The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-26

over the snake and two oveT sh. CoIuH-
bis. the four estimated TO cost over $z.a0. :
/ GO. TIE character Of the line fberefOrs
caused the rejection OF Portland as ter
/ minus
Puget sound gives about 100 miles Of
! almost continuous hzzbor from Taeonna
n0rthward, and the place Tor the yer ntn -
depended Largely upon where the cascade
range vas crossed az IL vas evident that
the line must get down from the Cascade
summit By sorae one Of the river valleys
I Generally there i q town Or hsrbor vita
= ace for towa near the nIo9th OF esca
stream. The sao1uasrnle led down 10 Sc
/ attic 81 Everett lnOs in existence in issfL
/ The SKY somish led down 10 Everett. and
the Skagis led down - the famous Fidalgo
! island. Anscortez city. one of iae early
selections for terminus Of the Northern
Pacific railroad: IL also had an outlet at
Bslsingbzm bar By swing % tie north
ward The ctty OF fairhaven, on Telling
hans bay, has been said TO have the best
haraor IN the Sound. In 1883 Larrable
and Beanett and their associates had
built twen.y-six miles Of road. the FAIR
barren & Southern. from Fairhaven TO the
Skagit- These parties may hare thought
that some trznscontinental road would
come down the Skagis aud fail 10 and
Bellingham bag. or they may aaye thought
ROAD on the western end II would De an
easy matter 20 sit in several hundred miles
10 the eastward.
II am quite certain that the passes at
the head OF the skagii had never been
carefully examined at the time this road
was constructed. Ii II not the nrst time
that a terminus has been located on the
coast and a line run 20 IL afIerward- The
Great Northern purchased the Fairhaven
& Southern railroad, and il forms part Of
q line along the coast between Seattle and
the terminus of the Canadian Pacific rail-
way. The line from the East could tap
this coast line at the most favorable point
and the official terminus could either be az
such junction or At the nearest suitable
harooF, or at an existing city as the rail-
way company might dictate. The Northern
Pacific terminus on the SQUAD being st
Tacoma. and the Great Northern reach
ing the tidewater az some point
north Of this place. should the lat
tiers terminus be as near as possible
To Tacoma, or IS far as possible 10 the
north? | will leave the question unan-
swersd. Seattle being the largest place on
the Sound. whatever city may be the ter
minus, that city Is certain 70 have the
most business for some time TO come.
referring new 10 the lines across WASH
ington, as previously stated. the northern
route turned southwark after leaving the
possible TO get line across the country
with quite a direct course from the Pend
d'Orelile at Newport 10 the mouth of the
Spokane river, and thence down the Co
iumbia TO the mouth of the Me.how or to
Lake Cheian. This line would have been
tTsnty-six miles shorter than 20 go TO spo-
kane and then run down the Spokane
river. The grade for this shorter line
would have been o. per cent heavier,
and the business of Spokane,
town OF 5000 people, would have
been lost. This Newport cutoff was
only available in case some pass at
the head OF the SksgIt was found to be
favorable. IL would have necessitated
building more than loo miles along the
Columbia, much of the distance in can
yon; and with difference OF from forty 10
fifty between high aud low water, the cost
OF construction wonld have been ex-
tremely heavy. A line down the Spokane
and Columbia rivers would have been de-
void OF local business, there being only q
half dozen Chlna'nen's shanties in the
whole distance OF about $50 miles,
"As compared with line through Spo-
zane and crossing the plateau south of the
Columbia Che Big Bend country and
using any OF the passes of the Cascade
range south of the Skag1t waters the New
port line Is longer. being thirty-two miles
longer than the adopted line, via Stevens
aSs hiiu 10 Everett.
With the question settled as to going
to Spokane aud crossing the plateau west
OF that city, the problem is reduced to that
of tho physical features, which can be gem
orally understood from the profiles of the
various lines upon which | have shown
the elevations and grades of all the ayaila-
be Cascade passes. The adopted line
shows the shortest distance the least rise
and fall, the lowest summit at the crossing
OF the Cascades, the least curvature, the
shortest summit tunnel, and the cheapest
construction. Ii also gives the most IA
voTah!e place for the construction of a
temporary line to be used during the con-
strnction of the summit tunnel, which
will require not less than 2is years time.
The adopted line crossed the range through
a pass discovered IN 1890 by Mr.. c. Il. b.
Haskell and named for Mr.. J. r. Stevens,
in charge of the explorations Among
other passes examined were the RAINY
approached by Methow river. the Cascade
approached by Lake Chelan, and the In
dian aud the Cady. approached from the
east b. the Wepatchee river; Mason creek.
n branch OF the Wenatchee, runs down
from Stevens pass.
I'm crossing the plateau west of Spo-
kane the line follows the drainage of Crab
creek, thereby escaping the Grand Coulee.
n chasrn one-hait To three-quarters of A
mile wide, 900 feet below the level of the
plateau y I1VsH northern line would
have been obliged 10 cross this chasm. re.
curing 2 per cent. grade To climb out of
1t, and also the same grade 10 make the
descent TO the Columbia river. whereas The
Crab creek route uses I per cent. in max
ing descent 900 feet less. and avoids the
intervening summit.
II will close with a few words about the
difficulties attending this work and the
rapid construction. Four hundred and
thirty miles out Of total of SIS miles
were IN heavy timber. Along no part of
the distance was there road. and for
nearly ~ miles no trail. The tranSporss-
ton Tor all surveys was by means of mack
animals. In several stretches OF primeval
forest the accumu alton of fallen trees
made progress ~ 1--WE miles a day on foot
IN exploration sufficient tor the most ener.
getie and strongest men. In making a
reconnaissance OF thirty-fve miles near
the Rocky mountain summit an engineer
starting out with blankets and six DAYS,
provisions on his back was without food
four days, and, after recruiting. became
lost In trying to return over the same
route. lie nnallv succeeded in making
the round trip At the end of thirty day.
Although the Marais pass was looked un
IN the United States examinations of lsS4
the pass then found was twenty miles
north Of the ohe used by the Great North.
ern and go feet higher"
MARINE NFHS