The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-13
DEFENSES OF PUGET SOUND.

The chamber of commerce at Port
Townsend urges the general government,
in memorial recently received at the
national capital, to fortify the seaboard
from the Columbia river to Puget sound.
Since this timely memorial was for
warded Its importance has been increased
by the announcement that an agreement
has been reached in the long controversy
between the Dominion and the imperial
government over the fertilization Of Esqui-
malt. At the naval station there, at Vic
toria, and at Vancouver. which is the
western terminus Of the Canadian Pacific
railway, strong defenses have been
planned, and now an agreement has been
reached that the imperial government will
build and arm them and the Dominion de-
fray the cost of the garrisons. The Lon
don Morning Post has said that 1.-The an
nexa.ion of Hawaii by the United States
might be regarded a. Q counter move to
fortiiying Esquimalt." It is true that an
nexing the islands will remove source of
peril to our Pacific coast, but there are
other needs.
The growing importance of the worlds
commerce in the Pacific is manifest, and to
Puget sound, close upon whose waters are
the guns of Esquimalt, belongs large part
of our Pacific mercantile marine. The
Seattle Chamber of Commerce thinks that
this Puget sound steam and sail marine
may amount to 400 600 tons. The new dry
dock in Puget sound, which will be one OF
the largest in the country, will probably
become the center of an important naval
station, whose approaches should be COW
cred by forts: and the high bluffs in that
region furnish excellent natural sites for
batteries which could keep hostile vessels
under their fire for long distance.
1t may be suggested that, with the con-
hguration Of Puget sound. submarine mines
could be relied on to protect the principal
channels; but the Port Townsend Chamber
of Commerce has pointed out the objection
that there is depth of water ranging from
twenty-four to forty-four fathoms between
Point Wilson and Admiralty head, and of
twenty to sixty-two fathoms between the
latter and MarrOwstone point. On the
other hand. the front and cross fires from
batteries on the bluffs at these three points
would keep . ship under range for total
distance of sixteen miles, and even mortar
batteries would cover a distance, outside
and inside, Of twelve miles. In other
words, hostile entrance there could be
made impossible. The Monterey. with
her powerful Pinch and 1O-inch guns, is a
great source of protection to the Pacific
coast, but she will chiefly be harbor de-
fender for San Francisco, as the Mianto-
nonoh is for New York. Puget sound may
in time have its own monitors, but forts
are less expensive to maintain, and can
mount more guns.
The Port Townsend Chamber Of Com
merce has placed before congress facts and
figures upon the clearances of American
vessels in foreign and coastwise trade that
show the great commercial value of Puget
sound. Besides the grain. the hops,
the timber and the fisheries Of that
region. its coal supply is important
to our vessels. as it would be to
an enemy finding Judgment there.
In the state of Washington the iron in
dustry is also beginning to be developed.
The annexation of Hawaii will more par
ticularly affect the California coast. south
west of which Honolulu lies; but the
northern or Puget sound extremity of our
line is more concerned with the Vancouver
island stronghold, right at its gates.
Puget sound Is also tho natural base of
naval protection for Alaska, to which it is
30 much nearer than Mare island. There
are necessary limits to the development of
Alaska, vet, as current events show. even
in that distant region important interna-
tional controversies may arise. Thus in
every way the strategic and commercial
value of the Puget sound region supports
the plea for protection which has just
been made for it, and the comparative ease
with which this protection may be secured
is an additional argument it its favor
Mem York Sun.