The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-31

per annuu. and while the commission ~, No,
CONSIDER Neah bay or the vicinity especiaIlv
1susef0us. Il was thought upon conferences
Win some OF the citizens OF Port Townsend and
20 - arlhg people, thai the establishment
" MT ooat station, the cost of which wouId he
ssnan ana the running expenses but little mora
tnan the salary of q keeper-s200 per annum-
would be unsuitable. Ali the citfzens consulted
were OF the opinion that the Indians at Neah
~ - would De available and adequate for vol
ulseer crew whenever one might be needed.
20. the compensation OF . keeper has been
raised Dy law TO 500 or 500 per annum, and the
pay OF crew is $50 per month for eacl, man
AS above stated. but two casualties to vessels
nave occurred in the vicinity since the station
was established The life-boat has been called
into actual service but once, the occasion BEING
mat OF the disaster TO the Lizzie Marshall men.
TONED IN the report 70 the Chamber Of Com
meEce which you sent to me This disasta,
happened on the southwest coast Of ysncor,.
sers isiand, not in the United States, and four.
teen or fifteen miles from the station entjrelv
OUTSIDE OF the usual srope OF station operations.
IN view OF these facts, unless there are rea-
sons TO the contrary which am not aware Of a
would seem 10 be my duty to recommend to the
secretary OF the treasury the discontinuance of
tne station, under the provision of section 2
act Of May 4, 1882, which authorizes him to lfis.
continue station whenever in his Judgment
tne interests of commerce ana humanity no
longer require its existence" Before dong 20
however. shall be glad to give due attention r,
any considerations bearing upon the subieet
ms. your honorable body may wish to present
nespecuuiy yours. 8 J. KINBAIL
General superintendent.
In reply to this altogether remarkable
communication, the following has been
forwarded:
OFFICES CHAMBER or COMMENCE,
P0RT rrr< u~.a1.
Mr. 8. J. Kimball General superintendent
United States Life Saving Service, Washington.
" C.-Sfr: Your communication of the I2th
inst. addressed to the president of this cham
Der, has been the subject of careful considera-
ton. Its tenor 10 surprising. and leads to the
belief that you have been misinformed rs to
the situation.
We fully agree with you that If there ia To be
no change in the station ct Neah bay-if the sta
ton 10 to be conducted in the ineficient man
ner In which 1t has been conducted since IL was
established-it might as well be abandoned IL
Is useless now. You inform us that your statis-
ucssnow that only two wrecks have occurred in
the vicinity of Neah bay since 1877. This IL
gratifying as public notice of the safety of the
entrance to the Straits of Fuca If this was the
entire truth there would be less reason to COM
plain OF your contemplated recommendation To
the secretary OF the treasury that the station be
abandoned.
We peg 20 De allowed 20 present some facts to
show the necessity of the maintenance OF COM
piefely equipped iife-saving station in the yici-
nifty OF Neah bay. Instead of abandoning the
station it should be placed in the most effective
condition, ana competent men should be sta
toned there to render aid in time OF need If IL
was advisable in 1877 to establish life boat sta
ton at Neah bay. the interests of commerce and
humanity demand now that station of the
first cass--a complete station"-be established
in the vicinity. In 1877 the commerce of Puget
sound had not reached la,ge proportions Last
year there entered this port 1,22s vessels under
register and 5S3 vessels under license; there
cleared l,431 vessels under register and
531 vessels under license. The total
commerce, entering and clearing, amounted
TO 3,095024 tons. This year there
ia . large increase In the number of
vessels entering the straits. As the neighbor-
hood Of Cape Flattery il often the center of
wild storms and certain, ct stated times in the
year. TO be overhung with thick fogs, the enter
ests of commerce and humanity" win always re-
quire the existence of life-saving station at or
near Neah bay, and this necessity will be more
imperative - commerce increases. It is FORUM
ate for the good name of this government that
no more marine disasters have occurred in this
vicinity, for the keeper of the station has no APP
planes by which he might render aid Yet
your statistics fail TO show the dangers of the
not have been kept in idleness within the last
few years.
Prior to the establishment of the station at
Neah bay, on November 4, 1875. . shipwreck
with great loss of lie occurred bout thirty miles
southwest of Cape Fiattery, through collision
between the ship Orpheus, Captain Charles Saw.
YER bound from San Francisco TO Departure