648 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



when the land was high and now flooded 

 by tidewater, owing to a general sub- 

 sidence of the coast region. Most of the 

 Alaska trade comes into Puget Sound, 

 and it is claimed that this harbor is today 

 nearer most Oriental ports than San 

 Francisco. On its shores are the large 

 cities of Serttle, with a population of 

 260,000; Tacoma, 100,000; Bellingham, 

 35,000; Everett, 25,000; Olympia, the 

 capital of Washington, and many smaller 

 places. 



Columbia River is a wide water- 

 course for many miles above its mouth, 

 but its depth is very much less than that 

 of Puget Sound. The bar at its mouth 

 has only 24 feet of water at mean low 

 tide, and there are still shallower stretches 

 on the route to Portland. However, the 

 river is easily navigable for very large 

 ocean vessels, which carry a heavy ton- 

 nage of imports and exports. Certain 

 improvements now in progress by the 

 government will deepen the water at the 

 mouth of the river, and it is expected that 

 Congress eventually will make provision 

 for the excavation of a 30-foot channel 

 all the way to Portland. 



The Alaska- Yukon-Pacific Exposition 

 at Seattle, prepared at a cost of $10,000,- 

 000, sets forth in glowing colors the great 

 resources of the Northwest. It is not an 

 anniversary, but simply an exposition, 

 and while Alaska will be the special 

 feature, Washington and Oregon will 

 have much prominence and doubtless 

 gain greatly by it. 



SEATTLE 



The Pacific Northwest has three great 

 cities — Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma — 

 all on tidewater near the west coast. 

 Portland, the oldest, commands the Co- 

 lumbia River commerce, and Seattle and 

 Tacoma are on the splendid harbor of 

 Puget Sound. No large city in the world 

 can boast of such rapid growth as Seattle 

 has had in the last few years. Accord- 

 ing to data obtained by U. S. Geological 

 Survey, in 1908 there were 7,901 permits 

 issued, representing $13,777,329 for labor 

 and materials. This is seventh in rank, 

 or higher than Pittsburg or Boston. San 



Francisco at the same time issued 6.729 

 permits, with the high value of $31,668.- 

 341, but this was due largely to replacing 

 the expensive down-town buildings de- 

 stroyed by the fire. 



At the beginning of this year the popu- 

 lation of Seattle was estimated at 260,000. 

 When it is remembered that in 1880 the 

 number was only 3,533, the gain is phe- 

 nomenal. The city covers an area of 

 78 square miles, two-thirds land and one- 

 third water; it has 413 miles of graded 

 streets, 2T5 miles of sewers, 375 miles 

 of water-mains, and 20 peaks with an 

 aggregate area of 415 acres. Its facto- 

 ries have a $15,000,000 pay-roll, and 

 their product is valued at $60,000,000. 

 The exports in 1908 were $18,138,596 

 and the imports $12,961,094, besides a 

 large coast trade, especially with Alaska. 

 The bank clearings amounted to $429,- 

 499,251 in 1908. 



Contrary to the idea which many peo- 

 ple have, the rainfall of Seattle is con- 

 siderably less than that of Washington, 

 New York, or Boston, but as much of 

 it comes in the rainy season of early 

 winter, that part of the year is not alto- 

 gether attractive. 



The death rate is one of the lowest of 

 large cities in the world. Much of the 

 Seattle area is hilly, but the city has 

 climbed the larger hills and leveled ex- 

 tensive districts, so the old prediction of 

 rival cities, that the hills would restrict 

 her progress, has been verified. Exten- 

 sive swamp areas have been reclaimed, 

 in part with material removed from the 

 hills. 



PORTLAND 



Portland, with a population approach- 

 ing a quarter of a million, controls the 

 greater part of the lower Columbia trade. 

 The city is beautifully built on broad 

 terraces of moderate height on Willa- 

 mette River, a short distance above its 

 mouth. It has deep water to its exten- 

 sive dock system, and its ocean commerce 

 averages about $12,000,000 a year. New 

 York is the greatest wheat-shippingport in 

 the world and Portland is second. Its ex- 

 ports for the year ending June 30, 1008. 



