The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-18
THE HARBOR LINES.
Coun ell and Commission Con-
slider Waterways.
CITIZENS STATE THEIR VIEWS

u1sa Of Havi NJ : waterway . TIE roes
q Each strsst Discussed
Fro and Con.
MAYOR White. Councilman Hull, Coun-
Gilman Calliean, Councilman Miller, Coun-
Gilman Mckenzie, ex- Mayor Moran and
number Of others attended the hearing BE-
fore the harbof line commission yesterday
morning. Ex-Governor 6smple. of the
commission, was absent, being detained IT
Fairhaven. Colonel Prosser, the chair
man Of the commission, said the board
was very anxious to do Is much - could
be done for Seattle in this matter, and 70
promote the welfare Of the city and Of the
stste. Accordingly the board would b.
verv clad 70 ret suggestions from the city
council and ell others interested.
There had ~ vet been no harbor lines
fixed at al by the commission. The maps
drawn fixed no lines. but merely gave data
for the information Of the commission.
The maps showed the government mean
der line, the high water line. the low water
line, the line Of thirty feet OF depth 81 low
water, and another line 100 feet beyond
this thirty-foot line. There was an I'M
preston that the l00-foot line was the
outer harbor line, but such was not the
case: that might possibly be chosen, but
such choice would BE- made only after al
the evidence was in and everybody inter-
ested had had . hearing.
Then Mr.. L. ]. Colman read the resolu-
lions passed at Monday nights meeting of
the citisens and property owners, asking
that the sea wall or minor harbor line b
placed at line whore the depth IS fifty feet
ct low water; that the harbor line or strip
b not less than fifty nor moro than 100
feet wide, and that waterways, when
opened, should be placed at streets or their
extensions.
Mr.. H, H. Dearborn believed IL was q
good plan not to extend the wharves out
too far at first IL would b well to dredge
out some Of tho mud now accommodating.
The citizens Of Boston were constantly go
ing to the legislature asking leave to extend
their warves a. the water shoaled. II we
ali in now and run our wharves clear out
ct the start, we shall have to keep extend
ing and extending rs the city grows, and
finally the whole harbor may be filled up.
1t IL better not 70 anticipate by going too
far now. He thought that waterways
should be opened at the end of every street,
and there should be several wide ways
across the Duwamish fats.
Colonel Prosser explained that the water
ways when opened must Be from deep
water back to the government meander
line. II the commission had discretion to
stop the waterways at any point that
seemed best, the problem would be COM
paratively easy, but the way must always
run back to the meander line. If they
were opened so far back at every street, the
ways would interfere with valuable i'm
provements now on the tide fats. Colonel
Prosser wanted TO know whether if the city
council should dedicate streets for water
ways, the council should rescind its action
at lister day.
Judge Thomas Burke said he thought
that if the council could dedicate . street
for waterway, it could vacate it. As to .
waterway through every street, there were
several objections. The city should have .
great union depot, with tract 1000 feet
long. Such tract could not be obtained
with waterways through every street. The
waterways would drive such q station to
one end of the city or the other-a thing of
extreme inconvenience. even with city of
$1,000 inhabitants The Oregon Improve
ment Company needed three solid blocks,
and how large tracts might be needed for
the growing commerce Of the city NO one
could tell There was absolutely no appeal
from the action of the commission, and
since no one could tell exactly what the
needs of the future would be, he thought
the commission should lay down as few
hard and fast rules Is possible. but should
leave the city every opportunity for future
growth and development.
Colonel Prosser replied that valuable inn
provements we're now being made on the
tide fats. If the ways were not soon
opened the buildings placed would be so
valuable that the city would hardly have
the courage to open the ways, and thus the
commercial interests of the city would
suffer.
Judge Burke said waterways through
every street of the tide fats would rnin
that piece of ground for commerce. One
or two or three ways would not do such
damage. The judge read the law and said
he did not think the law must be construed
that the ways must be opened to the mean
der line. He thought the commission had
more option in the matter. That was his
reading Of the law.
Colonel Prosser explained that the inten.
ton had not been to open every street or
waterway through the tide fats. There
should be one waterway through the pres
emit or main channel of the Duwamish
river to the present drawbridge. OF that
there could be no doubt. Then to the east
of the mole there might be another water
way, and perhaps along the west shore
still another way. These, however, had
not been decided upon. though men ac-
quainted with the needs of the city had
suggested these three ways.
Judge Burke agreed that there should be
at. least one wide way through the main
channel of the Duwamish-a way to ac-
commodate the waters of the river and
commerce and large ships as well. As to
the other ways, he cared to give no opin-
ion. Judge Burke then went on to tell
how the harbor had shoaied within his
memory. A ship had anchored in deep
water at the foot of Marion street where
houses are now standing. Yesler wharf
used to be much shorter, yet the end of
It was in deep water. OF course a
sea wall would tend to stop the shoaling
Of the harbor.
He believed the wall should be placed
out as far as possible. Commerce can be
done on a level much cheaper than on a
side hill, and We want to extend our
wharyes out TO get as much level land as pos
sibls. The line of thirty feet of depth at low
water he regarded as too far in. The wall
should be farther out. Then, too, the
health OF the city must be considered. The
sewage OF the city must be carried so far
out that it can be carried to sea by the
ebbing tide. Unless that is done Seattle
cannot be a healthful place.
Colonel Prosser believed that a sea wall