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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1889)
WEST SIIORK. ofthoso best acquainted with the growth and possi bilitics of the falls city for very rapid advancement during the coining months. Sinco the completion of the free suspension bridge across the Willamette river at Oregon City a year ngo the west side has become very desirable property and several additions to the town have been platted there. The prospect of .connection with Portland by means of electric and steam motor lines that are certain to be built before long has had tho effect of creating great activity in real estate, and tho land on both sides of the river between Oregon City and Portland is fast losing its identity as country property and iB lie ing divided into lots and small tracts suitablo for mar ket gardening. Opposite Oregon City previoim to this year timber camo down to tho water's edgo. Already handsome residences have been erected there and it is fast being made a part of the city in appearance iih well as in fact and theory. No pleasanter residence locality can bo found and it is not at all strange that that property is becoming so popular. Property of all kinds is augmented in value by the great industrial improvements that have been made this year and the promising prospect for tho future. Of course activity in building operations creates a demand for building materials and this demand has led to tho starting of new saw mills, brick kilns, sash, door and blind factories, etc. in and near Oregon City, in addition to the facilities that previously existed for turning out tho needed materials. There is nn abundance of good building stone to lo obtained, and one of the paper mills will bo of stono quarried on the site. Stono and brick enter largely into tho buildings now going up.; Tho main street of Oregon City pre sents an appcaranco similar to that of the streets of Seattlo and Spokane Falls sinco their great fires, so actively are building operations being prosecuted. This spirit of progress marks a new era for tho fulls city. The progressive movement is always slow to get started in the old towns but when it comes the pros-IM-rity is of the substantial order and has no tinge of the speculative boom about it. This is true of Oregon City, tho perfect security of investments there Wing a principal feature of tho business situation. It is situated too near tho metropolis to ever suffer retro gression, leeause the chief clement of advantage that location possesses is its superb water owcr which can not be destroyed and which is always in great demand for driving tho wh.vls of factories. It has r.kmI railway and steamlKiat transportation facilities. There is no more favorable site for establishing manufacturing institutions in tho west and the rapidity with which they are collecting at the falls shows that the advant ages of tho situation are coming to he appreciated by manufacturers. THE THETIS IN THE ARCTIC. UK cruise of tho United States steamer IhtUt Is one of the most remarkable ever made by a gov ernment vessel not bound on a genuine voyage of exploration. Karly in the spring she left San Francisco with instructions to keep with the whaling licet and render any service possible. This task she executed, and returned to port on the seventh day of Peceiulter after a cruise of seven and one-half months. The Thtli followed tho Alaska coast line from Fort Tongass to the demarkation point, or extreme northeastern Ixtundary, and she is the first ship to ac complish that fent in a single season. She penetrated, in company with several whalers, as far to the north east as Ilerschel Island, called after the famous astron omer of that name. Of Ilerschel island the captain gives the following report: "It is about NX) feet in height, has a rounded contour, sloping gradually from the center on all sides, and shows the appearance of former glacial action. Tho vegetation is confined to grasses and small arctic llowers, On the east side of the Island there Is a small, snug harbor named Pauline cove, capable of receiving vessels of less that sixteen feet draught. An oicn bay on the same side of tho island was found to be fairly good anchorage with westerly ami northwest erly winds. The report gives a graphic description of the ierils encountered by tho Hi-fis in an Ice pack, twenty-live miles east of Point Harrow. The vessel was fast In the ice for four days. Ice closed in on her on the eigh teenth of August, when she was on her way back to Point Harrow from Ilerschel Island. The wind shifted to the west southwest, bringing the ice down off Cax) HalM't. The Thtli pushed on, however, so as to reach Point Harrow More the wind had brought the Ice down tiKin that point, but it was tcs late, as tin-re was heavy ice resting on the shore westward of Tangent Miint. In endeavoring to work in shore the steamer got in to shoal water, and upon turning hack found all the leads closed. The captain was obliged to make fast to a heavy lloe in an oi'ti pool of water. The danger to the ship was very great, as she was likely to In- crushed at any moment. There was, however, little danger to life, as the men could have made their way over the ice to land and thence twenty -five miles to the relief station. The captain, In shaking of this trying pre dicament, pays a high compliment to his olhcers, and has, in a rcMrt to the department at Washington, at tributed the preservation of the ship to the "watch fulness and readiness of the ollicers and men and to the faithful working of the englnm." .... The vessel, by constant ramming and with the as sistance of a favorable wind, got out and anchored at Point Harrow, tin her way down she dsik (lovernor Knnpp, of Alaska, aboard and conveyed him from Sitka to various oiiits in Southeastern Alaska. Cap tain Stis kton says the Thtli Is admirably adapted to the work she has Ini-n engaged In. 5