The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-16

of a damp climate, the cost OF towage
and pilotaga under such circumstances,
combine to make Tacoma's approach
tedious, dangerous and expensive. The
teredo increases the structural cost and
maintenance, and interferes with logging
and milling near tide water. Warehouses
are constructed on rollers, at great ex-
pense, so as to be removed from place to
place as the necessity arises for renew
ing piles from year to year.
The inland expenses and delays that
constitute email percentage for jour-
ney around the Horn. will constitute a
heavy and unbearable percentage for a
journey via the Nicaragua canal. The
rapid passenger and ocean express busi-
ress that increases as a country de-
velops, and that are 50 lucrative, win
be done necessarily from the mouth OF
the Columbia.
At both Tacoma and Seattle there is
ample harbor room and water frontage
for present needs; but there is not the
concentration of frontage within small
area which a winding river front gives,
and which a high grade port demands
for cheap and large business. London,
by enormous expense upon basins, has
secured this artliicially.
In examining the possible concentra-
ton Of feeders we find the Sound coun-
try very weak. It is closely walled in
ON the east by the great Cascade range.
Each line of railway THAT crosses the
range by its own separate pass, finds
itself at the tide-water as soon as 1t has
reached the foot Of its western gradients,
with no important extent Of productive
country except for timber. portland Is
also practically walled in on the east
in a similar manner, so far as productive
country is concerned in that directlon.)
Each line of railway to the Sound on
reaching tide water must either rest con-
tent with its own line, without the radiaI
concentration necessary to great develop
ment of business, or 1t must turn and
run az right angles to its general course,
and surrendering its own terminus, must
increase its length Of haul in seeking
the terminal of a rival having q shorter
route. No radial gathering in Of lines
on an equal basis is possible. Hence on
the sound, the terminal locations ana
terminal expenditures are and must be
scattered and wasted over a long ex-
tent Of deep water short line; and no
oae of the terminals will attain to a
commanding pre-eminence. On the con-
trary, the mouth of the Columbia Is far
enough away from the Cascade range
to have railways converge without to
any great extent paralleling each other.
A radlal is possible in time from the
south coast and California; one via Sa-
lem and Albany from Ogden; one via
Hilisboro, from the Willamette valley;
one via the Nehalem valley, from Port
land one via the south shore of the
Columbia, crossing the Willamette near
its mouth, to Astoria; one via Vancouver,
Vol atrxrs FrAn a hl..n
Sound, via Kalama; one from the north
coast and Chehalis region. The south
coastwlse radial is exclusively controlled
by Astoria. Much of the north coast
and some of the Puget sound coast ton
mage will be so controlled. The most
important radial feeder, namely light
draught vessels and great tows on the
Columbia, will always be tributary to As
toria.
AS to local tonnage, We find the Sound
country with much lumber available on
the west of the Cascades. The steep
gradients east bound will tell against the
Sound lines when rivalry In the lumber
business increases, and may prove to
be controlling. The roads crossing the
Cascades find no north and south valleys
on the range to serve as feeders. Almost
all the lumber must be secured at the
extreme western ends of these roads. On
the Columbia route there are many such
valleys directing lumber directly to the
railway. The same will hold true Of
coal.
The local advantages of Astoria as
seaport are readily seen. The first ad
vantage is the entrance. This has a
depth of 81 feet at lowest low water, or
of over Al feet at high water, with a
width Of over half a mile The entrance
is straight, and no dangerous islands or
shoals lie outside. The 81 feet at the
entrance deepens outside in hundred
feet Of distance to a depth of from So
to 70 feet There is no entrance in the
world of first class depth where a vessel
so safely and quickly passes from the
free ocean to safe sheltered water.
Within the harbor Is found the peninsular
formation Qn this case double, Smiths
point and Tongue point which, by
doubling the water line back upon itself
concentrates great frontage within
small area, massing business and secur-
ing cheap and quick facilities to such
degree that no mere riverside location
can compete with it, Additional to this
there Is the almost equally valuable and
somewhat similar feature of great pene-
tratlon Of land by small waterways, CIV
Ing invaluable facilities for transfers
from cars or other conveyances to vessel
or the reverse. AT all ports where such
small rivers are found, these waterways
will be found crowded with business.
The business of the port, as contrasted
with the railway yards, where deep water
will permit Cat San Francisco 1t would
not so permiD will be found on the penin-
sula between rivers convenient of access
from many different directions, and not
on one OF the forelands near the ocean.
This keeps business near the larger ex-
tent OF water frontage. New York, Bos-
ton and Charleston are so located
The small difference between high and |
low water is of very great value to AS |
toria, being only about seven feet. Floods, |
swift currents from them, and malaria |
from their deposits on the flooded areas, |
are practically unknown
In these days of cable and electric roads |
capable of running on very steep gra- |
dients, high hill property formerly worth !
less has become much coveted feature |
of any city. In San Francisco and Port |
land this remarkable change has been |
felt. 1t not only makes all hill property |
for residence, but by permit |
ting steep gradients for streets, has done |
away with excessive costs of street i'm
provements. Wealthy residents Will not
build on low, rnarshy ground. 1t can
be confidently said that no city under
ordinary circumstances will develop more
han couple of miles from high residence
unless the absence of deep wa
ter frontage compels It. Yards and SINH
lar features of railway corporations
may be located elsewhere, as also the
homes OF the railway employees; but 1t is
general business, and residents of many
classes, and not railways, that create and
constitute cities. The wealthy residents
on the higher ground are those who have
the wealth to decide the business and
business locations Of the city.
Astoria is nearest to the Union Pacific
system, and that road has an advantage
IN making common point" of Astoria.
The more northerly roads, With greater
distance required for their main lin
10 reach Astoria, are likely to make con-
inued efforts against Astoria for some \
lime. The roads from the southwest win
-hrow their weight necessarily in favor
II Astoria, when butt, and it will be
'ound that thai place is the only common
'oint on which the northwest can ever