The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-04


Union and Washington, and the advantages to
be derived from il are very small.
In the general consideration of the subject,
therefore, the attention OF the board was, for
the reason above stated, more particularly con-
fined to the section connecting Lakes Union
and Washington with Puget sound.
ROUTES.
There are Eve pess4bfe routes for a canal con.
Meeting Lakes Union ana Washington with
Puget sound.
Firstly way OF Duwamish bay and the val
ley OF the Duwamish and Black rivers to Lake
Washington, and across the portage from Lake
Washington to Lake Union
Second and thirdly way of depressions be-
tween the southern part OF Lake Union and Du-
vanish bay. (Th-se routes were considered
twenty years ago by General Barton S. Alex
ander, and are known in his report as the
"Mercer farm route" and the 'Tramway route'0
Thence from Lake Union to Lake Washington
by a canal through the portage.
Fourth-By way of shilshole bay, Salm On bay,
the valley of the outlet of Lake Union to Lake
Union, and thence between Lakes Union and
Washington by canal through portage
Filthy the way of Smith cove to the upper
end of Salmon bay thence in the preceding
route.
The first route, by the valley of the Duwamish,
was soon eliminated from serious consideration
by its great cost and other disadvantages
The second and third routes were practicable
twenty years ago, when Seattle was u struggling
village, but the land raversed by these routes ia
now built up by business blocks and residences,
and the cost OF the right-of way is prohibitory
The fourth and fifth routes are entirely feas-
ible. They have received full consideration
and estimates OF cost by both are submitted
These two routes coincide in alignment from
Lake Washington to Salmon bay; they differ in
that one makes the connection with Puget
sound from the head of Salmon bay, by the
lower end of Salmon bay and the Shilshole bay
and the other through low gap to Smith cove
and DuWamish bay.
In each of the projects by shilshole bav or
Smith cove, vessels to pass from the waters
OF Puget sound to Salmon bay through a ma.
sonry lock placed close To the Sound, having a
lift varying according ~ the stage OF the tide
The dimensions of the lock are rs follows:
Length, 400 feet; net width, 80 feet; depth on
the sill at extreme low stage OF tide, lot feet
These dimensions have been the subject of
careful consideration ia the way of adapting
them, at a minimum cost, To present REQUIRE
ments of navigation and To those of the next
lew years.
The depth on the sill at the lowest high water
is twenty-six feet that even in the lowest
class Of tide there will be two occasions in each
twenty-four hours when vessels of tweuty-six
feet draft may pass through the locks
As lower high waters generally followed BIZ
higher low waters, which are but little lower
than the preceding high water, there will gen
orally be two or three hours at each high water
during which vessels OF this draft can PASS the
locks. The period for passage OF deep-sea YES
sells of ordinary draft e. or . ieetl will last from
about hall tide on the food to half tide on the
ebb, an interval including both tides OF the dav,
equal 70 twelve or fifteen hours During the
remaining portion OF the day the lock will pass
only vessels Of less draft than TWENTY-FIVE feet
but at all times there will be an opportunity To
lock vessels of sixteen feet.
This arrangement, which now appears TO the
board 10 afford all needed facility with mini
mum OF expense, may require to be modified
under further consideration of increasing com
mefce. The sill can be lowered at any time
during construction, and any desired degree of
accommodation can be secured by an increase
OF cost which, being confined mainly to The cost
Of the lock, need not be very great
As before stated, both projects provide that
Salmon bay shall be raised and maintained to
the level OF Lake Union
Both projects include channels excayatad
through the shoals outside OF the tidal locks 800
feet wide aad tweuty-six feet deep al the lowest
high tide, aud through shilshole bay one-half
nile and that of smith cove one-third mile
long, and basins az the outsets Of the locks So
feet long and twenty-six feet deep at the ex-
treme low tide, in which vessels may lie to
await dockAge
The SaI.shole bay project provides FOR dredg-
ing channel through salmon bay TO q point
common with the smith cove route.
The smith cove project embraces canal
eighty feet wide on the bottom, lbs fact wide Al
the water line aud twenty six feet deep through
the gap between the outer lock and salmon bay.
and dredging through salmon bay to the same
common point az It's head.
TIE following features are common to both
projects, viz;
A caasl 6,7oo feet long eighty feet wide on the
bottom. is icst wide at the water level and
twenty-slx teet deep connects the head OF sal.
mon bay with Lake Union
This channel Is extended through the shoal
portions ~ Lake Union Nd feet wide. to the