. il Is respect
fully submitted that no point for such
purpose IS better located than the harhors
OF ccartle-being central and sufficiently
reyaoved from the entrance 80 afford ref
HEc. when pressed By au enemy.
The foregoing memoir assumes that a
Safp Canal '.of sufficient size. depth, and
accessibility for vessels of largest size and
draft' ffirst prorositlonl had bean or viii
be constructed In the pear future.
Tue fabulous growth OF Seattle in the
past year or tive. the immense resources
found in the mountains near Seattle, con
sfsting Of coal, iron. limestone. marble.
Superior and handsome sandstone for
building purposes, valuable minerals and
the precioas metals. timber fer building
purposes, and especially adapted
for the construction OF ships
and for masfs. ali Of which is inviting
capital With skilled aud unskillcd labor.
and : now rapidly bringing population
into Puget souEd aud this city, ass1re rs
that very soon the shores Of Elliot bay
viii be inadequate to accommodates the
necessities of commences, WHEN ship ca
prise. II not sooner accomplished with the
assistance of appropriations from the fed
erel g0yernment Respectfully submitted,
GRANVILLE d. HaLLER.
Colonel y. ). A., retired.
Seattle. w. T.. Feb. /. 1859.