The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-23

Yesterday AT different times there ar
rived IN this city for The express purpose
OF inspecting the Magnolia blu1 army post
ste several distinguished United States
army 1rficsrs. az the head OF whom. in rel
stNe RANK. Is Brig. Gen. Joseph c. Breck-
inrlose, inspector general, Washington.
d. (. Gen Breckenridge came directly
from the East with the intention OF max
ing brief Inspections az various points. lie
CID not arrive until the middle Of me aft
eTncon, owing 70 delay in the time of
reaching the city OF the Northern Pacific
train. Cen II. (. Merriam. OF the Depart
ment OF the Columbia and his aide, Lieut.
William II. Graves reached Seattle IN the
morning from Spokane. 10 which post. as
Wei as 70 Fort Sherman. Occur dAlene
tney had gone from Vancouver for inspec-
uon- IL the afternoon the visiting Officers,
accompanied by Capt. w. W. Robinson.
u, assistant Quartermaster IN charge OF
construction of the post work at Magnolia
bun; j. W. elise, chairman OF the land
committee of the Chamber of Commerce.
and Gen. Aerriam's son, entered carriages
az the kaInier-Grand hotel and drove TO
Magnolia bluff where the remainder OF
the day, as long as it was light, was spent
in viewing the location and the strategic
advantages Of the site. There was a gen.
eFal expression Of approval by both Gems.
Breckenridge and Merriam Of the place
chosen, and OF the work OF Capt Robinson
in the location Of the buildings. as shown
on a plat which was taken along for refer
enee. The inspection Of the place was
made easy by the recent opening OF a trail
across the site, under Capt. Robinson's d.
rection, and the edge Of the bluff was
reached without difficulty. The return TO
the city Was marked by an incident that
demonstrated the necessity Of an improve
ment by the city Of the streets leading 10
the bluff. The read under kinnear hill
was so narrow that two teams could not
pass. and, in language which recent
dealing with mountain passes has made
familiar TO readers of klondike news, the
road became congested, and a jam was
narrowly aVerted, in which the carriages
OF the officers and a street car We're threat
ened with entangements. The result of it
all was that one party quit the carriage
and sought the city by the electric lire.
Capt. Robinson reported the matter sew
eral weeks ago to the council, but moth
ing has ever been done 10 improve the road
along which. il was stated last night. ii
would be impossible to convey the machin-
cry necessary to the operations OF arrang-
ing the site.
General Merriam, when seen at the
Rainier-Grand last night. stated that the
department is fully aware of the fact
that it will require a large expenditure
OF money and time to bring about the
results intended. 1.-THE proposition is
one vastly different from that of locating
a frontier post" said General Merriam.
There we look for sanitary and stTa-
tegic features and the disposition Of
men and military equipment 10 best adj
vantage. Here we find the sanitary
conditions all that we could wish and
we must look now 70 the handling of
heavy ordnance: to see that the fire OF
our big guns will be effective. The con-
version of Magnolia Bluff into a forti-
fed army post is in line with the militia
~ coast development. Of which the
war department approves. l shall not
on this occasion. visit the fertilization
work at Port Townsend. where contracts
for clearing sites at Marrowstone point
and Admiralty head have already been
let"
General Breckenridge, General Mer-
riam. Lieut.. Graves and Mr. Merriam
will leave this morning for Portland.
en- route to Vancouver barracks. Gen
eral Breckenridge, who is now thirty in
'elative rank among the brigadier gen
erals of the army. was for long time
at both Los Angeles and Denver.