The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-23

10 the Duwamlsh bridge. AS the falling OF the
waters slowly lifts the blockade fuller partIcu-
lara OF the great destruction they have wrought
on the new railroads filter through and confirm
the belief that the food OF 1882 is the greatest
ever seen In the Puget sound country.
THE WATERS SUBsIDING.
The Situation I'm King County-Duwam-
ish Bridge Safe.
Notwithstanding the steady and Mt times heavy
downpour of rain nll Monday night and the
greater part of yesterday, the flood situation il
King county was greatly improved yesterday,
ana it is thought that all danger is past. White,
Stuck. Green and Cedar rivers have re-
turned TO their banks, and Black aad
Duwamish steadily falling, although
they Will not come into their natural confines
for many hours yet Yesterday morning Cedar
river mad fallen three feet but during the day it
raised six inches. Last night it commenced
falling again. White river has fallen so that it
can take care of all the overflow water from the
bottoms. Black river went down three feet in
the twenty-four hours ending at O'Clock yes
terday afternoon. Duwamish river fell eighteen
inches during the day, and was going down still
more rapidly last night.
large gang of men were at work on the big
log jam in the Duwamish all day and sue
ceeded in loosening enough of the debris to
remove a great deal OF the strain from the piers
OF the bridge. The drift is about 100 yards long
in the main channel. ALI the work has been
directed toward cutting a lane through the
south side OF the jam, SO that the full force Of
the fioCd and the accumulation of debris will
not come against the bridge, and the
way has been cut over seventy-fve
yards Blasts of dynamite are put in
under the logs and other drift at fire.
quent intervals and touched off with a long fuse.
When the explosion comes, q huge column of
water rises to height of nearly 100 feet, and
sticks and stumps are scattered for quite a dis
tance. A big crowd was gathered on the bridge
all day yesterday and greatly enjoyed the blast
ing, although an occasional missile came too
near for comfort. As soon as the blast loosens
the drift, the workmen ge: out on the mass of
rubbish and keep it going down stream with
their pike poles. Axes and saws are also used in
loosening the drift. To those standing on the
bridge tho employment OF these men seems per-
iious, but they are expert loggers and can walk
a rolling log or jump from one piece of floating
DRIFT to another as easily as they can walk city
pavement This big jam has saved the bridge of
the Grant street line about quarter OF q mile
below. AS the drift is now sent down after
each blast two men stand at the upper end of
the bridge pier and keep it from catching
Every time big log comes down and strikes
the end OF the bulkhead the whole bridge Quiv-
ers in a manner that indicates how soon it
would go If the drift were not kept cleared
away.
The whole of River park 10 still under water
the caves of one or two houses there Just
touching the food, while others are not SO
deep in the tide Many of the residents were
awakened by the flood invading their houses
in the night time. and did not have time to
save their furniture. The loss will fall heavily
on most OF them, they are nearly all hard
working people who have nothing but their
little homes. 1t will be several days before the
houses can be inhabited. Tho electric line
grade is under water, and the cars do not run
quite to the bridge. The wagon ROAD across the
puWamish bridge is also submerged, and South
Park can only be reached by wading through
about four feet of water.
The farms along the Duwamish are principally
given up to dairyiug, aud stock has suffered
terribly. Several cows could be seen YESTERDAY
standing small island in the middle of
what before the flood was meadow. A great
many cattle have been taken to the higher levels
but some could not be gotten out and are still
standing in water.
Frederick o. Rowland, the South Seattle
dairyman, returned yesterday afternoon from
the Smithers ranch near Renton, OF which he is
the manager To q PosT-ISTELLIGENCER re-
porter he said:
Black river Is falling steadily and the worst
OF the flood Is evidently over. The report that
there wGs water in the streets of Reuton ia
wrong. The flood did not come that high, al
though the water was higher than I have evar
known it before The water swept over the
lower part OF Senator Squire's place. and he had
to send his dry cows to the hills and his miIch
cows TO my barn.
The Egbert farm, two miles from Ren.on
toward White river. has suffered heavily /
think MI. Egbert must have lost all his hay
crop, at least 200 tons, and his stock had pretty
hard time OF it.
DR.. Bagley's place is almost all under water.
and DR.. As kam's farm also looks like a big lake
DR.. Askams horses are on the Belt Line grade
the only dry land they could reach. The Belt line
is washed out for about hundred feet short
distance north OF Renton, but otherwise il ap-
pears to ha ye stood the storm very well.
senator watson G. Squire says the damage he
sustained by the flood at his farm on Black
river will not exceed $780, To a PosT-IHrELLI.
GENcER reporter last night he said:
Two OF my cows are missing, but they may
turn up yet Considerable hay got wet by the
water rising above my barn floors, but the worst
damage Will be in the way of fences washed
away. don't consider that the mere flooding
OF my land has caused any damage, although
was fortunate IN that the Old narrow gauge
grade rather diverted the current from my farm
Speaking of the problem of preventing the
foods in the Duwamish valley, the senator
said:
This is a matter which should be attended to
by the county, and the cost OF il need not be ex-
cessive. think that the outlet into Lake
Union should be deepened ana widened, and
the bulk o! Cedar river turned into Lake Wash.
ington. l think the cost of this ENTERPRISE
would be saved in a few years by the damages
which would thereby be prevented. not only
20 individuals IN the Duwamish valley but also
TO the roads in that section. Perhaps the farm
ers of that section could be allowed to
work ont their road taxes in deepening the
channel between Lakes Union and Washington
to the extent OF Cedar rivers Capacity durinp
flood time. This would not only benfit Duwa.
misa valley. but also the White river valley, in
which the waters are backed UP By the Cedar
river food. Yet, should not be III favor of
clverting the whole OF Cedar river from its pres.
ent course. That might affec: all the wells in
Black river valley, aud the farmers along there
should have water for their stock. But don I
| consider IL necessary TO turn the entire stream
! In the dam blocking the south arm OF the
| Cedar a gate could be placed which would
| allow certain portion of the stream 10
| continue in its present channel. Now all thi :
| should be done whether we have the ship canal
| Or not The necessity for II in this eounectjnu
| congress cannot consider, because il mas moth.
| ing 10 DO with commerce. That is, j, cannot
consider Il directly. 1t is just like The appron-
| riatious which made for the Mississinni
| levees. The greater part OF the benefit derived
| from them Is IN preventing the overflow of the
/ adjacen; low lands, but the ostensibls reason
| io- the appropriations is TO i'm prove the Missia
/ sippi as Highway OF conmegce.l
Al Gilman the IsssQuah creek was swelled IA