The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-26
SOUTH END WANTS.
Better Fire Protection and a
Bridge Demanded.
TOLL ROAD IN THE CITY LIMITS.
Private Wharf of Seattle Transfer Com
psny Only Accessible Route
From Grant Street.

The people who have residences or places OF
business in the southern part of this city are
much interested in two proposed Improvements
putting in hydran.s and fire alarm boxes and
building the Grant street bridge through on the
line which the electric road ROW under con-
struetion has followed.
J. NJ. Frink, of the Washington Iron Works,
said last night: There is not hydrant nor
fire alarm box in the city below Mikado street,
and If fire breaks out there it will be hard
thing TO get the alarm into the headQ usrters
and aven when the apparatus gets on the
ground, the extinction OF the fire would be al
most an impossibility. OF course at the iron
works we have our own pumps and fire protee-
ton the barn Of the Seattle transfer Company
and the establishment of the Seattle General
Electric Company are provided with pumps,
but the private houses are defenseless. We
taxed for the general support of the fire depart
ment and 1t certainly seems as ii we should re-
celve more adequate protection.
GAS TO the Grant street bridge-the fact is that
the hill around Weller street by which the city
Is reached is so steep as practically to cut off
all traffic with heavily loaded wagons, and
most vehicles are forced to run over the private
bridge built by the Seattle Transfer Company
across to South Third street We have to pay IS
mouth to the company for the use of the
bridge. and / believe that one or two other COM
panies that go through there n good deal make
loaded wagons. I am told, is 10 cents.
81 have no complaint TO make of the rate,
for the transfer company has spent good deal
OF money in erecting and maintaining the
bridge: aud were it not for the level thorough
fare which the company thus furnishes We
should not be able to do business.
"But the fact that the only really passable road
into the city from the south has toll certainly
keeps business out of Seattle, business that in
the aggregate would amount TO thousands of
dollars year.
There is no question in my mind that the
city should furnish free level road into Seattle
by continuing Grant street along the line fol-
lowed by the electric railway now building
The distance to be covered is only three bio cks,
and the gain to the city from the increase of
traffic with those living south OF US would soon
make up the cost"
Harry Shaubut, of the Seattle Transfer Com
pany, when asked about the matter last night,
said: ave built our bridge, as l recall the
facts, directly after the fire, and
our principal object was TO make
our stables and warehouses accessible. The
maintenance of the bridge is a considerable ex-
pense, for We have had to replank it three times
and it is 500 OF 1880 feet long. Then, too,
l suppose the piiing must be renewed in time
We have never gotten enough toll to pay for the
p!anking, for don't suppose our receipts aver
age $50 month from that source. We are not
able to keep man at the gate all the time and
many teams come and go without paying"