, 1889-02-28
THE FORTIFICATIONs AND NAVAL
STATION.

iSS'SN Win 1Heli tuiSSlOu ID DeCulhE-
ly accepted, and we lay before our
readers a synopsis OF the various re-
ports of army and navy commissions
since 1S50relative to the fol tifcations
of Puget Sound and establishing
a naval station for the northwest
coast, which We extract from a letter
from the secretary of war to the SEN
ate of the United States transmitting
reports relative to Notifications upon
Puget Sound, May 10, 1888.
Extracts from report of joint com
mission of officers of the corps of en-
gineers, q. S. A, and officers of the
navy, dated Nov. 1850.
THEY RECCoMRSD a CANAL BETWEEN PORT
TOWNSEND HARBoR AND OAK BAY.
Port Lawrence. or Oak Bay, open
ing into Admiralty Inlet and Port
Townsend into the Strait of Fuea, or
more properly Admiralty inlet near
its junction, with the strait, are sep
arated by narrow, low bank, and
might at moderate expense, be made
to communicate with each other by
means of a canal.
The distance across the bank is
from three fathOms soundings of one
of these ports to the same depth, in
the other is thres-fourths of mile.
A canal of that length and three
fathoms deep would afford passage
for vessels of the greatest draught at
high water, the rise of the tide being
two fathoms, and for the largest size
of merchant vessels at low water, the
chief expense of its construction
would be excavation, which below the
low water line might be affected by
DIRE lging- No guard locks, or
masonry to protect the banks would
be necessary as the latter, with a
slope of two to one, and paved foot
or two below low water and above
high water including the intervening
space. woaid be sufficiently protected
against abrasion from the tide, and
also from the waves which could not
have much force in position So we'll
sheltered. These ports, connected
by canal, would afford perfect shell
ter against any storm; the leeward
port, where the shelter would be
found, being always accessible to YES
sells lying In the windward port"
A canal through this bank, which
is known here locally as Chimacum
portage, would also be o: very great
benefit to the steamers plying up and
down the Sound, particularly the
mail steamers which could save three
miles of tie distance they now travel,
and by passing through Oak Bay, the
canal and Port Townsend bay, could
afford to tourists a fine view of our
magnificent harbor with its unriyaled
scenery. This canal, recommended
by the army and naval officers in
1850, when We had but little COM
merce, is doubly important at the
present time, and We predict that it
will be constructed within very few
years aud at a very moderate cost to
government The stone which would
be required for the pavement or rip
rap is found on the spot in lodges on
each side of the head of the bay.
The construction of such a canal is
one of the simplest of engineering
problems.
On August 8, 1866, General Hal
leck, writing from San Francisco to
Adjutant General E. D. Townsend,
Washinton, D. c., says of ioEtifca-
tons:
I'm my opinion the first and most
important point to be fortified is the
entrance to Admiralty Inlet For
this purpose esrthen batteries of
heavy guns like Fort Stevens at the
mouth of the Columbia river, should
be constructed without delay at Point
Wilson and Admiralty Head, and an
other on Marrowstone Point. On
these three points all the fortifea-
tions required for the protection of
Admiralty Inlet can be constructed;
and works commenced without fur
ther delay. Washington Harbor
(Sequiml New Dungeness and Port
Angeles are not worth fortifying.
The custom house was placed at the
latter port as matter OF private
speculation, to enhance the value OF
town lots. 1t should be returned to
Port Townsend"
The custom house was returned to
Port Townsend as General Halleck
suggested, and by the request of mill
owners, merchants and masters OF
vessels. And his accommodation OF
fortifying the entrance to Admiralty
Intent VIII eventually be adopted
Gen. ]. e. Totten, Chief of Engi-
neers in report to the secretary of
war dated MAY 2S, 1860, also is very
strongly of the opinion that the en-
trance 10 Admiralty Intent should be
strongly fortified. and that forts be |
placed at Wilson point aud Admiral |
~ Head, and fort to be constructed |
midway between the two points in
Admiralty Inlet would effeetually re
pei an enemy, This idea of an is
land fort to be constructed was aban-
doned, and Marrowstone point Sc
lected instead
In June, 1866. BrCvet Lieut. Col.
L. 5. A, in a letter to