The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-08
THE LAKE WASHINGTON CANAL

zee q I-sS-s.ase and sorsig1 eoz ne-es. -scoza-
--s9Gszg passage OF TIE hi Eakies an Er7-o-
r-2sito- f5r tie construction % AMP e&EA
connecting Lakes C1.oz s12 .xse-aSsoa VIA
Pzse. soazz:
Tas sFseeace .zszis.s: 70 he oor.ni.-ee %
icss-st*se az so-sEn -o-zZzsrrs. - favor % ire
BIZ Z &. No SIS, sztsias4 - hII s.ak1nz Al
appropriation fo- xas eozserucsa0a OF . ship
cz1ai co1nec-.ax L.kes Uzioa az1 WaskizZzoa
via PaEet scGz1.- proves TIA. t1g proposed
improvement. viii ecase: 5eze.: or coazs.cs
sGlF .Gs.4Eyang ire proposed expea1; .z-s-
Iae tie o. tas III EaigA; Esor= properly azv.
ses9 10 II grove t.e ss-e-vAy s@tTss7 LAKES
Cz!on ard Hasascxsoa and Pozes soznc, -
f-s-s slrea3y exists . asr1-s4 waterway co.,
meeting Puget so2z1 vtta Salmon bsy s3t Lake
Czio1. s7e cansI oe1w=ea LaKes aszl.g.5
AID Caio-: TIE o5.scE o. Ezs proposed N prove
-7sZi b@iag 20 saiszEs szd G=epsa these vz.s--
WAITS s11e.s3isY 20 enable ships 70 pass f-9ra
tie - ! water Of Puget s01Da i2so . .resa water
ha-aD,, and 70 provide a. outst for t1s x or-
t.1s cgI3E.eFcs % the LAKE TIE opening 0. t1Is
irs.a water % s1sEs J. Ez. oGly matter % In
por.saes - tie state cf a.sa.u7:o1. 81. 70 TIE
entire Pse.sc coast AMI 10 Ehe nstsozss goye-r-
lsGt Puget so1n1, g. Inland ses, with ashore
LIE OF 0ves i.5O 1uisss. asz oesa 10. many yss-s
!oso<sd upon "a tie sat of great Commercial *
Tansioa, AID il rapidly entering 1poa 8 zeal Is
ton Of these expec;aisoaa
Already to7r railroads aaTe located their ter
mini o. 3ss shores. The=e road are he SJ-sa-
srn Pacific, Grsa. Northern. Seattle, Lsze share
Il kastsyo, AID tas Co uu5aa d Puget sound,
sad sao.aer, tie Union Pseise, viii scon eSua-
pete iis iln= 70 t5s SANE destination, VALE ins
Canadian Pse9Sc. by t,acksgs arrangements,
senda through cars 70 seattle.
Thsee facilities TO. con nsrce are supple
nsnIsc b. sssz msh!c Inss, making regular roy.
ages 70 Asia ard The Oriental islands. Szu F-za-
cisco, Portland, British Co.1nb:a zai lie po.ts
OF TIE sound and adjacent vatsrA Inc stats Of
Washington possesses uar.reied resources IN
all TIE essnasats tass tend to create enormous
Development, 0. connsrcs Agricultural pro-
duets, LUMBER coal, iron ores, gold, ST Ter, LEAD,
copper, tn. graphite, Limestone. granite and
sandstone are among its products and exi.s il
practically insxaaustsoie Abundance.
Fron al parts OF the world sss.s Of vessels
come 70 this Inland Sea, bringing cargoes ard
competing for tie cA-g 6 pro1uesi On Is
shores, o: which arrive py the grss. .ysnsconsI-
mental roads. Mature has provided great 81.
srspo; TO. TIL, gree. AMI rapidly Increasing
commerce The city OF Seattle il situated a..
most in tie center Of The Puget sound region,
and Las frontage On the sal. water OF more
tAan s.x miles Abreast 0. this city, TO TIE east
ward, T2raiie. 70 The sound and oaly two niles
from e, Les Lake Washington, twenty-five
miles II length and averaging :ares r,iles in
width. Sheltered by q border % mountains,
with tod shores, is waters always smooth aud
tsss, are D: ample depth, showing al average
depth o. from fifty % Loo feet TIE absence Of
tides and currents render its waters always
tranquil and OF even stage.
