The Republican journal., 1901-08-08
LETTER FROM SEATTLE.

LETTER FROM SEATTLE.
SEATTLE, July-19Oi. The extended
visit of the Congressional Rivers and
Harbors Committee to the State of
Washington, and to Alaska, was a happy
omen for the future development OF
the new Northwest. Everywhere the
people did their utmost to welcome
and honor the distinguished guests.
The weather was perfect, and every
cruise and excursion a complete sue
cess. Our citizens were greatly pleas
ed to note the deep interest and
thorough manner in which the visiting
congressman investigated the many i'm
portant government works under way,
or in contemplation. The committee
expressed genuine surprise, confessing
they had DO adequate knowledge of the
growth and resources of the West and
of the grand provision nature had made
on Puget Sound for the growing COM
merce; and that it seemed as if nowhere
within the United States are the dc
mands for federal aid so modest in
comparison with the results they will
accomplish. No possible presentation
of facts and arguments could compare
with the strong impression that a visit
to Puget Sound makes upon strangers.
For over week the committee and
their ladies were the guests of the city
of Seattle; in fact longer, as all arrange
ments and expenses for the Alaskan
tour had been provided by the Seattle
Chamber of Commerce. The itinerary
included four days cruise on the lower
Sound, and New England member of
the committee wondered how they
could put in SO much time on what he
supposed was narrow, limited arm of
the sea. At the end of the trip he said
-four weeks would be brief enough to
fully enjoy the outing offered. The
fact that eleven large counties of this
State border on Puget Sound, and two
entire counties are formed from is
lands of the Sound, gives some idea of
it's extent and ramifcations.
Many features of the entertainment
of the committee and ladies, forming a
party of forty, were out of the ordinary
line; in fact were quite unique. One
of the strange greetings was when
they were taken by the Seattle recep-
ton committee to view the Naval Sta
ton. A salute of seventeen giant fir
stumps, which had been mined with
powder and fixed in such a way as to
make their destruction successive, pro-
vided novel sight and showed the
manner of clearing the land, as well as
the appropriate salute of seventeen
shots in honor of the visitors.
In the great drydock of the Naval
Station was the revenue cutter Bear,
and the U. S. transport Egbert and
Rosecrans, and the torpedo boats Rowan
and Goldsborough were at the wharf.
After viewing the large dock and extern
sive machine shops, and as the party
were gathering in a grove near the resi-
dences of the officers for a luncheon,
timely occurrence was the arrival of
the Pride of the Navy the famous
battle ship Oregon, which anchored
here for the first time since she had
started from Puget Sound three years
ago, on her memorable trip of $4,000
miles to crush Spain's sea power off
Santiago. Her glorious career makes
not only all the Pacific Coast, but the
entire nation, proud of the Oregon.
She will remain here for several months
undergoing repairs after her recent
long cruise in the China seas.
A day was devoted to examining the
project, already undertaken by the gov
of a ship canal at Seattle,
Lakes Union and Washing
ton with the waters of Puget Sound.
This situation cannot be duplicated in
the entire world, where the beautiful
land locked, fresh water harbor with
nearly fifty miles of available shore
line, and depth sufficient for the larg-
est vessel ever launched, lies within
three miles of one of the finest and best