The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-25


less inland sea, Puget Sound. and the
stupendous forest which surrounds its
shores. This archipelago extends from
Olympia in the south to British Column
bia in the north. one immense harbor
running into the very heart of the
state, the basin covering an area Of 100
by $50 miles In extent, with innumer-
able bays, inlets and canals, their COM
bined areas having a shore line with
in the state Of about 1900 miles and q
surface of about 1000 square miles,
washed by the ebb and flow of the tides.
which rise and fall here twice q day
from twelve to twenty feet. Puget
Sound includes the straight Of Juan
de Fuca, the gateway to the Pacific
ocean. which is ninety-f,ve miles long
and about eleven miles wide. and in
many places of almost unfathomable
depth. The shores are usually so bold
that Il ships bow can strike shore be-
fore the keel touches the bottom.
Nature has indeed been lavish to this
favored region. Here are nearly 6000.-
900 acres of the finest fir, cedar, spruce.
hemlock and other varieties Of timber
growing upon soils Of the greatest
depth and richness In the known world.
/ repeat. there is nothing on this earth
like Puget Sound. On either side of
this beautiful sheet Of water are per-
ennial snow-capped mountains--the
serrated ridge of the unexplored Olym-
pic range on the peninsula to the west
ward, on the opposite side, eastward,
the Cascades, stretching north and
south like two great guardians Of the
Sound basin, it's waters ebbing and
flowing between them, each lifting their
snow-capped peaks to the clouds and
presenting views ever changing, ever
pleasing, sublime and unexcelled.
Its Wonderful Resources.
just think of these islands, bays and
inlets being lined with the native giants
of these evergreen forests, whose tim
bered spires are lost in the snow
crowned peaks above and surrounding
them. The average traveller has but
faint idea of the wonderful resources
OF this great inland sea. AS a harbor,
when compared with San Francisco.
New York or any found on the Allan
tic coast, it is far more commodious
In mid-chanpel 1t has an average
depth Of 100 fathom. This extraordin-
ary depth Of water is maintained in all
the channels and branches. enabling
the largest vessels of any nation to ride
safely and anchor most anywhere along
its shores. The combined fleets Of all
the nations Of the world. l might say.
can cast anchor here, and not one OF
them be in sight of the other. The
depth OF water over Sandy Hook en-
trance into New York harbor at low
water is only twenty-one feet In the
South channel and twenty-five feet In
the Gedney channel. Unlike that OF
New York, or the Columbia river, the
entrance to Puget Sound Is without a
bar, the strait Is a magnificent gate
way from the Pacific ocean to the
Sound, 100 fathoms deep, where no
pilot Is required and no danger to ship
ping Is found. Admiral Wilkeson says:
"On the Atlantic slope, where IL was
my misfortune, TO be born, and where
for fifty seven years1 have been cheat
ed by circumstances out Of a sight of
the real America, there are no woods.
East of the Rocky mountains trees are
brush. They may do for brooms; pieces
for, ships are got out Of them and
splinters for houses. but the Atlantic
slope. soil and climate could
not In ages produce a continu-
Gus plank which would reach
from stem to stern of thousand ton
clipper ship. Puget Sound. anywhere
and everywhere, will give you for the
cutting 0f you are equal to such a
crime with an axe) trees that will lie
straight on the ground and cover 250
feet of length. and measure 25 feet
around above two mems height from
the ground. they are cut from stag
tngs) and that will yield $50 lineal feet
of clear solid wood below the branches.
They are monarchs. to whom all wor-
shipful men inevitably lift their hats"
1t is easy to share the enthusiasm Of
the writer. who says: Puget Sound
scenery is the grandest scenery on
earth. One has here in combination
the sublimity. Of Switzerland, the pic
turesqueness OF the Rhine, the rugged
beauty Of Norway, the breezy variety
of the Thousand Islands of the st. Law
renee. or the Hebrides Of the North
sea, the sof. rlch-toned skies Of Italy,
the pastoral landscape of England,
with velvet meadows and magnificent
groves massed with floral bloom and
the blending tints and bold color Of the
New England Indian summer. Fea-
lures with which nothing within the
vision OF another city can be placed in
comparison are the Olympic range Of
mountains in front Of Seattle, and the
sublime snow peaks Of the Rainier,
Baker, Adams and st. Helens, with
their glaciers and robes Of eternal
white"
-. g'a"-t q n
Tho American Mediterrsueau.
Puget Sound is called the American
Mediterranean" A ride over its placid
waters In and out, around rocky head
lands. among woody mountains, along
its beautiful beaches and velyety mea-
dows. all beneath the shadows of tower
ing snow-clad peaks is a delight worth
days of travel and much expense to ex-
perfence. II is no exaggeration to say
THAT Justice can never be done in de.
scribing its scenic glories-particularly
the Great White Throne" that Chris
tians have dubbed Mount Rainier, but
more melodious is its Indian name,
- ssPaooma," to. me. So much has al
ready been said in this and former let
ters Of this king of Peaks that 1t
would seem that the subject might be
somewhat overdone, but am sure our
readers will bear another reference to
n