Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07

river. and the city water works. which are
connected with the Cedar river furnish
some thousands of horsepower owned by
the city itself There are many falls that
can be developed throughout the Cascade
mountains, and there are enormous water
powers yet to be used in Oregon, Ida no and
California. In such matters the west Is
far more daring than the east and the
electrical energy OF many OF the falls is
already carried long distances. Spokane
is sending power to the Occur dAlens
mines. 100 miles away. The Seattle street
cars are run by plant on the Puyallup
river, forty miles Off and the same is true
of the trolley to Tacoma. Indeed. II Is es-
timated that at least 1.0o0.O00 horsepower
can easily be developed in every state or
the northwest and as it is now. many or
the mills and factories being run by
electricity more cheaply than would be
possible by steam California has a big
asset In its electric power possibilities
About 200. 0O0-horse power more have
been already generated there This comes
mostly from mountain streams, some OF the
power being carried several hundred miles
Oakland gets electrical energy from more
than 210 miles away, and one power plant
sends its force to distance of $40 mi es.
Over $50 900 600 invested in California
water powers.
Railroad Freights as a Tariff.
AS 1t is now most OF the goods which go
from here to the orient are made in the
east. The Minnesota on her second voyage
to the orient carried seventy locomotives
and other rolling stock for the railroads of
Japan. which were hauled across the Rock
les. The locomotives were built In Phila-
delphia. There were also ten thousand kegs
of wire nails and hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars worth of hardware. machinery and
other products, all made east Of the Mis-
sissippi valley. The west has iron. coal and
wood in addition to these mighty water
powers, and there is no reason why IL
Sh mo- rgh
AS 1t is now, it is competing with the
east at a profit; and as to many things
the heavy railroad freights act like pro-
tective tariff in its favor The freight upon
iron and steel from the mills of the east
to the Pacific coast Is 81 per ton and more;
and 1t is said that the freight paid on the
iron and steel used on this side of the
Rockies amounts to more than T.00o.00o a
year
Ship-Building on Puget Sound.
There is a probability that the northwest
will some day be building It's own ships for
the oriental trade. There a number OF
plants already established at different
places along the sound. Some at Seat
tie. Tacoma. Ballard. Everett. Winslow.
Bellingham. Olympia and at Quartermaster
harbor. The most of these build small ships
and boats. but in the yards of the Moran
Bros. here the Nebraska was constructed
at cost Of over So, 100000. That battle
ship is one of the largest in the United
States navy. 1t has displacement of If
teen thousand tons. horsepower OF nine
teen thousand and its speed is more than
twenty-one miles per hour. There now
about three thousand men employed in the
Puget Sound ShIpyardS. The timber OF
Washington is admirably adapted to ship
construction. These mighty frs are as
strong oaks and much easier to work.
They are exported to all parts OF the world
for shipbuilding.
Millions in Fish.
One of the biggest exports from this part
Of the world is fish. More than million
cases of salmon are sent from these waters
to England every year, four or FIVE hundred
cases going to London by sea
from San Francisco. China Japan and
India take about three hundred thousand
cases and fifty thousand are sent to Aus
tralia, while a like number goes to Africa
and South America Some of the biggest
salmon canneries OF the world are situated
on Puget sound. There is one at Belling
ham which puts up half million cans
day. and which has at times many
ten million cans in Its lofts. The Alaska
are largely managed with San
Francisco capital, although Seattle has In
terests there. This Is so also Of whaling
and other fisheries. Indeed, Alaska Is de-
veloping as fishing possibility almost as
rapidly a gold possibility. We originally
paid about $4,000 for that territory. and
So coo, 900 worth of fish. having received
In one year from the salmon alone almost
as much as the price paid for the territory.
The first cannery in Alaska was built about
twenty-eight years ago. There are now q
arge number. employing thousands Of
hands and packing tens of millions of fish
annually. In addition to this great deal
IF money is going into catching cod there.
The United States fish commission has been
cooking into the banks of Bering sea, and
according TO the governor of Alaska. there
are about 5000 square miles of cod fish
ng connected with our coast. One of the
claims that there are q thou
sand such fish in these waters for every
me on the banks of Newfoundland, and It
nay be that the cod of the world will
come from Alaska via Seattle.
During my trip over the Canadian Pacific
abroad l learned that haIibut was carried
,y the carload from the coasts of British
Columbia and Washington to New York
Ind Boston. Something like ten million
pounds OF that fish are carried from the
Pacific to Boston every year, and there are
,ther kinds OF sea fcd which are now reg
ilarly exported across the Rockies to the
titles OF the Atlantic coast. Indeed. the
possibilities of this part Of the world are
10 many and so varied that IL Is impossi
lie to comprehend them.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.