The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-17
Iron and steel rule the ship.

a. made Of wood. Iron and steel rule the ship
ping OF all seas.
toms arc subject in salt water 10 marine growshs
which adhere 70 them and greatly impair the
efficiency OF the vessels The speed OF al iron
sip is often reduced half By the presence OF
grass and barnacies sdherinx TO the bottom, and
the cost OF maintaining such vessels IA greatly
enhanced By the necessity OF frequent docking
10 re.s.oye these aeeretons. Fresh water de-
sfroys marine growths and prevents their lorna
ton Barpacies and grass which cover YES
sells bottom in SILT water to the weight OF many
tons. are killed by 3 few days in fresh water ana
will drop off, or may be removed easily BY scrap
ers. so advantageous 10 iron shipping is an &c
cessibie body OF fresh water, that masters OF yes
sells regard it ss of importance next TO cheap fue
at ports OF Arrival from sea voyages one OF tas
material advantages named in favor of buiidlng
the Eicaraguan canal 10 the fact that sreat
fresh water lake lies midway OF the canal route,
and that ships viii pass through IL in their pao
gress from ocean 70 ocean and may avail tnem.
selves OF It's waters for freeing their oot.oIns
from marine accretsous Puget sound possesssSss
cheap fuel for coalirg vessels; il has apnnaa az
eargoes; canal TO Lake Washington wiz aNo
immensely 20 its present advantages
The most ample and perfect facilities are on
paramount Importance 70 the great Ian at If
mental railway lines which converge neIe. "a
these railways are important AM n.ess@s
from military point OF view: III taey se.1 -
bind together and unity the distan. sse.ions -
the republic and hence possess naiionn- III Pole-
ance beyond their value rs transportation itte>,
then certainly they should have comPlsts .eELn,
inals 10 enable them the more efHclent.y 70 ala
in the work of Developing and buIidlng up the
material resources OF the country. IN lnls con
nection the fact is not 10 be lost sigst OF, tnst
our neighb0r, the Dominion OF Gsnada, spares
no expense and loses no opportunity 70 MAKE
perlec. her transcoutinen:al railway facilities;
and that she 10 preparing 10 contest with US
more strennously for the ocean carrying trade
With ship canal joining the waters of Lake
Washington with Puget sound. our advantages
for shipping would be ideal in character and SUI
perior TO those OF all other ports on the Pacific
ekr~ ef4a- afow~
make Seattle pre-eminent In facilities for ship
ping amongst the ports OF the world. vessel
could come TO her dock in fresh water undis-
turbed by tidal flow, and while discharging
cargo her bottom would be cleared of its burden
of barnacles and grass without the delay and
expense of docking. She would thus save two
OF three days time, as well as considerable ex.
pense. The demurrage alone thus avoided
would aggregate for the tonnage entering the
port large sum each year.
But desideratum OF the most practical I'M
portanee IL the increase OF shore line available
for wharyes and docks, which this improve
ment involves. Lake Washington would add
more than fifty miles TO the dock front of Seattle
increasing her harbor capacity tenfoid. and
giving her transcendant advantages in this
regard.
The maintenance of wharyes and docks in the
salt water OF the Sound is now very expensive
by reason OF the ravages OF the teredo, which
often DESTROYS piling within single year after
driving, 60 that the wharf goes down with loss
OF its entire stores and sometimes with loss of
last practically without limit The saving in
the cost OF maintaining docks and wharves
alone would far more than repay the cost OF
constructing the canal.
LAKE WASHINGTON MANUFACTURES.
Manufactures already seek Lake Washington,
its fresh water for making steam, its nearness to
the coal and iron mines, its cheap water fscili-
ties and the ample room which il affords coun-
terbalancing the expense of re-handling the
manufactured product when shipped foreign.
Three railway lines, the Northern Pacific, the
Great Northern, and the Seattle, Lake Shore 4
Eastern, have already established themselves on
the lake and Its outlets, recognizing its great
commercial importance. The Northern Pacific
Company has built road along the whole east
ern front of the lake But Notwithstanding the
railway facilities, many industrial enterprises
are precluded from locating here while the
canal IL not built. such as Touring mills, grain
elevators and warehouses lumber mills, etc,
whose products are shipped largely by vessel.
Every foot OF the shore line OF this lake would
come into practical use for the accommodation
OF shipping and manufactures were the canal TO
be built
The timber of the coast and bordering upon
the rivers near the coast has been nearly
used up, SO that the vast forests of the interior
must now be resorted TO for supplying the de-
mand. Twenty million acres of these forests
must be reached by rail. An enormous timber
product will come to Lake Washington and be
and shipped hence, when the
proposed connection with the Sound is com
pleted.
Wheat warehouses, elevators and Touring
mills, for handling and manufacturing the inn
mense yield OF grain which the wheat fields of
Eastern Washington produce in amounts
largely increasing every year, await establish
ment here only until such time as the canal TO
the Sound Is completed.
THE GREAT STEEL WORKS.
A comprehensive plant for the reduction of
iron ores and the manufacture of steel is in
course of construction at Kirkland, a manufac-
turing suburb OF Seattle on the east side of Lake
Washington. This blast furnace will use the
ased about thirty miles east of the lake. The
ore (referred to in another place. compares ia
yorably with the magnetic ores of Lake Super
Tor, hitherto ranking as the best upon the con-
tinent: The railway which will bring in this
ore viii also tring superior eoking coal from
the Niblock coal mine, located only twenty
miles east OF Kirkland. This will be coEed and
used In the manufactures on the banks of the
lake.
smelling works for the ores of the precious
metals Will also be established on the lake,
where coke will be convenient, the ores coming
by rail on down grade from the mines.
great city placed on the focal point where
the commercial tides of two continents con-
verge, viii beget an infinite number and variety
OF important industries, while the wondrous
progress OF the age will in its swift march bring
iorth others not yet known TO the inventor. The
hnmistakaoe signs OF the times point TO this as
great manufacturing and industrial center.
NAVAL RENDEZVOUS.
Congress is re-creating the navy of the United
states, put as yet the work is hardly begun.
The position OF Puget sound demands here a
large fleet A government dry dock has been
provided for already. TO be followed probably
with fully equipped navy yard. A ship canal
into Lake Washington would afford in these
waters the most complete advantages for naval
vessels Of any in the United States. Ii there
was military reason for endowing the Pacific
railways and making them national highways,
there Is still stronger military reason for gov
eminent owning the proposed canal and remov-
ing II from the control of private persons or
corporations, since this improvement would be
the link connecting the military railway with a
terminal position of great strength available for
naval protection.
While commercial development would he
greatly stimulated, aud the establish ment oT
manufactures accelerated by reason OF the nro-
posed Improvement, the expense of wharfage
and dockage, the handling of csrgoes, the land
ing of vessels and storing of freights-in fact
the cost of all the various charges on shipping
at the port, OF whatever nature, would be
materially lessened, as a result of the ample ex-
tent of water front and ship anchorage provided
for the city of Seattle.
Not only for economic reasons, but for reasons
OF prudence and sound national policy, the gov
eminent should provide, control aud manage
this enterprise, shown To be of prime national
Importance
The cost OF the work is but bara;elle in yievr
of the interests to be suhserved and the result,
certain of attainment.