Seattle

Seattle (pron. Se-at'el), capital of King county, Washington, is on Elliott Bay, an arm of Puget Sound, 18 miles by rail N. of Tacoma. The residence streets run up the slope of a hill, with the business portion built on the level ground at the foot, stretching along the excellent harbour, with its many wharves. Seattle owes its phenomenal growth to the development of the state lumber trade, of which it is the chief seat. Over 1000 vessels of about 1,000,000 tons enter and clear the port annually, carrying away coal and timber. Shipbuilding and a busy fishery are also carried on. There are cable and electric tramways, and the town possesses a university. In 1889 a terrible fire destroyed the whole business portion—sixty blocks—with the wharves, and cost nearly $10,000,000; but within a year 265 new buildings, mostly of iron and stone, besides sixty wharves, with a frontage of 2 miles, were erected. Pop. (1880) 3533; (1890) 42,837.