The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-30
NAvIGABLE STREAMS BLOCKI
Steamboatmen Complain OF the Condi-
ton of the Rivers.


From the statements OF steamboat captains
and pilots acquainted with the navigable rivers
emptying into the sound it would appear that
practically no attention is given by the govern
ment to keeping the distractions out OF those
rivers, much less improving them, and at timesit
is absolutely unsafe to attempt to navigate them
at all
A PosT-INTELLIGENCER reporter yesterday in
terviewed number of these steamboatmen, ana
every one of them stated positively that the con-
dition of the sksgit, Snohomsh and Duwamish
rivers is deplorable. Relative TO the condition
OF the Skagit river Captain A. f. LIE Ballister, OF
the steamer Henry Bailey, which runs between
Seattle and Mount Vernon, the head OF navlsa-
ton for large boats that river, stated that the
chains and cables on the buoys have rusted and
broken, and five of the buoys have tioated away;
that some OF the lights have not been attended
to, and several more should be established;
that the stakes which marked the channel
have been knocked out and the river is full OF
snags. He says the snag boat has been up there
In the spring and summer on severai occasions,
but never did much good, as the water was too
muddy at those seasons of the year to admit OF
anything being done; that the time 10 pull out
the snags is in January and February, when the
water is perfectly clear. He does not blame
Captain Jefferson, of the suag boat, for this
negligence, however, but the authorities over
him in congress for not making a sufficient ap-
preparation so the work can be done. The snag-
boat is now lying up at Snohomish doing
nothing because there 10 no appropriation with
which to work Captain LeBallister says he has
written several letters to the secretary OF the in
terror calling attention to the dangerous con-
dition OF the river, but has never met with any
satisfactory response. petition is now being
gotten up by settlers on the river urging that it
be improved.
Captain F. w. Gotter, of the steamer City of
Quincy running between Seattle and Snohom-
ish, the head of navigation for large boats OH the
Snohomish river, reports the condition of that
river but little better than the Skagit, except
that the snags have nearly all been removed by
the snag boat. He says that boom was built
across the river just above the bridge contrary to
the wishes OF steamboatmen generally, and now
the man who built it has gone away and left
il there, an impediment to navigation; that trees
frequently fall down on the bank reaching
almost across the stream, but no one ever clears
them out until the boats are compelled to send
out men at their own expense to do so; that at
the present time there is a jam at very sharp
angle in the river where a long pile caught
against q pier aud logs and driftwood
have almost blocked up the channel He says
that Captain Jefferson did good job clearing
out the snags with the snag boat, but she has
only been at work about four months during
the year owing to the lack of an appropriation.
The mate of the Quincy, to whom Captain Got
ter referred the reporter for further information,
said that the sheer booms in the river, and the
angle at which the bridges are built across it,
are the worst obstacles; that loggers seem to
think they own the river and tie up booms any
place they fit, and the bridges instead of be-
ing built straight across are built obliquely SO
that boat to pass through must turn part way
round and pass through, quartering with the
current, which Is dangerous when the water is
high and the current strong. He further claims
that the Great Northern bridge is not properly
looked after; that the boat had to lie there from
$50 O'Clock Friday evening until O'Clock yes
terday morning before she could get through;
that the hridge-tender lives about mile away
and claimed he did not hear the whistle for the
draw.
Captain A. P. spaulding and Captain W. j.
Stevenson, owners of tug boats in Seattle, stated
much worse than that OF either the Skagit or
Snohomish; that it is absolutely unsafe for
boat to venture up the river, as scarcely trip
10 made without more or less damage to the boat
from snags; that a snag boat could in a short
time make it perfectly safe for boats of moderate
draft TO navigate this stream up far the
junction OF the Black river. Captain Stevenson
said there were one or two little bars that would
probably need an occasional dredging, but they
did not amount to much.
One com mon nuisance all those interviewed
referred TO is the practice of ranchers dumping
logs and brush cleared off the land along those
rivers into the channel. This driftwood floats
down a ways and lodges, and in time becomes
water soaked aud sinks, forming innumerable
snags. SteamboatmeE think this nuisance could
be obviated without much difficulty.