The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-06

An Expert Engineer Proposes Solu
ton of the Difficulty

An Expert Engineer Proposes q solu-
ton of the Difficulty.
The following communication from W. P.
watson, formerly principal assistant engineer
OF the Great Northern railroad, contains a pro-
posed solution OF the difficulties connected
with Railroad avenue, which has been sub
mitted also to President Hill:
SEATTLE, March 5, 1892
Probably many who heard Mr.. J. J. Hill speak
at the banquet at the Rainier hotel or before the
board OF aldermen. In this city were surprised to
learn that it would be very difficult to utilize
the facilities here donated and set apart for the
use of railroads IN Railroad avenue, without
materially interfering with the commerce of he
Sound. The gravity of the situation, when this
city shall have developed into one of even l0O,-
goo people, was very ably and clearly shown by
Mr.. Hill. Just think for a moment when our
city shall have reached 10000 or 100000 people,
which We all hope and expect to see soon, with
the harbor lined with ships from West Seattle to
beyond Smiths cove. what menace to life and
what an embargo upon trade will be the passage
OF hfteen or twenty trains per day constantly
along our water front Is it not evident that
our beautiful harbor, than which there is none
better on the Sound will be almost destroyed,
or our railroad facilities so hampered that much
OF the commerce that we should undoubtedly
control, will be forced elsewhere? 1t will not do
Tor us to sat supinely still with the feeling that
the city has given the railroads ample facilities
in the present Railroad avenue, and that, If the
railroads do not like its location, they can pro-
cure what additional facilities they may want,
operating with them to such ends. But this is
not SO, for Mr. Hill made no trrer remark in his
speech than this, that, in the broad sense of the
term the city and the railroads were copartners,
and that anything that added unnecessarily TO
the cost OF terminals, or hampered the latter in
the facilities for handling freight in the city
limits, acted directly rs q tax on the commerce
and retarded its growth.
So that each and every property holder of this
city is directly interested in seeing that zach
and all railroads are provided with ample
ba inn nf thair ht1vtr
as the topography of the ground and the present
growth of the city will warrant, and that the
city should cooperate with them in any reason
able and proper manner.
1t is in this capacity, a property-hoder and
well-wisher of the city, that / contribute my
mite to the solution OF this problem, and not as
al agent or employe OF any railroad, with none
of which have any present connection.
Nor should our past prejudices against the
Northern Pacific prevent the city from granting
this company, or any other wishing to build
into the city, what reasonable and proper facili-
ties they may require for the proper handling Of
large business that may be in the city's power,
with proper provisions for joint use of tracks
for roads coming into the city hereafter, and
without, OF course. interfering with any grants
previously made to other roads. For all must
see that it is directly to the ctys interest that
as many railroads as wish should come here, for
we may rest assured that none will come except
with the hope and expectation OF getting share
OF the transportation business Of the city, and
that the coming of each additional road will add
to the volume OF the citys business.
In the above do not wish to be considered as
In any way fayoring the 'rams horn" Tor
cheering or business point of view, nor reason
for the maintenance OF the claim OF which, ex-
cept as O threat 10 hold over the city for the
granting of unreasonable demands.
Ny plan in brief is to abandon the present
Railroad avenue north of Yesler avenue, and
substitute the following. viz:
ftrst--Procure by purchase, condemnation or
otherwise all the blocks of property between
West street on the east, and Railroad avenue on
the west and Yesler avenue on the south, and
Union street on the north, being strip l5o feet
wide by about >, 100 feet long.
second-Place the depot from Spring to Co
lumbIa streets, with the upper northern end for
passengers and the lower or southern for
freight. Let the sides Of these be directly along
the west marginal line of West street, with
platforms for receiving and delivering bag
gage and freight from wagons TO the various
parts of the city, making these platforms
say sixteen, and depots forty-four feet wide
about the proper widths would take up sixty
feetof the l50-foot strip, leaving ninety feet TO
be used as tracks, which with the 10 feet of the
present Railroad avenue would make 30 feet.
Then, in front Of the passenger depot make an
iron shed. say about 500 feet long. for trains to
stand under while receiving or delivering
passengers, with say four tracks, platforms be-
tween, covered under the shed, and three tracks
outside this shed Tor the passage of through
business, each and all OF these seven tracks con-
Meeting with the six or eight main tracks north
and south OF these depots, all connections
handled by one signal tower and other details
IeAuiAy arranged by an engineer. nese depotS
and side tracks would occupy leo or l70 feet of
the 2i0 feet aforementioned, or forty or fifty
feet further east than the western marginal
line OF the present Railroad avenue, which
would be a great advantage. the water being
very deep at this part of the present Railroad
avenue. so the various tracks could be filed
permanently
Third-North of Union street place the east
ern edge OF Railroad avenue at the bluh. which
from this point noTthward ranges from forty to
over 100 feet high Better sui, cut enough in
this bluff TO make the necessary ILLS for the en-.
tire width OF the avenue, say I'D feet Though |
would prefer 1907 One hundred and twenty
feet would give eight tracks, as would devote
giving in the present avenue, the inside
thirty feet 10 the seattle. Lake Shore & Eastern
aud the next sixty to the Great Northern, leav-
ing thirty unoccu pied Tor the use OF any tncou-
ing road hereafter.
Spring and Columbis streets could start with
approaches st Front street, crossing West street
and the railroad tracks overhead al about right
angles, after crossing which the western sp
proAehes could turn 10 lines parallel to the rail
road Unexpectedly possible, s. witness the
western approaches to the railroad and wagon
bridge across the willamette at Portland. This
would give sale access 70 the wharyes from say
Union street 20 Yesler avenue
Prom Union to Columbia all streets, EXCEPT
the two above mentioned, would now come
to the present grade Of West street. and the rail-
roads which with Vest street, would be the
thoroug fares for the receiving and delivering
OF all the passenger and freight business OF the
city until such time as the growth o. lis COM
A,erce would warrant the more extensive ter
niuAis on the tide fats. clearly and ably ex-
planned BY Mr.. Eill IN his speeches here
But / think this viii necessarily he some years,
and IL some such plan as set forth should be
adopted. there would always be large amount
OF certain kinds OF freight received between
Columbus and Union streets
From Columbia south al streets would cross.
"a At nrexeut at grade. But this would not b