The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-15
THAT INLAND SEA" >
AN Ex-Engineer's- Theory
Laughed AT.
The TIDES OF THE swsoMlsH
sksxis esanfy People Laugh At the
Idea 80 Deception Pass cIes-
ing Up

Il roxsgR, Dec. s.--The article II the
GlbsaIser Faypsey. dated Warrington. y =
and signed %ex-EnIsed States 1iyh EAEl-
neer. = portion u which Vas Yepa9iistsa
II the xT-1srE1sgaEseEE has caused con
siderable amusement il aksgst county |.
i peculiar ffom 3 scientific ss weii as his
tofAcal standpoint. be states that alter an
absence 81 some forty years ne io'liia
that the volume of water flowing tnfousn
ESeepsion pass Hnd the velocity Of The eaf-
rent Was much less than in former years.
which he attributes 10 the reclamation Of
what he IL pleased 70 sersn az inland eea,
reterriaz u the tide lands OF skagit county.
Nov this sSsiSssarsSl so brings smile 70 the
face Of the Old settlers. The reclaimed
lassds OF gkagit county we're yeriEat,le pfal-
re lands. subject only To the action oi the
very highest, or spring tides Al al
other times they could be tEaYcTSea III al
directions without danger Ut vet feet tas
ground being perfectly dry during the
summer season, aud covered with laxar
liant growth Of grass. The dykes we're
built there TO prevent oyeFiiowssby the high
tides. and eTea the high tides only covered
The flats to a depth OF few
inches, barely SUFFICIENT TO Goat a
skfff or canoe. Therefore the inland
sea of forty years ago il myth, pure and
simple. A thin film Of water spread over
the land Twelve or fifteen times year
could hardly be called sea. The reciama
ton OF thess, lands could only affect the
volume or velocity Of the Deception tides
where they we're high enough to have
spread over the fats. and could not Affect
the volume Of water IN the Swinomish az
all By combining the waters 10 mar
rover channel the tendency would ne
rather to increase the volume IN the swim
anlish aad north Fork ef the Skagit, but
even that Il impossible. owing 10 the we'll
established iaw Of nature that ali fluids
mgst seek theis level therefore as long rs
the tides Of the Pacific and the Straits OF
Faca remain the same the tides of the
swsnomish must Of necessity rise 20 the
same level.
"Ex-civil Engineer" further says; And
eventually The tides win assume their nor
nal condition by the closing up OF the
Gwlnomish. by q natural law OF adjust
ntent One who has studied the channel
will recognize the imposslbility of such a
thing within the present generation or the
succeeding one. An examination of the
DAtfkS SHOWS G0AStu1kfs4y mat AZ Que tAttc
Eidaigo was part OF the main land, ard
that Swinomish channel has been cut
through by the tides. The testimony OF
the old settlers is TO the effect that during
the past twenty years there has been no
appfeciahle change in the depth of water.
Mr.. Sullivan, an experienced navigator,
who dyked the first piece of land over
twenty years ago. says: During the past
twenty-slx years there has been no change
in the channel. except an occasional shift
ing Of the minor bars 20 different positions
The only change Is the building up of the
bar just of Terrace point. Steamers TWEEN
Is years ago experienced the same diiti-
Guilty precisely in navigating these waters
that they do now. AEew years ago II was
considered a wonderful thing TO bring the
Geo e. starr into la Conner. yet now
Captain MeAlpin brings Der In regularly
with the mail. A proper manipulation Of
the currents by means of inexpensive crib
work Is all that Is necessary 70 clear cut
the bars 1T the southern entrance ana keep
Il forever clear. The other end might, per-
haps, have 10 be dfedgcd. There is no
doubt however. but that steamers can
navigate the swinonish now al as low a
stage Of tiee rs they ever have