The Seward gateway., 1915-09-11

upper Cook Inlet could not be overcome, and Nature was kind to Resurrection Bay.
 Upper Cook Inlet was carefully investigated Tor terminal purposes in 1902 and 1903 by the Alaska Central Railway Company, predecessor ot the Alaska Northern; by the Alaska Railway Commis- sion in 1912, and by the Alaska Engineering Com mission in 1915 All alike found the same ooJec- tions to upper Cook Inlet, and all alike officially recommended Resurrection Bay, the harDor on which Seward is situated, as the only harbor that meets every requirement for an ocean rallway ter, minus President Wilson accordingly designated Seward as the ocean terminus of the Government Alaska railroad systems.
 Ice interference Tn upper Cook Inlet, ranging from three to seven months every winter together with its shallow water for 90 miles above the East and West Forelands, make it navigable only during the summer for vessels of less than 2,5OO tons.
 Resurrection Bay, on the other hand, is open to vessels of any draft every day m the year, and IS ice free every hour of every winter. 1t connects directly with the ocean. It has wide, tmbered valley at it's head, where the room IS ample TOT terminals and population of any size It's climate is mild, ranging from 90 to 85 above zero Tn sum. mer and from below, the coldest on record, to 5O above in winter. The annual snow fall is light with total precipitation of but 42 inches year.
 Distance, Insurance and Lower Rates.
 Bv the outside route from San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Prince Rupert, straight across the open ocean to Seward, marine insurance IS 21a per cent year on vessels and 1a per cent on cargo
 Site of the Naval Base.
 Coal can be taken aboard direct by cruisers and battleships of 10000 to 320O0 tons displacement, or be loaded on modern navy colliers of 10000 tons and more for transportation to the different navy coaling stations of the Pacific Ocean. navy yard and dry dock of first magnitude at Seward will therefore be a necessary development. The navy department is now, in fact preparing plans for its coal bunkers, docks and shops at the Seward base. The Secretary of the navy officially announced in statement to the Senate Committee on naval affairs in the spring of 1915 that Congress would be asked for appropriations carry these plans into effect They will involve expenditures of several millions of dollars.
 The navy department has already reserved site of $500 acres for a naval base and coaling station on Resurrection Bay mile south of Seward. It's plans are completed for large coal bunkers. Ims will be the supply point for the navy on the entire Pacific, as the Matanuska coal, carefully tested by the navy has been officially accepted as the only coal on the Pacific slope of North America suitable for naval
 Commercial and Manufacturing Center
 But the shipment of coal will be small item In comparison with Stewards commercial and manu- featuring industries and activities.
 Scores of thriving towns the railroad and on the banks of the connecting naVgabc rivers in all of interior Alaska less than along the coast for 200 miles east and 800 miles west, will have their commercial, banking and manufacturing headquar- ters at the central point-Seward. It's destiny IS