The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-24
THE PASSING.THRONG
What the Visitors at the Hotels
See, Think and Say.
THE LAKE WASHINGTON CANAL.
prominent Engineer Looks Over Ground
and Gives Opinion That It
Should Be Built.

TACOMA, March 2a-[special Thomas W.
huooeil, OF Detroit, a prominent government
contractor, has made a cursory examination of
tne route OF the proposed ship canal connecting
Lake washington with Puget sound and says
the improvement should be made in the interest
OF the commerce and shipping of Washington.
While he has not yet had access to the figures
upon which the government estimate OF $3,OOo,-
coo as the probable cost OF the work is made,
MI Hubbel 10 inclined to the opinion that the
canal can be built for a considerably less sum.
To illustrats: 1t cost only 100000 to build
the 500 canal, connecting Lake Huron and
Lake Michigan, which is about one mile long,
and as originally constructed as thirteen feet
deep and 100 feet wide. Besides, this canal was
cut through a solid bed of rock in many
places, and the work had to be carried
on during the winter, when the mer-
curry was below zero. "This, of course.
greatly hampered this work" Mr.. Hubbell said
fhis afternoon before leaving for Portland,
"and run up the total cost above what it other
wise would have been. The Lake Washington
canal would be, I am informed, about three
miles long, and from my rough inspection of
the country thereabout / should not think
there would be any great difficulty in cutting
the channel. do not think any great amount
of rock would be encountered. If the earth
removed in digging the canal could be dumped
into the bay or used for filing In purposes at
construction would be greatly reduced. Still.
until l see the figures, and learn the exact re-
suits of the government examinations and bor-
ings, cannot figure the cost down to nicely.
While at Portland shall endeavor to get per-
mission at the government Office there to exam
inc the findings OF the government engineers"
Mr.. Hubbell called attention to the fact that
the 500 canal was built by the state of Michi-
gan out of a donation of 100000 acres of land by
the government The 500 canal contractors con-
structed the canal for the land, and cleared $S,-
100000 or s10.090,0o0. 1t cost the contractors
800 600 to locate the land given them, and then
purchasers of their mineral land-containing
the Calumet and Hecla copper mines-have
paid in dividends alone ten times as much as
did the contractors. Mr.. Hubbell thought pos
sibly the government might adopt the Michigan
plan OF making the improvement to Lake WASH
ington.
Regarding the value of the proposed improve
ment to Lake Washington, Mr. Hubbell said:
SIT would be OF incacuable benefit to the prop
erty surrounding the lake. 1t would be great
benefit to shipping, because ship owner who
must now pay 81, 500 TO go on a dry dock to have
his ship bottom scraped and cleared of bar
nacleE, could at towage expense OF, say $50,
avail himself of the fresh water of Lake Wash
iugton, which, for such purposes, will answer
as well. Government ships and ironclads could
be benefited in the same way. 1t would afford
is interested in affording such shelter to ship
ping. Lake Washington is a really wonderful
sheet OF water, and when Seattle is a great city
of this land its value will be more appreciate.
Few if any cities of the world have the mani
fold advantages of such beautiful and i'm
mensely valuable body of fresh water
As for Improvements of this sort by the gen.
eral govern ment, Mr.. Hubbell cited works of
which he had charge along the shore OF Lake
Michigan which were not of near as much pub
lie importance the Lake Washington ship
canal Much depends, he held, on the efforts of
the representatives of the state at Washington
City, and with proper information on the situa-
ton he thought there would be no serious objec-
ton to securing this improvement for Washing
ton. One OF the principal items of cost will be
locks, and he did not think over one lock would
be needed, although he had heard two were con-
templated.
Originally two locks. one drawing nine and
the other ten feet of water, were used on the 500
canal They cost 100000. They could not do
the work demanded, and another lock, 200 feet
long, eighty feet wide and seventeen feet deep,
was constructed. That was the largest lock in
the world. But later, the government having
taken hold of the canal, 100x1 900 foot lock and
twenty two feet deep was ordered, and is now
being built at a cost of 100000. The lock next
in size to the 500 canal locks ID the one IN use
on the Suez canal.
Inc 500 Cduhl WIS Dullt III tlgutteu IuOutus,
and Mr. Hubbell thinks the Lake Washington
canal could be built in two years at the most
From 1900 to 1900 men could be conveniently
employed upon the work. The BOO canal was
completed In 1855. The shore of the canal,
where the channel does not run through rock,
is of riprap. Mr.. Hubbell Is of the opinion that
riprap would answer for the shore of the Lake
Washington canal. Unless the soil through
which the channel will be cut Is exceedingly
soft or composed partially of quicksand. rip
rap shore above the water level, with no wall
except the earth, will answer. On the canal
that Mr.. Hubbell has been engaged the shores
above the water line slope back at an angle of
forty-ive degrees.