The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-24
THE CANAL BOARD.
Us Army Engineers Skirt the
Shores Of the Lake.
4 TRIP ON THE WATER TO-DAY.


Yesterday the board of army engineers
having in charge the survey for a ship
canal between the Sound and Lake Wash
ington, went over large part of the route
laid out by the surveyor. Mr.. Philip G.
Eastwick- The day was not as successful
as had been hoped, because the observa-
ton tram was delayed three hours by an
accident to the engine at Lake Samamish.
Today the board will visit Kirkland and
other points of interest on Lake Washing
ton. At o'clock public meeting will be
held at the Chamber of Commerce, TO
which all interested in the ship canal are
cordially invited.
The party started ont at 10 O'Clock in
the morning by a special car over the Sc
attic, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad. The
company consisted of Colonel 6. w. Men,
dell, of San Francisco, the chairman Of
the board, and the other two members,
Major Thomas II. Hamburg and Captain
Thomas w. Symons, of Portland; Mr..
Philip 6. Eastwick, the surveyor, and Mr..
Eugene Rickseckcr, his assistant; Secre-
tary J. ". Dodge and Colonel c. n.
Shcafe, representing the Chamber of Com
merce; Mr.. ]. J. Holland, president of the
ballard Chamber of Commerce; Captain
E. G. Jefferson, Of the government snag
boat Skagit; Mr.. E. w. Ruff, general
freight and passenger agent Of the road,
and Mr.. Wesley Wilson, manager of the
Seattle Coal and Iron Company.
The first stop was made at the head of
Smiths cove. through which one Of the
routes into Lake Union had been sur
veyed. The party then made recon-
noissance with reference to the lines laid
down on Mr.. Eastwick's maps.
The train then ran across the head of
Salmon bay TO Ballard. After the board of
engineers had inspected the snag boat
which was lying at Ballard for repairs.
they went on foot along the graded way of
the Seattle g. Montana to the mouth of
Salmon bay. The condition of the cham
mel at the narrows, the general lay of the
land and the characterof the soil as shown
IN the railway cuttings were all carefully
noted.
The attention given to Salmon bay indi-
Gates that the route through it is regarded
as better than the one through Smiths
cove Several plans have been offered for
construction through the bay. In any
case there will be lock across its narrow
mouth. One of the questions is whether to
make it merely a tide lock or lock large
enough for the whole lift to the level
Of Lake Washington. Lake Washington
is six feet higher than Lake Union. and
no matter what method of construction is
pursued at the mouth of Salmon bay the
two lakes will be brought to the same level
by raising Union or lowering Washington
or dividing the difference between them.
Ifonly a tide lock is put at the mouth of
Salmon bay. so as to keep the water in
that bay always at high tide level, another
Will be put at the entrance to Lake Union.
On the other hand the plan for large lock
at the mouth of the bay to make the whole
lift has much to recommend it, in that the
single lock would greatly lessen the
trouble, delay and expense from lockage
and thus render the canal more effective
commercially.
An objection to the single lock is that it
would raise the waters of Salmon BAY
some ten or twelve feet above the present
level. This would flood some of the build
ings now on the Ballard water front, and
make it necessary to raise them in town.
But none of these structures are expensive
and Ballard would be so largely benefited
by the canal that this objection would have
comparatively little weight.
After the situation at Ballard had been
reviewed Mr.. Holland and Captain Jeffer-
son left the party. The train then went
on to Fremont. where a stop was made to
inspect the outlet of Lake Union.
The run from there along the shores of
Lake Union and of Lake Washington was
made rather slowly SO that time might be
given to observe the various points of in
terest on the route. The track lies close to
the west shore of Lake Washington up to
the very head of that beautiful sheet of
water. At that point the line of the road
turns into the Samamish slough and goes
through the slough to Lake Samamish
itself. The river and harbor bill provided