Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-02-21
RESERVES OF PUBLIC LANDS.
OLYMPIC FOREST RESERVE,

JILL MIiC rOhkSI RESERVE.
The description, from field notes,
by Messrs. Arthur Dodwell and r. F.
Rixon, of the Olympic Forest Reserve,
Washington, is part OF the report on
Forest Reserves, by Mr.. Henry Gam
nett, Geographer, now in press, but
not yet published, which constitutes
Part V OF the Twenty-irst Annual Re-
port of the United States Geological
Survey. The reserve comprises an
area of 5000 square miles, or 1885,
200 acres, and includes parts of Clal.
lam, Jefferson, Chehalis, and Mason
counties. The reserve consists of the
Olympic mountains, which rise in
SUBMITS exceeding 5000 feet in alti-
tude, and their slopes upon all sides.
Upon the east it extends nearly to
Puget Sound, upon the north to the
Strait of Juan de Fuca, and upon the
west nearly to the Pacific ocean.
Eleven rivers drain its territory. The
rainfall of this region is probably the
heaviest in the United States, the
Alaskan coast excepted. It has only
about 1900 acres now ready for use as
agricultural land. Large areas OF un-
used grazing land, about 1900 acres
in all, are found upon the tops Of the
ridges, between an elevation OF 1000
and 5000 feet. Mining operations
are being pushed along the north
watershed of the Elwha river, but,
though gold and copper have been
found, the formation does not warrant
the belief that any paying mine will
ever be located upon this portion of
the reserve. Logging operations have
not been found practicable because
the rivers are too swift and subject to
too many freshets. The Indians
have to pole their canoes up these
streams when trapping and fishing. as
rowing is impossible; furthermore
there are no harbors on the Pacific
coast of the reserve. There are no
railroads in the reserve at present, but
a railroad around the coast with spurs
up the valleys would reach nearly all
the timber on the west slope.
The lower country mp to altitude Of
fully 5000 feet 10 heavily timbered.
The total stand of timber upon the
area examined is 100000 feet, an
average per acre for the entire area of
81 600 feet. This is the most heavily
timbered part Of the State. This
enormous body of timber consists Of
hemlock, AZ per cent; red fir, 26 per
cent; silver fir, Is per cent; cedar, 10
ler cent; and spruce. Z per cent.
Fires have been extensive and severe,
and. in spite Of heavy rainfall. re-
stocking OF the burned areas has made
little progress.
The report is illustrated by twenty
plates.
MOUNT RAINIER.
The examination OF the Mount Ka.
nier Forest Reserve, Washington, to-
gether with the Mount Rainier Ma
tional Park. Washington, by Mr..
Henry Garnett. Geographer, is the
twenty-first annual report OF the Unit
ed States Geological Survey now pass
ing through the press, but not yet
published.
The Mount Rainier Forest Reserve
includes the crest OF the Cascade
Range. in southern Washington. with
its slopes upon the eaet and the west.
OF the total Of 2,145,60 acres, ALA
per cent lies on the eastern slope, and
58.6 per cent on the western slope of
the mountains. All of the eastern
slope and most OF the western slope,
1876 per cent OF the Reserve. are
drained by Is rivers into Columbia
river; the remainder is drained by
three rivers into Puget Sound. The
reserve includes the great volcanic
peak OF Mount Rainier, IA, ,526 feet /;
Mount Adams, another great volcanic
cone, 12,470 feet; Goat Mountain.
{, 500 feet; and Mount AK, 1923 feet.
From these heights the land sinks
down to within . few hundred feet Of
sea level. The bold topography Of the
reserve is the cause OF wide diversities
in climatic conditions. The rain
bearing clouds, borne on southwest
winds, pass easily through breaks in
the Coast Range to the heights and
valleys of the Cascade Range. Hence
the strong contrast between the corn
and tobacco fields of the Cowlitz val.
ley aud the $500 acres OF glaciers
and perpetual snow fields Of Mount
Rainier. Only about $4,000 acres, or
2 per cent of the entire reserve. are
fair farming land, and more than one
half OF this is too high or too much
exposed.
The Davis Coal prospect on Sum.
init Creek claims a vein 6 feet wide;
and several other coal veins have been
prospected. The principal mining for
metals is the Summit district just
east of Mount Rainier; many claims
have been taken up; mono were pro.
ductive at the time Of the examina-
ton. A number of mineral springs
chiefly soda and iron, are found. All
the divides become beautiful parks
plentiiully grassed and lowered a.
they approach the slopes OF Mount
Rainier: and at least 80 per cent ol