The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-30

Terrace Street Shipping Down the
Hill.

Issraes Street Shipping Down the
The Terrace street grade, from Fifth
street to the bluff. has formed into an Inn
menss slide. and Il already pushing down
the steep incline 70 the level below. From
the blum almost to Fifth street the street
and yard on the north side are Z network
Of assures, from two inches to eight inches
Ia width, and from six to fourteen feet
deep. A portion Of the street, and in the
alley on the north side. the great cracks 10
the earth resemble the result of violent
earthquake.
me undermining and consequent sliding
Of the street has endangered the residences
on the north side. and the occupants are
becoming greatly concerned. The houses
are liable in time to topple over and crush
their inmates. and yesterday there Wa
some talk of moving.
The extent Of the sliding II evident in the
damage done to the Terrace lodging
house. three-story frame on the corner
Of Terrace and Fifth streets. The house
which was built by Mr.. John Graf only .
month ago. 10 three and half feet above
the level Of Fifth street, and the grade was
SO great that the inner foundation had to
be excavated fourteen feet deep. A bulk
head was built against this fourteen-foot
embankment to guard against caving, and
was braced against the lower story Of the
clearinghouse
A few days ago the slide began working.
The H-foOt bank pushed with such force
against the buikhead that the lodging
house has been pushed over until now it is
eight inches out Of plumb. The damage
to the building Is best seen from the inside.
The new plaster on the walls Is scanned,
and the floors are covered with the yards
that have fallen Oh. The window frames
are out Of plumb six or seven inches, and
the glass In the transoms and some Of che
large panes In the windows have been
cracked and shattered from the pressure
The doors will not close. and altogether
the house il considered wreck. The build
ing directly on the alley, just above the lodg-
ing-house. which is also owned and used as
. residence by Mr.. Graf, has commenced
cracking and the doors close hard and rub
their castings.
Mr.. John Graf, the owner Of the Terrace
house and the property adjoining. said
yesterday that the sliding down of the
street was due in great measure to the
heavy blasting which was carried on in the
construction of the street on the hill Just
above. and to the springs which abound at
the foot of the hill and undermine the sur
roundings with their softening influence.
Mr.. Graf said:
s.The blasting ct the courthouse shook
the ~hole hill, and it may in all probability
come down. The graders should have put
in drainage when they graded this street,
and the situation would not have been SO
bad. As It Is, the lodging-house which
have just completed 1t . cost of $780, and
leased only few days ago for two years At
$125 month. is total loss"
Mr.. Graf, although he spoke discour-
agingly. had force of men at work and
was trying. by putting moro secure brac-
ing against the bulkhead, to relieve the
pressure against the lodglng-house.
The great land slide was an object of in
terest to many yesterday. and the matter
will probably be brought before the city
authorities today and . remedy will be
at10~eskod