The Seward gateway., 1915-09-13

upper Cook Inlet could not be overcome, and Nature was kind to Resurrection Bay.
 IJpper Cook Inlet was carefully investigated for terminal purposes in 1902 and 1903 by the Alaska Central Railway Company, predecessor ot the Alaska Northern; by the Alaska Railway Commls- sion in 1912, and by the Alaska Engineering Com mission in 1915. All alike found the same oDJec- tions to upper Cook Inlet and all alike officially recommended Resurrection Bay, the harbor on which Seward is situated, the only harbor that meets every requirement for an ocean railway ter minus President Wilson accordingly designated Seward as the ocean terminus of the Government Alaska railroad systems.
 Ice interference in upper Cook Inlet, ranging from three to seven months every winter, together with it's shallow water for 90 miles above the East and West Forelands, make 1t navlgable only durlhg 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 in the year, and IS ice free every hour of every winter. 1t connects directly with the ocean, It has wide, tmDered valley at it's head, where the room is ample for terminals and a population of any slze It's climate is mild, ranging from 90 to So above zero Tn sum, mer and from below, the coldest on record, to 2V above in winter. The annual snow fall IS lght wlth total precipitation of but Az inches year
 Distance, Insurance and Lower Rates
 By the outside route from San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Prince Rupert, straight across the open ocean to Seward, marine insurance IS Z12 per cent year on vessels and F per cent on cargo
 Site of the Naval Base.
 Coal can be taken aboard direct by cruisers and batteships of 900 to 32000 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 Tor US 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 to carry these plans into effect They will involve expenditures of several millions of dollars.
 The navy department has already reserved site of 33OO acres for naval base and coaling station on Resurrection Bay mile south of Seward. It's plans are completed for large coal bunkers Inns 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 use.
 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 on the railroad and on the banks of the connecting navgable rivers m all of interior Alaska less than along the coast Tor 200 miles east and 500 miles west, will have their commercial, banking and manufacturing headquar- ters at the central point-Seward. It's destiny IS