The outlet referred % ea.srs: hs Son nd by Al
easy chaunel, almost within tbs city limits.
Sowhers e'ss IN the world does there exist
another sUcn body Of fresh water, lying within
two miles OF a noble ocean roadsteac, 20 which
1t can 50 readily % joined; thus forming
magnificent fresh water system of docks softi-
Gent 70 accommodate q world wide commerce.
irrespective OF these general conclusions there
exist several special reasons for the formation
o. fresh water hafbo,.
The hArbor OF Seattle IL as good a. any On
Puget sound, but In consequence OF the great
depth o! water its area Of good anchorage 10
limited, while the topography OF lis shores is
such that all rsiiroa4s entering the city are
compelled TO do so By trestiss along the salt
water front. The wbarves for the acconmoda-
ton OF commerce are therefore constructed in
deep water outside the railroad ,rackA Ali
these structures are built On wooden plies;
their maintenance 10 enormously extensive, 81
the waters of Puget sound, in com mon with ali
the shores of the Paei &c, are in lestei with the
te.eco, q marine insect 90 destructive 20 wood,
that they become so speedily impaired and
destroyed as % 2ecessitste thelr frequent
renewal. This alone forms q severe tax on
commerce, from which il will BE- entirely
relieved By the formation OF . fresh water
harboE.
The constantly increasing number of iron and
steel vessels engaged both in coaxtviss and for
eigu trade points 70 another powerful argument
In favor Of thu establishment of f.esh waite.
harbor.
The deterioration OF the bulls o, iron and
steel shiis IL very small In fresh water a. CON-
pared with salt
The bottoms Of vessels also become fouled By
vegetable and animal accretions when long ex.
tor short time in fresh water destroys The bar
naelee and other marine growths. causing them
either 70 drop OF or become easily detachable.
Thereby saving the expense OF docking and
painting. Thus during the time necessarily &C.
cup.ed in coa.ing or oischarging Or receiving
their eargoss, ships bottoms would be oleansed
by natural process without loss Of time and
without expense.
The mean high tide In Puget Sound. st e.
attic. IL thirteen and a half feet, and the ex.
treme tide shows rise Of seventeen and half
feet These grea. fluctuations are exceedingly
embarrassing 10 shipping and add greatly to the
expense o. handling csrgoea Thus the gres ter
convenience and economy Of receiving and dis
charging freight in q fresh wafer harbor, having
no tide and consequently always az the sane
level, viii oe an immense benefit TO commerce.
The advantages previously mentioned are
those relating TO the harbor o! Seattle, as the
improvement would give il great pre-eminenee
seattle is now city OF over 10000 inhabitants,
having registered voting population Of about
l4Coo
Its past growth indicates that Il will become q
much larger city. probably as large as any on
the Pacific coast
II should also be stated that on the shores OF
Lake Washington and in its vicinity are seven
i'm portant coal mines, five of which are now bs-
Ing actively operated. shipping thousands OF
tone OF coal per day, for which the principal
markets are in California, Oregon and localities
on Puget sound. There are also vast forests Of
merchandise lumber bordering on this lake,
and on its shores are situated numerous and sx.
tensive mills II is estimated that in the county
alone there exists II, oo, 900 90 feet OF lumber
Near this lake there are also extensive mines
and deposits OF red hematite and MAGNETIC iron
ore. Works for the manufacture of iron there
from have been erected which will prove TO be
Of great importance TO the development of the
Pacific coast.
Il il estimate that the commerce which
would pass through the proposed canal 10 the
Sound would now aggregate $780, coo tons per
annurn, IL the improvement were made.
Having noted its great and vital Importance
TO commerce, another phase OF the subject Is
the value this Improvement viii have IN fur
D!shius 10 the governmsn; Of the United States
great, safe and convenient fresh water her Dor,
where vessels OF the navy can be econ mically
cared Tor. and which will be OF unsurpss.sd ex.
ceilence 10th as q naval rendezvous and q
coaiug station.
and dry COCK established at Port Orchard, in
pYara fr,< rfo r-.ssr a.