The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-17
FOR THE SHIP CANAL.
Facts Presented by Chamber Of
Commerce Committee.
LAKE wAsHlNoTon's POSITION
An Anchorage Ground for the Fleets
OF the worid-Key to For
efgn Commerce.

At the meeting OF the Chamber of cornmerce
trustees Yesterday Judge Thomas Burke, jacob
Firth. r. W. Clark and Z. o. Graves the com
mittee appointed TO prepare for the secretary Of
war statistics bearing on the construction OF the
lake Washington canal, offered the following
repor4. which was adopted and ordered for
warded
The survey authorized By congress Of the pro-
posed ship canal TO connect Lake Washington
with Puget sound nt seattle having been COM
pletcd, the attention OF the honorable the secre-
tary Of war is respectfully invited 20 the follow
ing statement presenting some of the reasons
why this canal should be promptly constructed:
The city OF Seattle Is situated aimost in the
center of the Puget sound region. and has a
frontage on salt water OF more than six miles.
Lake Washington lies abreast OF the city to the
eastward. parallel with the Sound, and stretches
north and south twenty-five miles. Deeply EN-
baycd by d Gordon OF mountains its surface is
always smooth and safe; its shores are bold but
not rocky: lie waters Of ample depth, sonndings
showing In places 100 fathoms. Its width near
its central section is four miles, and the average
nearly three, afferding ample room for handling
vessels of the lnrgest size. The absence o. tides
and currents renders its waters always tranquil
and Of even stage, and preserves its banks with.
out washing. Its outlet by an easy cnannei
enters the Sound almost within the present city
lmife.
exhaEistible forests of finest timber and i'm
mense fields OF coal, iron and the precious
minerals, the situation OF this lake has not iaied
80 attract the attention of every one yersed In
the ways OF business or commerce who has
visited the region.
Another such a body o; fresh water. lying
within two miles OF noble ocean roadstead
with which IL may easily be Joined, capable OF
being converted into anchorage ground for the
fleets OF the world, does not exist elsewhere; II
would seem 10 have been provided By nature as
complement TO our harbor system, which IL
will make perfect in its every feature
Puget sound having been for many years
marked IS the seat OF coming great commerciaf
expansion has become, within the last decade
the focus Of enterprise looking 20 the realization
OF its future Four of the great transcontlnentai
railway lines hive selected its waters for the
tcrrniiIi Of their systems. Already two OF them
ere establishing o cean steamship lines TO Asia
and the Oriental islands
From all parts of the world come fleets Of YES
seis to this inland sea to compete for the cargoes
which lie close ut hand or arrive as freights OF
railways spanning the continent. The tide OF
progress In trade and commerce Is 20 rapid as
70 run ahead of the facilities provided. and
such Is likely TO be the case for years to come.
The eyes OF the industrial world are set this
way.
THE STATES REsouRcEs
cursory glance at the resources of the state
show good reasons for faith In it's future.
The wheat yield of 1890 was about 100000
bushels: that for the current year is estimated
afover 2s.oo0.0c0 bushels. The capacity OF the
natural wheat fields of the state is coDserva-
lively piaced at 200,000,090 bushels per year.
crop. reward the husbandman with prodgious
returns.
The lumber cut of the state for 1890 was ,2o2.-
eaooss feet. an increase OF 5ss.6i7.oi2 feet over
the preceding year; nearly 100 per cent. This
does not include the lumber cut into laths,
pickets, etc, estimatetisnt l74,is5,s so feet.
The coal output OF the state for 1890 was 49,
S35 tons. an increase OF s5S2f6 tons, about 50
per cent. for the year.
The coal measures are practically limitless in
extent and the business Of shipping coal Is in its
infancy. The amount of coal mined hereafter
win be limited only by the demandf it.
Iron ores OF the best quality-ft for steel
making cover an immense field Works for its
manufacture are in course OF construction at
several points.
The precious metals are distributed over n
wide area ana promise enormous development
wealth. Gold. silver, lead, copper, tin, ashes
os, graphite limestone, marble, granite, sand
stone. are TO he added 10 iron and coal. All
these combined furnish an opulence OF min
eral resources rarely encountered in q single
field
state possessing unrivaled agricultural adj
vantsres, and having superaddcd to these such
Incompatible wealth in timber and minerals
cannot fail TO develop manufacturing interests
on gigantic scale Such development is
alrendy entered upon.
