The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-25
THE PLAN FEASIBLE.
Col hendell Says the Ship Ca
nal Is Practicable.
THE BOARD VISITS THE LAKE.


The United States army engincefs in charge OF
tne survey Of the Lake Washington ship canal
spens Yesterday on Lake Washington. At
9 CLOCK IN the evening they gave bearing ct
me chamber Of Commerce to those interested
IN the canal, and ct $50 they returned to Port
land.
Before going, Colonel Mendell, the chairman
OF the board, expressed himself n satisfied as to
the feasibiltty Of the canal project.
Inc start was made 1t $50 in the morning
rom the loot Of Yesler avenue, in the steamer
nnkiand The party ON board included Colonel
y. n. Aendeil. OF San Francisco, chairman OF
the board. and Major Thomas H. Hamburg and
Captain Thomas W. symons, OF Portland, also
tne boards surveyors, Mr.. Philip G. Eastwick
suu MI Eugene Ricksecker. Besides these
oMciais there were Mr.. Griffith Davies and Mr..
jacob Furth, representing the Chamber of
Commerce, Mr.. Philip G. Eastwick, IT,, Mr..
nlcnard Nevins, jr.. Mr.. A. r. Haas, manager Of
.ne Union Navigation Company, Captain E. g.
Jefferson and Mr.. J. r. Thompson.
The morning was perfect, for the sky was
Gear ana scarcely ripple rufiied the surface OF
the LAKE, The air was cool and bracing. Raj
nier doomed up In the south, and in the north
the snowcap Of Mount Baker was distinctly Wis
Idle At intervals some of the snow peaks OF
the Cascades could be seen In the eastern
horizon
The steamer followed the western shore of the
iake' past point and bay, past tree-clad banks
ana ciear1ngs, sawmills and farmhouses, until
the opening OF the Black river, at the southern
enc OF the lake, was reached, at about 1880.
he steamer ran In Is close to the shore as pos
siole, and then two rowboats were launched In
which Colonel Mendell, Major Handbury. Cap
tam symons, Mr.. Ricksecker and Captain Jeffer-
son went out 70 examine the outlet. They went
Into the Black river Is far q the mouth Of the
Cedar
At present the waters of Lake Wash
ington reach the Sound through two
outlets; one BY the channel cut between Union
bay and Lake Union, and the other by the Black
and Duwamish rivers. When the canal 10 built
II viii probably be necessary to lower the level
OF Lake Washington six feet, to that of Lake
Union. Most OF the water would then run out
through the canal, and the waters OF Cedar
river would probably be drawn into the lake 40
well. As in any case there would probably be
greater flow through the canal than Is needed to
keep its locks full, the question arises as to
whether II would not he best to cut Cedar river
on from the lake with . DAM To aid in deter
mining this matter, the engineers made some
rough calculations a. to the flow of water from
the lake through Black river, and from Cedar
river into the Black.
After this work had been done the steamer
turned back to the north, passing along the east
shore Of the lake. The work on the Belt line
was progressing busily. The rails were laid to
train was running back and forth. For long
distance beyond the end OF the track the grade
was all down and many OF the ties were down.
At intervals along the shores were graders'
camps
As the Kirkland came out of the channel be-
tween Mercer island and the east shore the La
tona met her.
The Kirkland then steamed up the lake past
Kirkland and Ycsler to Union bay. There the
engineers landed to look over the portage and
log canal between the bay and Lake Union. At
this place the heaviest cutting win be done, and
in all probability the channel will be made wide
enough to lower Lake Washington 70 the level
Of Lake Union.
A canal for logs, built some fifteen feet wide
and ak feet deep, now connects the two bodies
of water. The current In this canal 10 at pres
ent quite swift, and It was estimated that the
flow through this outlet 10 about a. great as
through the Black river.
The land between the lakes 10 very familiar to
Major Hamburg, who twenty-five years ago,
under direction of Colonel Alexander, made the
first reconnaissance for q canal there.
After thorough examination of the land, the
engineers returned to the foot Of Madison av-
enue, and took the cable car back to the Rainier
hotel.