Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-13
DAILY poS1.|NTEluGENCER.
a CHEAP AND EFFECTIVE >LA
WALL

Harbors shoal. The bsss engineering
sk,ll IF the country ia engages 10 heSis-
ing plans To prevent the hil'nR up 81
barhors Wherever river nPtIes in'o
a bay the constant tendency Is to reduce
its depth by deposit OF sediment
Wherever a city 10 located opoh 'ue
shores Of bay or river WIFE siussi'A
currept, the accumulated ceohs bsae1
ally extends the shore line ana cof''iao''
,ha ba,bor. Residents OF ~ tie fof
the pas. twenty years can reA'i} noe
marked encr0acE. cit uP'n 'Ls
wat.rs Of Elliott Bay along the CITY
front. and a reduction Of the depth OF
water at given points A 'he CIV
o,ows these ccumnlations viii r%p'ois
i.or.ase NJ. asures should be ins.!suteo
to protect the barber on our CITY ii"A'
nv preventing the debris dumped along
the shore from being carried out~afo
by each recedine tide and deposited al
the bottom of the bay. We have before
called attention to tine necessity OF
,sa wall ON the city front. The large
quantity of refuse material sewage
dirt from grades aud excavations CON
s.antly being Deposited along the shore
must within very few years result In a
marked shoaling Of the bay and conse-
ouept contraction Of the harbor.
The railroad company has driven
piles for extension of Ito line along tue
city front from the south end OF Com
nercial street to Pine street. At the
north end the banks are abrupt and the
water il deep. The railroad runs quite
near the present shore line until II
reaches Spring street. With this IN
view II occurs 10 us that the problem OF
how 70 build a SEA wall il easy Of solu-
ton. Along the east side Of the rail
road track a bulkhead could be con-
structed by spikIng plank upon the
piles and enclosing the end at Spring
street. The south end ~ already bulk-
headed by Yesler's wharf. similar
buikhead at StetsOn d Posts mill and
along the line of railroad between that
point and Mill street would protect the
whole city front and provide dumping
ground sufficient to hold the dirt, de-
bris, sawdust and refuse lumber from
the mills along the city front for sew
eral years. 1t would enhance the value
Of water lots, absolutely proven. further
shoaling Of the bay from this side the
harbor, and in few years when neces-
sary the plank bulk heads could be re-
placed by permanent sea wall of stone.
From sanitary point of Wow tins srg
Restion is worthy Of consideration by
our City Council. The drainage OF the
city il defective. What few sewers We
have, empty along the shore, many
above high water mark. They are not
only offensive to the eye and SENSE OF
smell, but are fever breeders. The shore
line OF Seattle in the summer IL often
sive and 10 many places disRustingly
foul. The erection Of bulkhead such
as is here suggested and the extension
of sewers to and through IL would pre-
vent this nuisance, and the filling Of the
intervening space would Ia a short time
give a shore line regular in outline, anc
along the greater part of which at the
lowest tide there would be several feet Of
water. The city is growing rapidly. an,
this matter Of clean and we'll protect
ei city front is worth attention. W.
have heard no plan suggested which tc
US appears at once SO practical and
economical as that indicated in ,hi,
article.