The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-24
NEW TERMINAL PLAN.
Oregon Improvement Com
pany's Idea Of the Thing.
IT AVOIDS MANY CROSSINGS.
Freight Yards and Sheds to Parallel
Commercial street-Great North
ern Hurrying On.

minals by the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific roads has now been followed
up by the Columbia & Puget Sound road
with plan of its own, with the view OF
harmonizing, if possible, the differences
between the railroads along the water
front and providing, upon the best possible
lines. freigh. terminals and transfer tracks
for the receipt, delivery and exchange of
freight in the city, and also a union pas
senger station for the use of ali companies.
The plan is not yet fully complete and has
not been passed upon by the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern people, but it
is expected it will be in short time. The
plan is substantially as follows:
Railroad avenue, from Smiths cove to
West Seattle. is to be turned over to the
terminal company, with the exception OF
the main line track ofthe Northern Pacific
and Great Northern roads. On the ex-
treme east side of Railroad avenue there is
to be located switch track, the property
OF the terminal company, by which access
can be obtained to all the warehouses,
manufactures and other buildings located
along the east side of Railroad avenue. On
the extreme west side of Railroad avenue
there wilt be switch track, the property
OF the terminal company. giving access to
all the docks and wharves situated along
the water front. The Columbia & Puget
Sound railroad will have upon these
switch tracks q third rail, enabling it to
use the tracks for its narrow gauge equip
ment.
Between Madison street and Yesler ave.
nue. there will be located the Union pas
senger station, and train sheds immedi-
ately to the east of Railroad avenue. This
will occupy part of the property now used
by the Seattle, Lake Shore Il Eastern and
Northern Pacific railroads as passenger
depot, and will require some additional
room. This part Of the plan is practically
the same as that prepared by Pricipal
Assistant Engineer McHenry, of the
Northern Pacific, which has already been
described in the Observation-Disclosures. 1t
provides for building with a union
ticket office, waiting-rooms. baggage and
express offices on the ground floor, and
the offices of the terminal company and
division superintendents of the different
roads On the upper floors.
Commencing at point Immediately
south of King street, the transfer track of
the terminal company will branch off to
tho east of Railroad avenue. following a
diagonal line to Seattle street near its in
tersection with Third street; thence along
Third street to Bay View street. Another
track will lead Off from the same point of
connection on Railroad avenue, diagon-
ally crossing Commercial street at about
Norman street, and connecting with the
first track near the intersection of Hill
and Third streets. From these transfer
tracks there will be a series of diagonal
tracks covering the space between Com
mercial and Third streets, from Dearborn
street to Bay View street. There will be
seventy-four tracks in all, giving over 3d.
600 feet of track room. Commercial street
will be left open and will only be crossed
by the two transfer tracks mentioned. On
the south side of the diagonal system
there will be arranged three roundhouses
of twenty-four stalls each, with the neces-
sary ash pits. sand houses. coaling station
and water tanks.
To the west side Of Commercial street
and situated distance of about twenty
five feet from the street, to enable the
teams to approach the freight houses
without infringing upon the street, there
will be located six freight houses, averag-
ing sixty feet in width and 500 feet in
length, with driveways between each two
of the houses. Immediately to the north
of these freight houses will be passenger
yard for cleaning and repairing coaches.
and Immediately adjacent to these, on the
Commercial street side, will be erected the
Pullman commissary house. car repair
ehed, ice house, anthracite coal shed and
other conveniences for cleaning. repairing
fueiing and preparing coaches for use.
Immediately to the west of all tho
freight houses there will be freight
track by which freight can be delivered to
the freight houses. To the west of this
and with sufficient room between To pro-
vide an ample driveway, will be located
five team tracks, with sufficient room TO
hold over 400 cars. by means of which
freight can toe received and delivered in
car load lots.
Immediately to the west of these team
tracks will be Railroad avenue. leading to
West Seattle and to the southern city
limits.
This plan covers several features that
those who propose il think will be essen
tial tn the interests of the city as we'll as
the companies. In the first place, for
the present there will he only four tracks
upon Railroad avenue. and Railroad
avenue will not be used for the storage Of
cars or for yard and will only to used for
switching to the industries that are lying
Immediately along it. In this way the use
OF Railroad avenue will not injure the
water front to the extern. that it would if
II were filled with tracks and used for the
storage of cars and for constant switching
by the various companies. The second
feature is, that As the general business Of
Seattle. especially the wholesale business,
lies III lines extending north and south
along the tide fats the terminal yards are
40 arranged rs not 10 take MP any OF the
streets of the city rs at present laid out,
with the exception of South Second
street, which is already abandoned
4 Puget Sound railroad Commercial
street is made the main avenue for access
90 and from the freight houses and is not
crossed by any tracks except the transfer
track necessary To reach from Railroad
svenue 10 the terminal system.
The terminal system also is arranged on
diagonal plans So rs 10 utilize the ground
so the fullest extent and confine it 10 the
lowest possible space. Third street on the
east will he the means Of reaching the
lower portion Of the terminals, and should
the growth Of the city 10 the south neces-
siiate it IN the future. the terminal system
can be crossed by viaduc;s running from
the east 20 the west At the least possible
cost. The system - sufficiently lara IN
provide room for the present comcaoie.
for al time 10 come, ami IS so arranged
that il can he extended To the south with.
out interfering with the property on the
east, which can, therefore, he utilized to