With the completion OF the railway systems
now speeding to their terminals Mt this point
sne state VIII have an enjoyment OF transporta
ton lines greater and more perfect than any one
state has hitherto equipped. She will be pre-
pared to handle with utmost dispatch the trsfiic
Wnich tnrongsat her yates,
SCOPE OF FOREIGN COMMERCE
Great a. the outlook for domestic trade NAV
appear, II does not exceed the just scope for
foreign commerce.
The trade of China alone is conservatively es-
tsmnted at S1,0,000,000 annually. That country
mas Just segun to make use OF American prod
rcts In large amounts. Every year she adds 10
ner demands for timber and flour and manu-
factured goods. But the special field for expan-
sion OF trade Is in manufactures of iron and
na4fr4 fEu tnfxfff 4ltxfaw 10
lest Destiny 10 to develop, on q scale demanding
enormous consumption of iron and steel, these
modern means of improving civilization
A<i4fac Russia has already entered upon this
wpff In her possessions north of China
tntrala Is opening wide doors 10 American
Trade and cargoes to her ports multiply yearly
In Astonishing ratio.
japan and the coast countries are adding
stfaAiy TO the volume Of commercial business
withcur people In South American countries.
rvenl OF them possessing immense timberless
sAyannas, the lumber of Puget sound finds A
Probable and growing market. This trade is
apparently only in its incipiency and Ia being
aagfnented constantly.
Hafhinery, domestic utensils. manufactures
o. iron and wood, every product of our work
xhol4 whether made on the Pacific or coming
es rNi from Eastern centers, are now 10 he
sduea 10 the list of articles for trade with the
tputh American stateS-a people rich in re-
eonr<e but possessing meager manufactures
hetsrn cargoes of sugars coffee, spices, precious
woods, dyestuiis, gums. tropical fruits and nj
the railways TO inland points.
ne Nicaraguan canal, a necessity of the
Slsoes and certain now of speedy construction,
WIZ open the door 10 Il vast tide of commerce to
the Atlantic seaboard, from ports both of the
United States and south America. Ii will re-
uuee ey one-haif the distance u European ports
ana bring mighty current of traffic IRON that
Thus from Asia, the greater islands of the
toutsern ocean. the rich East India ports, the
ispieense stretches of the Atlantic seahoard, the
nf -. 81
ume OF commercial business is sweeping this
Way ana must DO received and cared for in
fuEe sound, or else surrendered TO our active
ma determined competitors to the north of us.
IL u not too much to assert that commercial
expansion equal 20 that now existing at the
rort oi New York Is impending for these waters
be essential for the proper aceouamosIatfon nf
the docks and wharves required here for the
reason thar nearly the entire shipping OF the Pa
cine coast must find hsrbor facilities at few
ports, embracing Puget sound, san Francisco
and the mouth OF the Columbia river; wherea.
many good harhors exist on the Atlantic sea.
board within easy rsdius of New York.
Australia and all OF ocesnica lie nearer 20
Puget sound than to England, on the Pacific
side: the Malay peninsula makes the halfway
point japan aud al Northern Asia are thouS-
snds OF miles nearer TO MS than to London orr
commerce is now within less than three week
OF the coast of China. Statistics show that New
York by way of Puget sound. is 100 miles
nearer 10 Canton than is LIVERPOOL and about
4,0oo miles nearer Shanghai
Puget sound has also the advantage in dis
tanec to Asiatie points over San Francisco. The
following table of distances, cullSi from Pro.
lessor Rulers interesting report upon the state
ef Washington, presents significant data npon
Che nearness OF Puget sound TO points OF com.
merciai vantage ground
Mles
seattle 10 mouth OF Amoor river. .-.... SaOl
Seattle TO Nladlfostock. .............-...-.4 .1G1
Seattle to Shanghai ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. SEQ
Seattle 10 Canton ........................... go
Seattle 10 Singapore ,....s.............. S,l0g
eeattie TO southwest point of Australia 800 80