The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-12
DISTINCTIVE FOREST FIRES.
HOW tHEY ONCE SWEPT AWAY
TIN CITY OF VANCOUVER, ID. c.

Industry and Progress of the West.
Vak Salmon Fisheries and Cam
nehes-Heavy Traffic via the Cana
dim Pacific and the Pacific Ocean
saamers - Beauties of Western
senery Around the Canyons and
aaciers.
On board the steamer City of Seattle,
bElnd from Victoria, B. c., to Seattle,
fash. Aug. 2S, 1S9T.-Editor Morning
News: In my last letter only few of the
Kings of interest seen on our trip. as far
i GLACIER. were mentioned. This was
Iecessarily so, as to detail all matters of
bterest would involve more labor than the
Eriter could bestow ana consume too
huch of your space. 1 omitted, however
10 say that both mining and numbering
are important industries in the Selkirks.
considerable mining of gold and silver is
heins done in the Rockies also. Valuable
coal seams, both anthracite and bitumi-
nous are being worked in the Selkirks, and
lar IS confidently expected that the output
will be largely increased.
To give facilities to the miners, the Ca
madam Pacific Company has constructed
several branch lines and is building 9TH
ers. The company is also taking out much
nj the temporary work put in when the
road was built, and which has been kept
in repair until now. Such structures as
wooden bridges, etc, are being superseded
Inv substantial masonry and steel bridges
and viaducts. We crossed one that was 290
feet above the water; we were also permit
ted TO witness the novel spectacle of the
process of hydraulic filing. This was con-
Quoted upon the same principle as hy-
draulic mining, the earth and stones
washed down from the mountain side be-
ing carried in sluice boxes and deposited
in the fill as if dumped from car.
We were due to leave Glacier about
o'clock, but our train was several hours
late The schedule, however, being rather
slow, most of the time was made up be-
fore we reached Vancouver, about 1870
o'clock D. m, the next day, Aug. rs. From
Glacier about 400 feet above sea level,
the descent is steady to Vancouver. As we
descend the timber increases in size until
We approach the coast, and affords to the
saw mills at Vancouver logs of such i'm
mense size and length that our curiosity
was excited to see how they were handled.
visit to one of the large mills soon DEM
onstrated that they could easily make
lumber of logs six feet in diameter, and
we were told that trees were frequently
cut the bodies of which are more than 100
feet to the first limbs. The timber here
is mainly fir and cedar. We saw trees
of both varieties, fully seven feet Ia diam
eter, and more than $50 feet high.
Before getting to Vancouver we passed
through the canyon of the Fraser river.
tr111xy he Of W
taxed In many places where the noun
tains close in upon the river having only
narrow gorge for the water to rush and
foam through, the roadway seems almost
suspended in the air above, but in reality
occupies a narrow bench cut into the side
of the mountain. The scenery here is
both grand and beautiful. We will long
remember our ride through the canyon
of the Fraser river. Indeed the scenery
from Calgary to Vancouver, a distance
of about $50 miles, is well worth trip
across the continent TO see
Vancouver is a new but quite pretty
city of about 1000 inhabitants, situated
upon a beautiful inlet, making up into the
mountains from the Gulf of Grorgia, which
in turn has its outlet into the Pacific
through the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.
The water is beautifully clear and deep,
there being an unobstructed channel of
thirty feet depth at low tide, affording
which sail regularly every three weeks
one each to Japan and China, and Aus
tralia. We were told these ships operat-
ing in connection with the railroad, have
good cargoes both ways. The steamer
that sailed for Japan and China last week
carried about 100 cabin passengers, be-
sides a full freight. Steamers also ply
oaily to Victoria, between which place and
Vancouver there is considerable rivalry.
l stated that Vancouver Is a new city.
So far as the present city is concerned,
this is literally true, as little more than
ten years ago every house in the town, ex
cept one was burned. The fire
was communicated from one of
the many forest fires which
sometimes rage in this country and the
decruction was well nigh complete. The
local advantages were such, however, that
soon a more substantial and more popu-
lous city sprang up, many of the buildings
oeng Of very substantial character.
In ride on the elece9ac cars to New
Westminster, situated on the Fraser river
@oout L miles distant, we could but note
ehe tearfully destructive force of these
forest fires. The one that destroyed Van
eouver originated in the mountains and
swept down through the country with re-
estless force destroying timber and every
Clils combustible in it's broad pathway.
Nharred rem Sns of logs and stumps and
lew dead trees blackened to the very
Ups IN some instances, one hundred and
my feet or more high stand as silent
monuments of the dread past and to warn
ue people of what may occur a second
HMe II the luxuriant growth Is again al
the city.
o., me principal business of Vancouver be-
s1es mat passing through via railroad
I L.1 lhe steamers before referred to, is
.In'oer, fish and mining supplies. There
AN 10 hsh canneries in the city, but in the
ii,auedlate vicinity the industry is quite an
,uloIant one. Our trip to New Westmins-
~ was mainly for the purpose of visiting
ol these establishments. Though in
v Yilned that the salmon season was over
M were anxious to see how the work was
~ On our arrival at New Westminster
W. wen punt town of some 5000 inhabitants
II were politely shown through the can
ny 'nough the only work being done
of =. was the preparation for shipment
~ Ilsh that had been already packed.
nai interesting process was fully ex-
IN lel however, and we found that here,
W III man inventive genius had been util-
CHI me application of labor saving ma
81 m,as " 1t seems hard to realize how
M 81 machinery can be utilized in hacking