The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-23
WAR on THE FLATS,
A Pitched Battle Between Tide
Flat Claimants.
SEVERAL LIVELY TUGS or WAR.


The much discussed tide land ownefship
question which has agitssed the people OF
seattle and the state 90 much recently was
The cause Yesterday afternoon OF . pitched
battle between twenty men under contrac-
tor r. A. Jones and thirty men under DR.
]. guxene Jordan The trouble commenced
n four O'Clock In the afternoon and lasted
for About i've hours. during ali OF which
time matters were In . most precsrious and
threstsnsng condition and the large crowd
Of people who had gathered monientarily
expected serious trouble. Not blow Was
struck. however, and 1t midnight the
battlefield was nearly deserted. only few
remaining.
The scene Of The trouble was on CONNER
ciai street ons half mile south OF the coal
bunkers, at point, which, Il the east and
west streets were extended, would be be-
tween and Judkius street On the east
side Of the Commercial street trestle are
about 300 piles driven ten feet apart both
ways, In Eve long rows parallel with the
street. These rifles are owned By Messrs.
A. B. Stewart. q. II. HeiIbron. AIbro Gard
ner and ----- Hogg. Within the last few
days Contractors 7. A. Jones & Son have
had men 81 work saving of these piles
preparatory TO Gaping and further improv-
ing the property.
At about o clock in the afternoon, DIR.
J. Eugene Jordan, hearing OF these prepa-
rations, al once gathered together force
Of dozen men and proceeded TO the
scene He secured also several teams and
. good-sized floating derrick to aid him in
getting possession OF the property. As
soon as the lumber began TO arrive trouble
commenced. Some of Dr. Jordan's men
appropriated little dummy car belonging
70 Contractor Jones, which was standing
On the track Of the South Seattle railway.
and proceeded to convey the lumber down
the track about one block below the
point ct which the road turns of
10 the Mechanics NTH. They dumped Q
load on the property west Of Commercial
street, which year and half ago was
piled aud capped by Mr. ii. NJ. Peters.
Mr.. Peters has building almost completed
on the lot, which IL 78x250 feet I'm size.
When he saw the lumber being piled up on
his wharf he began To look about him for
the cause. and then learned that DIR. Jor-
dan was about to plank the stringers south
OF his, owned By ]. ID. Lowman. Contrac-
tor Jones also was given to understand
that DIR. Jordan was about 10 commence
the Gaping Of the piles on the east side OF
the track. He immediately communicated
with Mr.. A. b. Stewart who instructed him
TO employ as many men as was necessary
20 prevent such move.
At4 o'clock q PosT-ISrELLisExCER re-
porter was on the scene. DIR. Jordan was
surrounded by . dozen or more sturdy
'longshoremen. and of a few rods Con-
tractor Jones was the center Of . similar
group. Both men had lieutenants out
along the shore picking up force OF men,
and before the expiration Of an hour the
crowd had swciied to over sixty, and so
fsst rs the men arrived they we're employed
by one or the other Of the leaders. Fifty
cents per hour was offered by Mr.. Jones,
and 81 by DIR. Jordan. The consequence
OF this difference In wages Was that the
latter gentleman soon secured thirty men,
while Mr.. Jones' little army numbered but
twenty,
During the time that ii required 10 get
the two forces together DIR. Jordan's men
had been busy In unloading huge pieces of
timber thirty feet long and one foot square,
water one BY one.
parties occurred. Jordan's men picked up
Axle plank and proceeded toward their
hosting float tied to the Commercial street
tresiie. between the street and the piles
which they intended capping. The Jones
men closed in and though the plank was
only about twenty feet long fully thirty
men were instantly pulling and tngging. one
halt 10 get il toward the water and
the other TO keep II away. backward and
forward they jostled and pushed each other,
~ one moment taking II with rush in one
direction and the next losing the advan-
tage. Suddenly one man lost his footing
and stepped through between the ties on
which the tussie was going On. Another
one followed and another until half OF them
were down. Almost Immediately, how
ever, they were up again, but they had had
enough. and q minute later brought the
plank dewn to the trestie with rush that
caught more than one finger beneath it.
DIR. lordan NJ this moment started for
the city to swear out warrants for the ar
rest OF the men who bad interiered with his
men. lie did not return in time to see the
remainder OF the fight, but he left a man in
charge who proceeded 10 push The work as
fast rs be could marshal his forces.
Ky 9 O'Clock a raftof ten i3xia beams had
been gathered together after considerable
difficulty. A smali boat in which were
three men with reeyys and boat hooks
gave the Jordan army no end of trouble in
constantly breaking up the raft, bat no
blows were struck and the best OF humor
prevailed.
ALI o'clock the crowd on the trestle had
grown enormously. and the forces on both
sides bal been Increased. The Jones party
had secured foai. and had manned il
with seventeen men, and six or eight men
were on the trestle and four IN the small
boat. On the Jordan feat were twenty
seven mcn. and on the raft two more For
an aear and bali the two men on this
raft vainty attempted TO push their raft to
pssce where the force OF twenty seven
men could get at il. They started for an
opening in the sgestle work, under the rail.
way track. At The same time Jones noat
started 60 intercept them. For minute IL
wasa nip and tuck race, bat the raft won and
cheer went up from twenty-seyea threats.
But The victory sas not won SO easy. The
htsle boat gsidea around toward the raft
ard before the two then realized il the rope
watch sound Il together was cut and 1t
commenced 10 50 al 20 pieces. A few VEL
aiFecse1 iahs from a pole above. threw il
farther apart and Cor minute IL not only
iooksd ~ Il the rsfs would 80 60 pieces bat
~ i the two mee would go into the water.
tasx sese sqaal Ia the occasion, however,
ana pashiag TIE beams away from their
easnases enc 81 them grabbed the end os
tis severed rope and leaning "a the most
instant eesn gave ssroag pau and the