The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-15

the old-time village, surrounded by the past
ures and the timber, and with no approach to
the hum and hustle which now characterizes it.
At rates that scarcely sufficed TO cover the ex-
pense o. maintaining such service but recogniz-
ing tine value of it to the community and the
partial and indirect benefits which might accrue
to the road the Seattle, Lake shore & Eastern
prolonged and elaborated its accommodations
to jewellers in the outskirts until the completion
o the West street Electric line to Ballard and
the extension of the Second street line to FIRE.
mont permitted il to relinqui.h, gracefully and
gladly, the business to these new Competitors
On September 20, 1855, trains were enabled to
run to Raging river bridge, between Gilman and
Fails City, upon the section OF ten miles built
by G. W. Hunt. since OF "Oregon & Washington
Territory railroad fame. This added mileage
afforded local disciples of Izaak Walton, notably
G. e. Lyon, J. D. Lowman and F. H. Osgood,
new fields for conquest, and many baskets full
of the 'speckled beauties" later testified to their
piscatorial proves.
Meantime tracks and service had been ex-
tended on the northern branch to the south
bank of the Suohomish river, aud the construc-
ton OF Howe truss bridge, with draw span,
was begun. The draw span WAS l65 feet long,
and the bridge also had two 10o-foot Howe truss
spans, and had long pile approaches This has
been replaced by the erection of two Queen
trusses and one 20Sfoot combination span in
place OF the two 100-foot Howe trusses Await
ing the completion of tho btdge across that
stream, passengers and baggage were transferred
By Ferryman Proctor, and the public was con-
yenienced by rail journey between Snohomish
and Seattle reduced to two hours, supplauting
the tedious and sometimes hazardous boat ride,
which was the only route for years and which
usually consumed six or seven hours. On Oc-
tober Z, 1855, the first train crossed the bridge
and communication was regularly established
between the two cities main tanned continuously
and comfortably since, excepting period OF
several weeks in November and December, 1883,
when portion OF the bridge was carried away
by an unexpected freshet, but was at once re-
placed. The merchants OF the city can testify to
the benefit and convenience which rail trans
portation, promptly and equitably conducted,
has been in this direction.
Falls City, on the snoqualmie branch, was
reached with track in December, 1855, the first
excursion having been given on the Thanksgiv-
ing day preceding. This was to Bothell, about
800 attending and finding settlement of two or
three houses and score OF people The place
has now a population of over 60. Excursions
over this line have been uniformly successful
and largely patronized the great attraction be-
ing of course found at Snoqualmie falls, and to
reach this the company energies were devoted
during the spring of 1sS9-Smith e. Burns were
the contractors-upon this section, and pushed
along as rapidly as possible, considering the diff
ficult and Outlines dangerous character Of the
work. The first excursion to the falls was given
July 4, 1889, and the company, in spite of what
was deemed ample equipment in the way of
rolling stock, was unable to carry the thousands
who for months and years had been awaiting an
opportunity to look upon the famous scenic
wonder.
The line had been noted for its rolling-s stock.
Its engines were almost all built at the Rhode
Island Locomotive Works ut Providence, R. l.;
its passenger. baggage, mail and express cars at
the Pullman Company's works, Pullman, ILL.,,
and its box, flat and logging cars bought from
the Pennsular Car Company, of Detroit
built at the companys own shops at Smiths
cove.
The Lake Shore absorbed what had been
known as the seattle IL West Coast Railway"
i n 1885 and made out of it its own branch to the
north to q junction with the Canadian Pacific
The line has been singularly free from the
casualties usually incident to a new road, and
its operation a silent testimony to the care and
experience of the officials charged with the con-
duct of the several departments.
By the great fire of June 6, 1889, the road suf-
fered principally in the loss of its Seattle depot
and that portion of its water front trestle and
depot grounds and sidings lying between Yesler
avenue on the south and Union street on the
north 1t was almost like "naking bricks with
out straw" to endeavor to handle the shipments
OF lumber and other building materials which
at once thereafter commenced pouring into the
city to help in its rebuilding but in the face of
hundred obstacles and almost no facilities,
the work and the traffic was pushed on and
properly taken care of.
About this time number of official changes
occurred in the management OF the road, which
have ended in its passing into the hands OF the
Northern Pacific railroad. In March, 1888, F. H.
Whitworth, chief engineer of the railroad COM
pany, and j. ]. Scurry, chief engineer of the
construction company. were both succeeded by
Ohr 0f VIII had
had charge of the surveys from that city west
ward. and took charge of the construction work
on the Spokane division. In June, 1889, the
New York stockholders became dissatisfied
with the expense of the construction OF the
Spokane division, and blamed Mr. Gilman for
extravaganza, though the work had been left
entirely in the hands OF Mr. Mohr. About the
same time the directors were calling for money
to meet the interest on the bonds, and fault was
found with Mr.. Thornell, the general manager,
for not making remittaaces as rapidly as de-
sired, although he was accommodating funds for
the purpose in this city with the intention of
renting in one sum. The result was that Mr..
Thornell resigned, and Mr.. Gilman, thinking he
had been treated unjustly, did the same. Mr..
Mohr was then elected vice president and trus-
tee OF the railroad company and F. ". D. Hol-
brook general manager. In August, 1882 Mr..
Mohr was suppanted rs vice president and chief
engineer of the construction company by K. Ii.
Taleott, of New York, and in the following
December was succeeded as chief engineer of
the railroad company by Harry R. Talcott.
When he thus severed his official connect ion
with the road, Mr.. Gilman, who had extended
the northern branch to a point about one mile
north of Machiss, assigned his contract to the
Seattle and Eastern Construction Company,
which undertook its ompletion. Shortly be-
fore Mr.. Mohrs resignation, he had let con-
tract to Earle Mcleod for ten miles OF clearing
.f nf tha nd
of clearing from the boundary southwark to
Edwin Hall Warner. In September. 1882 under
the new management, Earle x Mcleod were
given the grading contract on the ten miles
they had cleared, and in October Smith Bros.
received similar contract for the five miles
south of the boundary. In December the con-
tract for grading along practically the whole
line was let to Earle l. Mcleod, p. II. smith &
Bro, Clements. Bradford & Co. and NJ. j. Heney,
and in January, 1890, the remaining ten miles
south OF the Sksgit was let TO J. K Murphy. In
November, 1890, the san Francisco Bridge Com
pany was given the contract for 240-foot
Howe truss drawbrdge across the Stillaguam-
ish river with ASH feet of pile approaches In
April, $780, the same company was given the
contract for tracklaying north of the Skagit
river, and for all the bridging, except the SKA
git and north fork of the Nooksack, which it
took later on, Earle & Mcleod taking the track
laying on the sections they were grading
About the middle OF December tracklaying be-
gan near Machias and was continued as fast as
the grade was ready. The line was opened 20
Arlington, on the stillaguamish river, on June
:. In July tracklaying began at Sedro, on the
skagit river, and Was pushed northward and
southwark as fast the grading and bridging
was completed. The skagit was reached bv 7.Ii0
feet of pie approaches from the two sides, the
construction of which consumed considerable
time,and had TO be crossed by the largest bridge
on the line. Ii has double draw span of pa feet
nd r1xn nrnhins.tnn Pratt Ir,iss q