The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1905-10-24
WIND AND WAVE AID COAST PORTS.


The prospective growth of commerce
between Pacific coast ports and the
rapidly opening markets of the orient
is the subject of an article prepared
by o. P. Austin, chief of the bureau
of statistics, which was regarded as of
SO much Importance by the Japanese
governmentsthat is has been translated
into the Japanese language and circu-
lated in that country as well as this
as public document.
Mr.. Austin summarizes the results
of observations and experiments by
British and American naval officers as
to Pacific winds and currents, which
in his opinion make it inevitable that
the trade with eastern Asia will be
carried on almost exclusively by the
Pacific ports of the United States.
Nature" he says, "has given to the
United States marked advantages re-
garding the movement of vessels be-
tween her western shores and the east
ern coast of Asia, where the trade of
the orient must always center"
The equatorial current, Mr.. Austin
points out, begins its western move
ment at the very point where an 18TH
mian canal would enter the Pacific,
and moves steadily westward to the
vicinity of the Philippines; then
turning northwest along the coast of
China, and Japan it is DETECTED to the
east, and flows across the Pacific to
the north Pacific American coast; then
turns south and moves along our coast
to its starting point, thus completing
circuit. The air currents, while
their exact location is somewhat
affected by the change of seasons, fol-
low practically the same lines and are
equally reliable.
The rate of speed at which this
great ocean current ceaselessly flows
in its monster ellipse is about one
mile an hour, though the movement
of the air current is, of course, much
more rapid.
"These facts" Mr.. Austin says,
Justify me in the assertion that this
steady, permanent flow of air and
water, flow which will never cease
so long as the earth revolves toward
the east and the great bodies of land
and water retain their present relative
position-must always give to the
North American continent a marked
advantage in the commerce of the
Pacific.
Its vessels from the eastern coast,
entering the Pacific at the isthmus,
will move westward aided by the air
and water currents, past our Hawaiian
islands, Wake island and Guam to
the Philippines; thence northward to
those two great trade centers, Shang
hal and Yokohama, and thence, still
following these currents, will move
to the east, along that shortest route
known as the great circle in the
north Pacific, touch at our western
ports for transshipment of freights for
the east, and then, still following the
ocean current down our Pacific coast
will reach the entrance to. the 18TH
mian canal, having been aided by
favoring currents of air and water in
the entire circle tour of 5000 miles.
The feasibility of this plan is
found in the fact that, while the
actual sailing distance from the west
eru end of the proposed isthmian canal
to Manila via Hawaii and Guam is
$500 miles, the return trip from
Manila via Shanghai, Yokohama and
San Francisco to the canal is but
10000 miles, with the advantage Of
favoring wind and current in prac-