The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-05
THEIR ROAD CLOSED.
Snohomish Settlers Complain
Of : Blocked Waterway.


% - tAuu ouace fof TINS o3gtf1cL Win neoo-
quarters In Seattle. has just forwarded to
the commissioner o; the land oERcs at
Washington. d. c.. . very carefully pre-
pared report upon an interesting casa re-
ferred to him for investigation last febru-
ary. relating to the alleged obstruction OF
Ely slough IN snohomish county.
The ease vss 6fss brought 10 the attsn-
don Of the interior department through
petition from Charles w. Andrews and
seventy-seyen other residents and property
owners along the slough. rsciting facts in
substance - follows: That Ely slough b
the east prong Of the Snohomish river, and
10 nsvigabis q oil stages of water, having
been surveyed and cleared of snags py the
United States snagboat: that Aessrs. &.
" Tompkins, James pyrl & Co. have
driven seven punches Of piles from three 10
nine piles In bunch across the slough for
the purpose Of hanging boom Of logs. said
boom and logs filing up tho river mile
and half, e6ectually stopping psvigation;
that the obstruction during frsahets neces-
States the raising Of dykes one or two feet,
and that the ebb and flow Of the tide VII
soon cut away and destroy the dykes ii
the obstacles are not speedily removed.
r v. Tompkins filed IN affidavit with
the department. making general denial OF
the statements made in the petition. adj
uniting, however, that the boom had been
placed across the stream. He alleged that
numbering il the principal industry Of Sno-
homish county. there being about one hun
dsed million feet OF logs cut on the Snohom-
ish river each year. amounting in value to
10000; that IL has proven impossible TO
save logs in any other way than by boom
In Ely slough, which he asserts is not
navigable above the boom at all stages OF
water and only by smaller boats At very
high water.
These papers were referred to Special
Agent Bail about March I. and he has since
given the matter thorough investigation.
In his report he states that he found the
following facts:
That Ely slough is prong Of the Sno-
homish river and that 1t Is navigAble at all
stages Of water for ordinary river boats,
being on IN average from $50 to $50 feet
wide and from 10 to 20 feet deep ct low
tide from its mouth to its intersection at
the 6nohomish river proper. As to whether
the slough has been cleared Of snags BY
United States survey and snagboat crews
ss alleged In the complaint Of the petition.
ers, be Was unable to learn. He finds that
Richard v. Tompkins and James Pyrl did,
In September, 1859. cause to be driven
across the slough, piles in punches of from
three to nine, from twenty to fifty feet
apart In diagonal direction across the
stream. and obstFucting it so that boats OF
any and Ill kinds and sizes are prevented
from passing through by having there q
boom of logs one-half mile long and ct
e,vn.. one and one hal sns1os LONE rnr,-
pletely filing up the water course.
He finds that the ebb and flow Of the
tide has not cut away or destroyed the
dykes along the slough, neither are they
likely to be destroyed by the obstruction.
Should the boom of the logs be displaced
and removed the piles would not hinder
the largest boat from passing through BE-
tween the punches OF piles, although some
care would be required upon the part Of
the pilot. With the piles remaining
il Is claimed by the petition
ers that fallen trees, driftwood,
brush and like things which pass down the
stream There being . heavy dmbered
country above the obstruction) would lodge
against the piles and obstruct navigation.
Agent Ball further finds that Ely slough
Is the principal highway by which people
along the slough and Of the country adjacent
thereto, transact their business In the ordi-
nary course of trade with each other and
in purchasing their supplies and market
ting their produce: and that the obstruction
of the stream prevents citizens residing
above the obstruction from using it in 60
ing to and from the town Of Marysvile, .
place Of trade near the point where Eby
slough smpties into the Sound. In support
Of these statements afiidavits OF . large
number OF residents along tho slough &C
company the report and form q part Of it
A copy of the report has been filed with
Patrick Henry Winston, United States DIS
trict attorney for Washington. and he win
probably be instructed by the attorney
general OF the United States to commence
proceedings for the removal OF the OBJ