The Navy's Test of Bellingham Bay Coal
Secretary Herbert clarifies that Bellingham Bay coal tests for the Pacific fleet are not conclusive, signaling a win for Senator Squire against British interests.
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Secretary Herbert has stated that he has called for a full report of all coal tests made on Puget Sound. He does not consider that the report of the commander of the Yorktown in favor of Bellingham Bay coal settles the status of which is the best coal, but merely which one is the best suited for the purposes of the naval vessel. The order to the commanding officer of the Bering Sea fleet to use Bellingham Bay coal was only to take on enough coal to carry the vessels to the coal supply in the Bering Sea, and upon their arrival there, to use the supply there. Senator Squire is greatly pleased at the victory he has won for the state as against British interests.
“Senator Squire is greatly pleased at the victory he has won for the state as against British interests.”
In the 1890s, Washington State’s economic identity was tied to the fight for domestic coal dominance in the Pacific. Today, the debate has shifted from coal to clean energy, yet the tension between regional self-reliance and global corporate or foreign influence remains a cornerstone of Washington politics.
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