The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-10
RAILROAD PROBLEM.
The Ballard Right-of-Wa Dis
pute Breaks Out.
4 BLOCKADE OF FREIGHT CARS.
1hs Lake shore Rosd Suddenly Blocks
the Way to the lGills-A Settle
ment Likely Today.

Inc town OF Ballard looked like miniature
metropolitan railroad center yesterday morning
a string Of cars stretched from stimson's mill,
along the Seattle, Lake Shore 4 Eastern track,
parallel with and crossing the Seattle 4 Mon
tana right-of-way. to the waters OF Salmon bay
ing the names Wisconsin Central railway and
Northern Pacific railway painted on the sides.
AZ the south end OF these cars, which are heav-
ny loaded with railroad rails, stands the largest
engine on the road, like silent sentinel, guard
Ing the right-of.way claimed by the Seattle,
Lake Shore and Eastern railway.
All night Sunday the Seattle, Lake Ehore 4
Lastefn pushed In car after car until the block
aoe was complete. In the meantime ingress and
egress from and to the mills IL entirely blocked,
or secured with great Inconvenience. The mills
ana dwellings thus shut off from communica-
ZION with the town are the Salmon Bay Lumber
Company's, the West Coast Manufacturing and
investment Company's, the Ballard Manufactur-
man Park Lumber Company's mill, the Cedar
Shingle Company, J. +. Sinciair's residence and
;. !; Hollands residence.
force settlement OF the dispute pending be-
tween the Lake Shore and the Great Northern
ana the town OF Ballard. The Lake Shore COM
pany, having occupied shilshole avenue before
the town OF Ballard was plated, claims that
wide, was dedicated to its use. The Ballard
cOuncll denies the existence OF any such right,
ana lew months ago, when the Great Northern
applied for franchise, passed an ordinance
granting both roads franchises, on condition
that they were accepted within Z certain time
The Lake Shore now runs down the middle Of
the street, and was granted fifteen feet on the
north side, though 1t claims fifty feet, which il
was willing to surrender If the council would
grant franchise for thirty feet on the ground Il
now occupies. The Great Northern was granted
thirty feet on the south side, on condition that
II would grade sixty-fiye feet OF the avenue, in
Guiding ito own thirty feet.
The Lake Shore did not accept the offered
franchise within the stated time, preferring to
stand on its original claim The Great North
ern accepted its franchise aud has nearly COM
pleted the work Of grading. The level OF the
street has ueen cut down or raised about four
feet on each side of the Lake Shore track. leay-
Ing 1t up In the air or down in hole. The
grading has not been done at each end of the
avenue, where the Great Northern would cross
the present Lake Shore track, 80 that Lake
Shore trains can run over these points to the
elevated" crack, and 1t has taken advantage of
this fact to blockade the street.
r.. w. Dunn, superintendent OF the Lake Shore
rond, and 7. ]. Miner, manager of the Seattle e.
Montana, went TO Ballard yesterday afternoon
and reached an agreement 90 far as they were
concerned. The Lake Shore ID understood to be
willing to accept thirty.f0ot franchise on
another part OF the avenue, provided that it
does not have to pay the cost OF removing Its
track and the Great Northern Is willing to aid
In the removal. The matter will come up be-
fore the Ballard council this evening and prob
ably be adjusted satisfactorily to all parties.