The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-06

direction from the narrow confluence
Of that sea with the Atlantic ocean-aud
Portland. up more than 100 miles OF
shallow and tortuOus river navigation.
with the magnificent and deep water
harbor of Astoria-h transcontinentai
railroad termlnal-and past which ships
have 20 be towed parallel with the rail
road i2s miles as Justice Fuller says
In order 10 reach Portland. But II is.
Of course, no use 10 argue these ques-
tions with the Oregonian; that paper
80 far as this subject Ia concerned.
being a standing example OF the blind
who won't see, and, besides. the point
We want to make-not for the benefit OF
the Oregonian. but for unprejudlced
readers who study and thinks that
there is no such universal law" as that
Invoked by the oregonian. To prove
this proposition We cite the following
extracts from an article written some
time ago by Mr.. A. A. schenck. one
Of the best known engineers In the
United States. and a leading interna-
tlonal authority on the science OF trans
portRtion. Mr.. schSnck says:
THE advocates Of an inland location
have sometimes blinded their readers
ito the question at issue by citing
large number OF intended ports that
have failed Of great success. both in
land and coast. creating the impress
Sion by the hasty recital Of them that
"all the failures were due 20 not being
inland All the small ports between
Baltimore and New Orleans. lying en-
"tlrely outside the lines OF tonnage
movement. are called on TO confuse
the real issue. Some ports as yet with
"out transcontinental railways. or even
local railways, are cited 20 prove the
necessity Of inland location. Mere
riverside deepwater points. absolutely
without distinctive harbor or terminal
features, are called on TO fortify the
finland theory.
Gloucester. the most inland port of
England should hold supremacy ac-
"cording To the inland theory. Glou-
"cester besides being from three TO
-four times as far inland as any other
port In the United Kingdom, has its
entrance In the direct line OF ocean
commerce. with no lost distance. Yet
Gloucester is but a sixteenth the size
"of Liverpool and lees than One-hun-
'dredth the size OF London. OF the SO
vessels sent by Portland in 1872 to
"the United Kingdom. only one vessel
was consigned TO Gloucester Mon
"treal secured only eight and one-half
per cent OF the wheat shipments, al
though Il Is most distinctively inland
"of all the American ports and con-
"nected with the interior by the larg-
"est draught water channel that exists.
As already noted. the various trans
'portation lines in 1891 took from Chi
''cayo TO Baltimore only PSI, ,2S7 bushels,
"and to Philadelphia only SS75lS. as
against s2,S7S992 bushels to New York
and Boston Baltimore has the dlsad-
'vantages, as regards ready access TO
the ocean. OF inland ports, but is really
only ten miles inland from a coast line
that ignores properly the eastern pc
"nlnsula. That peninsula does nearly
"all its business with Philadelphia by
rail
I'VE tabulate the amount OF actual
penetration inland in miles from the
general coast line on which advocates
"of inland ports base their immutable
"law, When the great areas Of our
country reached by rail are consider
"ed, II will be seen that the amounts
ARE trifling, and that where very great
local advantages are not offered the
prospect In our new country, well sup
piled with cheaper railways than in
Europe, the prospects of these small
amounts of inland penetration receiv-
ling great consideration. are not prom
Using: