The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-13
THE GEOLOGY OF WASHINGTON.

We have mineral stats 70 b proud Of: from
. geological standpoint cit h . beauty and .
Joy fcssvse.s Many ysan ego. long beiore
Moses Wr0eo the 4rst chapter Of 0oneotss our
STATE - part Of vass plain. sxtsnding lar
north, south and eastward During long peeiode
It ~ IN ooeillating. alternating ocean bed ana
ps1msval forest Wild The waves Of shallow
ocean and Gfsa4 ssas swept over It asserting the
gravel and clay from the diGintegFatod rocks, do
posittnx them In lsyeRs. The land would then
rise above The wstsr lsvsl and remain until
eovesOd with . heavy growth OF Vegetation;
shea eestle again and b swept b. the waves OF
the -, covestng the Vegetation with hundreds
OF fees Of sand and clay. Thus this oscillatine
PROOFS continued during the cfstacsous period
beds were deposited In stratas 1900 feet deep
Thsn came the tertiary period Of great disturo-
enoss. whieh elevated the Cascade mountains
from out Of the Pacific ocean: when the she'll OF
our molten sphere WaD cracked, folded con.
torsei and twisted. sinking the stratas ocean
dsep In places and tilsing them mountain high
In oshsrs. sxposing the granite porphyrys. states
sandstones with coal eaudWiched In betweens
making the lowest available for working from
the surface and sinking the greater portion OF
10 hopoleooly beyond reach OF man. Up through
these great 0ssureo came the molten Laws,
OVERCOMING the land In places, and piling
mountain high, cooled and crystallised, In the
nssurss, making numerous dykes. leaving the
earth's crust . patched. jagged. mountainous
region, little short Of total ohaoA Rupturos
that would not heal continued firing heaven.
ward great streams Of smoke and lava, piling
about themselves great cones, which remain
- monuments TO their departed glory.
whose SNOWY peaks giisten in the summer sum
light OF Washington's azure skieA At the close
OF the tertiary came the ego Of man. The sur
face Of the baaaltic rocks, shale, sandstone,
granite and porphyry Nsrs disintsgratsd By the
elements and the dust washed BY the rain and
blown b. the winds 70 the hills and valleys b.
low, depositing The rich volcanic ashy loan In
which our fruit wheat and vegetables flourish
% abundsntly. Mountain streams, outlets OF
lakes, cut deeper the natural channels TO the
ocean. The wostorn side Of the Cascade noun.
tains was favored BY the gentle. warm chinook
Winds from OF the japan current, depositing
moisture - dsVand rain, nourishing the growth
Of luxuriadt forests Of ar and cedar. The
whole Puget sound basin and mountains are
covered with these giantA High toward the
heavens their trunks take . straight line, and
high shove the ground their afst branches shoot
out The young trees are slender and straight
and crowd among the giants for protection.
Around their feet Il dense undergrowth OF
fsrna Old trees die and fall and lie mouldering
In the heritage. while green moss covers them
with velvet carpet The chinook winds are
relieved OF most Of their moisture BY c0ndensa-
ton while crossing over the Cascade mountains
to Eastern Washington, and under . sunny sky
circulate through numerous valleys covered
with sage brush and cultivated fields. while the
mountains and foot hills have . liberal growth
Of sugar pine and variety Of smaller kinds of
trees and shrubbsry, with bunchgrass and
mountain streams in abundance, anording .
happy combination of circumstances 70 On.
courage the prospsctor in searching for precious
metals.
Washington will probably some time have .
state geologist. and then It will be . valuable
and interesting branch Of our state government
c. G. WooDHousE, JR.
Tacoma, April IL, 1s93