The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-21
RAILROADS BELOW GRADE.
Lieutenant A. Il. Wyckoff's Suggestion
for a Route.


In speaking of the railroad situation in
Seattle Lieutenant A. B. Wyckoff, who
has been selected by the secretary of the
navy to locate the navy yard at Port Or
chard, said last night: THE more | look
over the ground here the more / am con-
WINGED that the passenger traffic of this
city will be forced TO tracks running
| through the gulley beyond the Renton
| HILL
"Now all your trains come in along the
water front. That arrangement is not
wholly satisfactory even with the COM
| paratively small traffic of this day, be-
cause the trains of necessity block to a
certain extent the streets leading down to
the water. When the city grows and you
have suburban trains running every few
minutes such bar across your water front
will be intolerable.
1.-THE trouble has already begun in the
difficulties over Railroad avenue and the
disputes between the railway companies
and the state over the location of the har-
Dor lines.
add to that the fact that the main
tenance of railroads on the water front is
extremely expensive; for the piles must
be renewed every little while.
would be for the city to grant a franchise
for a 100-foot risht-of-way through that
gulley. The tracks could run in from the
north over the narrow strip between Lake
Washington ana Lake Union, and on
down through the hollow 10 the head of
Elliot bay.
lone hundred feet would give room for
four tracks, which would be ample to
ln@1 eli ! -
through freight trains. OF course, most of
the local freight would be run down to the
wharves
That gully is practically of no use as it
is, nor is it likely to be filed in. The city
has to bridge 1T as at Madison street and
Yesler avenue whenever crossing is ne
cessary. Accordingly the tracks would be
below grade, and the trains could run
through at rapid rate without endanger-
ing life and property. There would be no
creeping along at snail pace, and a con-
slant bell ringing as is necessary when
trains pass along the water front.
"a cut of twelve feet, | should say,
would be all that would be necessary at
any place, although have not gone over the
route with levels. That would not be very
expensive. You could easily tunnel wider
the canal to be between Lake Washington
and Lake Union; so there would be no
difficulty there. | do not believe there
would be heavy grade anywhere on the
line
Stations could be placed at Madison
street, Division streets on Yesler avenue.
and the cables would very gu ickly bring
passengers to the business part of the city.
You know that all the trains running
into New York and into Philadelphia have
to go in tunnels in order not to interfere
with the street traffic. Seattle will have
to come to that when. she gets a little
older, and she might as well begin now.
To obtain the right-of-way ought to be
very easy at present, for the land
is worth very little in the ra-
vine. The property holders along the
line would no doubt not only give land but
subsidy beside. The total expense of
constructing the road, exclusive of canal
tunnel, ought not to be more than $3.50 900.
and subsidies would lessen that sum. or
make it less difficult to raise
But the time TO act is now, while land
over there is comparatively cheap. A road
below grade will be necessity soon. and
there is the place for it. The cost of main
tenance after first construction would be
almost nothing