The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-17
me STATE or WASHINGTON.
trays Hsrbor and Its Rich Trib'
utary Country.


A.xxuxrx. March Is False ina
pression~ regarding the natural re-
rource. and financial advantages o.
secfions and localities are almost csf-
fs;r n end lodging in the minds Of
the readiag psbiie. Especially - this
tys,e II, undeyeIoped countries where
every little town has it, combinations
If ssbooners" for the very purpose o.
creating false impressions Honest,
intelligent statements of the facts Of
To,,ufry set out in the columns of our
public journals ensighten the public
rsther than confuse. After carefully
Investigating the resources d Grays
Harbor. We beg 70 submit them ~ she
public.
The harfor proper i about eighteen
na;le. long east and west by twelve
wide north ard south at the extreme
poiuts. There are the north. south.
and middle channels traversing She
bartor. The upper half OF the
harbor il quite narrow, and The water
yafher shallow, although light draft
vessels find easy sailing up PIE the
halls rsger 10 Monfesano. Fix rivers
aow into the harbor. each nayigabie
lar Iiyht draft vessels for some miles
mn several smaller vessels Of minor
;rnuorteuce sIow into the harssor.
The chart showing the government
souudirgs taken in 1888 indicate tie
depfh Of the harb0r waters af all
les ia a
paint about eight miles from the
mouth OF the liarbpr, On the north
eide. aud two and hall miles
west Of the mouth 81 the Uo-
atfiam river. the north and niddi
channels having united, the chart in
dicates a feet OF water OF extreme iow
fide. The channel here widens and
deepens toward the sea, and varies in
depfh from "A Zee. TO Cd feet. and
about tbree-aunrters OF mile wid
The harbor bar Is about one mile
vide with depth of about q feet at
ertrcbae low tide. Heaviest draft
ocean steamers can easily sail IN and
out Of this hari,or up to the point in
djeated where siaiio4er water sets Ia
Mt any stage OF tide and IN any kind OF
weather. The bottom of the harbor
waters Is composed OF dirt and sand
IN proportions best adapted for good
anchorage, The water In this part OF
the harbor Is pcither too deep nor too
shallow and the most accessible to the
sea OF any hari,or on the Pacific coast.
There il room here for the entire flo
tilla of this coast.
The Chehaiis valley 4 Gray's Harbor
Railroad Company made formal pur-
chase last Saturday OF 2fU0 acres W.
ing in a body Just off the head of this
deep water, where they have located
the terminus OF their railroad. Their
surveyors are now ut that point, hay
ing completed The final survey from
the coal field al the foot OF the Cas-
cade mountains. We are Uniformed
that this company intend letting the
contracts for the immediate construc-
ton OF this line. operating from either
end. This line will make connections
with the Northern Pacific Railroad ut
Centralia, with the prospects Of unit
ing, through the Cosilets Pass, with
the Chicago a Northwestern Railroad,
now pressing their way across Idaho.
Up TO the present. development OF
the resources Of Gray's Harbor has
been slow. There being nothing TO
draw the ocean vessels 10 the harbor
save the shipment of lumber. il was
difficult for people to catch u vessel
coming in. The steamers Miles and
Alliance, each making weekly trips
from Portland, offered the only means
for ingress by water. Overland they
were compelled to stage IL from olym-
pia. n distance 81 nearly so miles.
Connections ere now made by boat
and the Blaketey railroad 20 q point
within ~ miles OF MonteSane, thus
making the stage journey quite short.
-Four towns OF GOO 10 1900 population
hive sprung up on the harbor during
the past five years. even in spite OF the
Inconvenience OF reaching It, The
resources OF this harbof are almost
unknown as vet. The timber living to
Tie north II claimed 81 be the largest
body and the heaviest of any belt in
the territory. To say the least. there
Surface coal has been found on the
upper Humptulups river which X
claimed TO be the finest grade of coal
yet discovered In the territory,
Explorers who have been over the
country inform US that the territory
lying between the harbor and Strait
Of F'uca Is alone tributary 90 the har-
Dor. There being no hafbors ON the
coast where ships could possibly en-
ter. the products of that vast country
could not so out hs water save al this
harbor. IL being eoand on the north
and east by the Olympic range cuts
them off there. Much is being said Of
the wonderful resources of this vast
country In the form of timber. fish.
coal and especially extensive fertile
valleys. This being true 1t would oe-
cur 10 Us that Gray's Harhor holds inn
mediately tributary 10 IL the greatest
resources of any place in the terri
tory.
Touching the progress in develop
ment OF these resources. the reader
should inquire a. 90 the railroads
building into the harbor, the manu-
factories being located and the amount
OF logging and ranching. About half
this country remains nnsurveyed.
The Sfrryey.si land u t.faetataIiT ali