, 1889-01-31

sCTIbed as follows:
During the winter months the pre-
vailing winds are from a southerly
direction, varying from 5. +. to ).
". These winds, passing through
the gOTges Of the Olympic mounts
aims ami down Hoods Canal and Ad-
miralty Inlet, blow almost constant
from the southeast at Port Town
send, and often with considerable
energy. The force Oi these winds
seems to blow the rain clouds over
the peninsula, where they deposit
but little rain until, joined by the air
currents from out of Port Discovery
Bay, they pass to the islands Of the
San Juan Archipelago, where the
rainfall Is much greater than al Port
townsend, Incr asing at Victoria and
EsGulualt, and eliminating al Cape
tlatt"ry in the greatest recorded
rainfall on the northwest coast.
During the summer months. west
erIy and northwesterly winds prevail.
ihe-e, blowing up Fuca STRAIT, bring
in the cool air of the ocean which
mCdliios the heat Of summer at Port
Townsend where it is never as hot as
at Seattle, Tacoma or Olympia.
Snow and ice at Port Townsend are
| less than at the cities above named
and are Of rare occurrence in quanti-
ties sufficient to be noticed. Some
years no snow has fallen, as in 1878,
In 1888 there were 5 inches, and in
1883 2 inches.
In 1880 was the greatest snowfall
on record. This was in January, and
| during that month there fell in Port
Townsend 5I.35 inches of snow. In
Port Blakely, 1915 inches and abou,
| the same in Seattle.
IL 1888, during January, inches
Of snow fell, and in ten days it had
disappeared This present winter
| there has not any snow fallen at Port
! Townsend up TO date lee has form.
ed on the fresh water lakes of the
peninsula Of sufficient thickness tc
permit of skating for a few days, but
on the shores Of Port Townsend Bay
no ice has formed. Most of the rain
tins winter has fallen during the
night, and bat little during the day
time. Mr.. Williams, the contractor
| for grading Washington street, told
me today that he commenced work IL
October last. and there has not been
a day since that he has not had his
teams at work. Mr.. Devoe, who Is
constructing the elegant brick bnild
ing for Mrs. Hastings and L. W
james, makes the same statement
regarding bricklayer's and carpent>
er's work. Mr. Geo. Starret, con-
tractor and builder, Mr.. Jonas Gips
and other carpenters, Barthrop Il Co
Frank Bowers and Dobbs Bros.
| painters. express the same opinion
which they verify from their time
books, that there are more out dooI
working days in Port Towsend. with
| less cold Ill winter, and less extreme
heat III summer, than at any place
between Cape Flattery and Olympia
and where laboring men have less
| idle time. This peculiar meteOTOlos-
ical condition Of Port Townsend pen
insula, makes this the healthiest place
on the continent. The death rate is
less than that of any other town il
the United States of an equal num-
ber of inhabitants. No epidemics
have ever been known and even
smallpox does not spread when 1t is
occasionally accidentally introduced
from some steamer or sailing vessel
| During the past ten years, the ma
| jOrity of the deaths have been pa
tients at L. S. Marine hospital, and
other persons who have come here
| for medical advice too late for theil
cure But of the towns people. tn,
families of the pioneers, the Plum
mers, Pettygroves, Hammonds, Hat
ings, Briggs, Clingers and others, at
test that they and their children are
all of a healthy, sturdy race.
With ordinary precaution, this
healthy condition of Port Townsend
will always continue. There are nc
fresh water rivers entering into oul
bay, bringing muddy waters and ma
laria. and no sawdust streets subject
to ebb and flow of tide, bringing or
ganic matter t. Aingle with decayeC
vegetable sub ance, creating the
foul gasses which are n pestilence
and nuisance at the water fronts
/ VI hDtdillt anu uIOlllG. llS ou''
water of Port Townsend Bay and vi
ciuity is transparent and pure, and
the ebb of every tide sweeps Oft al
impurities of sewage which may flow
from the city. This any one can see
by walking along the water front at
low tide. The filth and garbage
from the hotels, restaurants and
stores is all carried off by the swift
current of the ebb, and no foul smells
remain.
These natural causes all conduce
to render the sanitary condition oi
the Port Of Entry most excellent
and unless, by the mismanagemeni
of future officials, this condition is
changed, Port Townsend will con
tinue as it has been, the healthiest
city in America.