The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-27
VISIT TO THE CANAL.
Legislators Get an Idea Of the
Value of "the Ditch"
SEATTLE LANDLocKeD HARBoR.
Ylne Trip BY visitisg statesmsn 60 Lake
Wsshington-A Social Occssien
Greatly Knjoyed.


Wsshington-A Social Occasion
Greatly Knjeysd.
The members Of the legislature from
east of the mountains who yesterday Wis
tied the scene of the proposed canal. will
wake up this morning With considerably
more interest in and respect for that inn
portant commercial enterprise than they
had before. Many of them confessed that
they had been deluded into the belief that
it was, If not exactly . "ditch," mere
scheme for the aggrandizement of few
men owning property along its route.
They we're shown one Of the finest natural
fresh water docks in the world, which only
needs mere span Of earth removed to in
sure a perfect waterway from q land
locked harbor to the Sound. They saw
that nature had apparently devised the
scheme herself, and that the money re-
quired is not so much to ''dig ditch" as
to construct the locks necessary on ac-
count Of the difference most valuable
factor in a canal proposition between the
lake level and the tide level.
During the morning Seattle's guests
rested after tho festivities of the night
before or listened to one or other of the
city's eminent divines. BY II o'clock be-
tween eighty and ninety of the visitors
arrived at the depot Of the Seattle, Lake
Shore Il Eastern railway, where they were
met by President E. o. Graves, of the
Chamber of Commerce.; by President J.
8. Kloeber, of the house of delegates, who
apologized for the absence Of Mayor Rom
aid and did the honors for the city govern
Jabob Furth, d. f. Dure, f. +. Whittier,
DR.. A. 2. Mitten, A. B. Stewart. Henry
Thurman, Judge Humes, Judge Osborn,
Lee J. Pitner. w. Z. Boone, Andrew F.
Burleigh, Angus Macintosh. II. w.
Wheeler. d. A. Mackenzie, and many
others. In all there were about 300
boarded the cars for trip to the canal
site and the lakes.
A few minutes ride brought the train to
the line of the Smiths cove route, and
Clarence Hanford there distributed litho-
Rrsphed maps on hand cards showing
in outline the city and surroundings, with
the survey lines Of the alternate routes
marked in red. They were highly APP
preciated and greatly assisted in a ready
comprehension of the subject. The party
then went on to Smiths cove, and were
shown the natural outlet from Lake
Union to the Sound, through which
swift and afn uent current was running 1t
was shown that here il was proposed to
widen the natural bed to eighty feet and
Deepen 1t to twenty-six a distance of 6. 700
feet between deep water and Lake Union,
with an outer lock at the mouth.
Mr.. Furth and Judge Burke explained
the details to the more interested men,
bers Of the party, among whom may be
named Representative Ludden, of Spo-
kane, who remarked that he had been one
Of the most persistent advocates Of the
canal because of the beneiicent results it
would bring to Eastern Washington. but
who had never visited the spot before.
Returning to the train, second stop
page was made at the Lake Union entrance
TO the lower canal. There lay Lake Union,
. sheet of water covering sos acres with a
depth OF twenty-five to sixty feet, and
whose shores are already lined with mills
and factories. Boarding the cars again,
the next hating place;was on the site
OF the proposed university of the state
Of Washington. Maj. J. X. Hayden, one
of the regents. was called upon, but he
delegated the task of explanation to Rep
resentative Edmond s. Meany, who made
brief address, telling the audience that
here on campus covering 16O acres. in a
healthy location, amidst delightful seem
cry. and between two lakes available for
aquatic exercises, the site and building
commission and the regents hoped to see
erected university which should be the
shining light among educational institu-
lions of the Northwest. He reminded
them of the pride every man in Michigan
took in the splendid university of that
grand state, and appealed to members of
the legislature to lend hand In endowing
the state of Washington with a similar ad-
vantage.
The short trip thence to Yesler station
was then made. and a few minutes ride
brought the party to the steamers On
the steamer {. G. Calkins were placed the
ladies, members Of the legislature and re-
ception committee. On the Katherine
were conveyed the other guests and citi-
zens. On both dainty lunch was served,
accompanied In plenty by q sufficient
variety of liquid refreshments. The day
was superb: the threatening sky Of the
morning cleared up, and Lake Washing
ton put on one of its most enchanting
aspects. Those who saw the magnificent
sheet of water for the first time. with its
picturesque shores and its sparkling
son, the Democratic warhorse of Pierce
county. relaxed his austerity and admit
ted. 1T isn't SO bad
The steamers passed the mouth of the
portage and the committee pointed out
how, by widening that attempt OF the peo-
pie OF Seattle to cut canal for themselves.
the finest harbor in the country would be
opened up to the largest ships atioat The
cut between Lake Washington and Lake
Union will be nearly 800 feet long: and
it is proposed to make il eighty feet wide
and twenty-six feet deep. The members
asked innumerable questions, but they
found it hard TO believe that the lake is
not only over nineteen miles long and
from two to three miles wide, or about
httv square miles in area, but has depth
ranging from twenty-iiv feet to 80 feet,
with known depth in places of 60 feet
They were told that the cost of the whole
enterprise. for single track lock, with
composite masoney, was estimated hv
the government engineers at s. 81 90: blu,
that they recommended, as most economi.
cal III the long run, a double track cana. 10
cost $2.97t. on. Mr.. Furth also explained
how great the saving W ould be in handling
freight because the Sound wharves haye
TO be renewed every three wears on ar.
count Of the destructive teredo. whereas
in the lake. the piles would he practically
everlasting; also that the great variance in
che tides. about fourteen feet. made il Ell
pensive to ships alongside the outside
wharves which would be entirely obviated