The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-16
AN IDEAL SEAPORT
Review of Facts Concerning AS
tOria, the Future HarbOr.
RADIAL RAIL AND WATER LINES
Will Meet at the Ocean-The Great
Columbia, q Regulator of
Rates and Traffic.
RADIAL RAIL AND WATER LINES

Too much cannot be said Of the natural
advantages of Astoria's harbor, which
are destined to make 1t the leading port
on the Pacific. OF two coast ports that
port which has great water route trib-
utary VIII obtain the supremacy. This
Is not because the water route will Sc
cure all the tonnage, but because the port
has two things assured to it, cheapness
on low grade tonnage frelghts, and more
than this, certainty of rates. Certainty or
rates is a leading cause of commercial
growth. No city left to the mercies OF
one or two lines of railway, will long in
vite capital against a competitor having
a water route. On the water route an
Indefinite number of competitors is pos
si'ble each with small capital, whenever
rates become high. Yet the cheapness OF
rates which IA water route compels Is the
ultimate cause OF prosperity even to the
railways competing to the same port.
This is being clearly proved in all the
great basins of the large rivers. The fact
is very fully brought out in the papers
of the recent International congress on
Inland navigation, in the reports of the
United States bureau of statistics of in
ternal commerce, and by such writers as
North, Ely and others. Some quotations
will show this:
1.-THE water ways and railroads, while
antagonistic and in competition with each
other have been on the whole, mutually
helpful"
Neither of the two modes Of develop
ment has prevented the development OF
the other. Transient retrogrAssions take
place in the traffic by waterways, un-
doubtediy partly coincident with the opan-
ing Of new railroads. Each Improvement
Introduced in the modes of transport
favors the ensemble Of the economical
prosperity and creates new objects in
tended for transport.
No proof is found anywhere that rail-
way competition has entailed lasting
decrease in water traffic. 1t is still less
seen that river navigation has exercised
a prejudcial influence on railroad traffic.
The railways serve numerous regions be-
yond the course Of the river which the
navigable ways can never attain.
Railways alone do not succeed in satis-
flying the needs cf the commercial activity
Of the Rhine region. There is no less
reason to doubt that the fluvial way alone
is sufficient. The most active encourage
ment of fuvial traffic would not stop the
development of railway traffic. The coop
Grafton of both ways and their reciprocal
assistance, instead of hostile competi-
tion. seem to represent the exact principle
for the policy of the transport service.
Undoubtedly the river fesders by in
creasing the development of any region,
increase the high grade tonnage and the
business of the railways. The local tom
mage developed in any region by cheap
raw materials gives the railways another
source of income.
The fact that the railways can branch
to all directions and reach not merely
nearer to the producers, but actually to
them, transfers the advantage at once
from a city on river that is merely
inland, nearer the producer to the rail-
ways that branch out indefinitely and
reach the producers in innumerable places
and almost at their doors. Thus the
transfer to the coast port the
of contact with producer,
which the river routes and inland ports
on rivers merely reach after and get only
partially.
The New York Central road, following
the Hudson river for 140 miles, and with
a reparloabe lack of lateral feeders from
any back country inaccessible to boats,
is so overcrowded with business that it
is constantly increasing its local yards
and sldings, and extending its third and
fourth tracks. The Illinois Central road
successfully with the Mlssis-
sippi river through the greatest part OF
its route, and find increased business be-
cause of the business induced primarily
by the river route.
A seacoast location fer seaport is
ha
greatest possible tonnage. This is u
simple mathematical necessity. Any ves-
sci going inland runs past tonnage pro-
ducing and receiving area. The ocean
vessel can handle the tonnage for such an
area only by having this tonnage take a
course against its desired direction. While
such an area is a wilderness and not pro-
ductive, the vessel may run past 1t, bur
the pressure against this operation and its
will increase every year. A
Seaport" on the great lakes would COM
pei vessels to steam past vast areas of
valuable tonnage, would reduce the size
Of possible consignmerts of any one ar
ticle, and put the merchant at a disad-
much greater than any mere
saving would compensate
for. Land is what produces tonnage,
and any port that asplres to be a mart
of trade should keep all the land behind |
i. and tributary to 1t. Foreign land and |
land along the coast also produce tonnage |
and the foreign and the coast wise radials |
will have their say, us well as the land
wise radials.
These coas:wlse radia,s owing to the |
small cost of getting th:ir tonnage by |
water to the main port, can afford to |
pay a large price TO the ocean carriers |
for taking their tonnage, and are very |
sources Of revenue. How great
they are on the Northwest can be seen |
by noting the figures for such tonnage
there This coastwlss tonnage is over |
100000 tons annually as against only |
100000 tons in POrtland's wheat fleet OF |
1872.
Railway transportation, by Its ability |
TO meet these coastw.se radiils at the /
coast, and it's ability to create radal
points there, has almost annihilated up
river radial points in new countries
whose radjals were the immovable nat
lral ones of the river branches only.
Astoria has a harbor that the United
States government has secured an en-
rance to, by an expenditure Of $22OO,OOU
Ipon the jetty at the mouth of the Column
1la. This harbor is magnificent in size
Ind character; of ample working room for
5essels of the largest size; OF great length
md concentration Of water frontage; and
With great number of waterways pene-
rating the land The harbor is well
Iheltersd by the peculiar "nipper-jawed,
,r land-locked entrance that also fur
fishes a speedy and safe entrance for yes
e.s to quiet water. She entrance has
,reat underwater precipice in the ocean
opposite, sufficient to serve for agas as a
Jumping ground for secured material. II
AS a great RIVER furnishing the excess or
'utfow over the tidal inflow ;ha: is al
most essential TO the permanent success
Il a je.ty system. The harbOr. although
% near the cjast, has fresh water to
revent the teredO, and to remove barr
acles. Th= entrance is over 1900 feet
road and over 81 feet deep at mean low
st low water. There is no other harbor
n the world anywhere nearly equal In
dvantages TO this narbor.
The local features Of the northwest COM
eting ports are very important.
At Tacoma the tides rise from 12 to Is
tet above spring tide low water. This
lso constitutes perpetual tax on com
lerce. II requires additional lift on all
onnags and an enormous Increase in