The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-10
Asksd to Urge Legislation on Lake
Washington Canal. Philippine
Shipments. Magnolia Post.
Naval Station, Seattle Public
Building, Reformation Of Light
house District. More Mariners
Beacons for Alaska. and for q
Cable across the Pacific.

MANY things are expected from the
WI members Of the Washington dele.
s,lion h congress but IN Seattle def.
nllsly asIu them to do Is 10 use their best
ssbrt to further official progress On en-.
lHprises for the development Of the IN.
tsrssb d this state that are already under
Wv. The Chamber Of Commerce has
tahsa up the matter Of recommending
whal these four Representatives do. and
Secretary Prosch has prepared with much
earssnl attention 4 general statement Of
NJ chambers wishes This statement.
whIeh b officially dSned BY President
Graves and himself. has been sent to the
ssnston and Representatives 4 covers
Ne following subjects. The hyins Of :
trsmpacihc cable. with Puget sound for
II United States terminus, the necessity
d finishing the Lake Washington canal,
ihe Shipment Of supplies to The Philippines
hoM this port, the Magnolia bluff army
post, the Puget sound naval station, the
Seattle public building, the need Of
~ lighthouse district to include Alaska
and the necessity for more lighthouses
sIoSg the inner Alaskan passage. Follow.
Ing b shown the report in detail,
tTHE report proceeds at some length In
il reciting the needs of government
cable across the Pacific, showing the
advantages the nation would have in not
only saving Of money, but in increasing
commerce. with the Orient.
There Is but little question that the
people Of this state would favor ownership
BY the government. and that the cable
should be made in the United States" says
The document with the question OF
route 1t ID felt here that It should be from
the state Of Washington. by way Of
Alaska. touching at Sitka, and thence on
to Japan. BY Kadiak. Dutch harbor and
Aztec island. There are many reasons for
The adoption Of this route.
" One Is that II is shorter by 1000 miles
than by California, Hawaii and Guam to
Manila; another reason Is that the route
d preferable the floor of the ocean being
more level there being deep valleys and
great submarine mountains on the Ha-
waian route. A third reason Is that
much greater way service Is to be OBJ
tanned. much larger way population to
be served by the Alaska-Japan route than
BY the HawAii-Guam. The business of the
Guam-Hawaii islands IL done today by
l9eQ0 white people; the business Of Alaska
BY $4,000.
Alaska Is nearly 100 times the larger
OF the two. While its population may
never be SO dense as that OF the islands
to the south. it will in the aggregate be
Immensely greater. The interests of the
government are also greater In Alaska;
International questions are constantly arts
ING there, necessitating the presence OF
troops ships and other official agencies.
The situation there Is more delicate, and
ettumes more strained, than it 10 likely to
De hereafter at Guam or Hawaii, which
are more remote from foreign possessions,
interests and probable complications.
There is no telegraphic communication
with Alaska, and none is likely with the
coast Islands unless established by the
reoeral government at least not within
long period Of years. Japan, too, will
furnish an enormous traffic to a trans
pacific cable, more than enough, 1t Is be-
heved. to pay for its operation, interest
charges and all.
However that may be, all parts of the
country are interested In the cost of the
cable. whether laid by the government or
said by Subsidized private corporation.
Inc people will have to pay the bills In
either case. 1t will cost less by the North
racine route than by the South Pacific 1t
IS estimated. by s2,000, 900, and some other
estimates are more than double that figure.
II more people are TO be served by the
northern route than by the southern, II
more business is to be obtained, II the
route Is shorter, and less expensive by
millions Of dollars, the northern route
should be selected for the cable across the
Pacific ocean"
Lake Washington Canal.
He history of the Lake Washington
Hart Il,