The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-11
Highest of al Leavening Pove-Latess Govt Report
@!a!!I!! B Rsxdss9
ABSOLUTELY PURE
ABSOLUTELY PURE

of the Dawamish valley, Who is enc Off
warRest advocates Of this plan, said re-
garding it yesterday:
The only practicable means Of relief Is
20 deepen and widen the canal and brtng
Lake Washington down 10 the level OF
Lake Union. That will prevent the over
now Of the Duwamish and White RIVER
valley as far up as Kent, as vel as the
Black river and Squak valIeys- The city
OF Seattle would derive great benef1s rom
II. for Is would get the pure mountain
water i. will soon need when IL has hun
d-eds Of thousands of Inhabitants The
present county commissioners have spent
thousands of dollars in surveying ditcnes
and the farmers have spent their hard
earnings IN thing and ditehing without
any outlet Now, shall We wait tor the
coming legislature and then wait two
more years for the following elsctionr For
want of an outlet for the hood water the
state and county lose much revenue from
the flooded land and the farmers are
ruined The only way / see to accom-
pllsh this Is 10 enlarge the capital
stock of the canal company sufficient TO
deepen the canal i've or six feet and widen
TO forty-nve or fifty feet and let X remain
an open river. II would be a trifie for all
those interested to unite in raising $50, 900
or Ss0.9vo. The county would avoid the
overlooking and washing away OF high
WAYS and bridges and thus save thousands
OF dollars year. Floods often prevent
children from going To school and this
too would De avoided. The capital stock
of the canal company would De increased
in value and the city oil Ballard would be
benefited Dy having river instead OF 8
creek. We should like TO hear from the
county commissioners, the city council
and the canal company on this subject"
John B. Denny, secretary of the Wash
ington improvement Company, said yes
terday that the company would be quite
wiling 70 cooperate in the enlargement of
the present canal, but he conld not say
how 1t would regard a proposition TO in
crease the capital stock, As no definite
opinion could be expressed until the trus-
tees had definite proposition before
them. Regarding the work done and the
amount of money expended by the COM
pany, he said:
"The Washington Improvement Com
pany was incorporated IN 1883, with a cap
ltal stock of $4,000 ali paid up IN cash.
Work was begun In that year, and was nm
ished IN 1884 In subsequent years, from
1854 10 1880, syndicate OF stockholders,
composed Oh h. NJ. Smithers, III. b. Bagiey,
George KInnear and ID. +. Denny, widened
and deepened the canal and cleared il out
whenever cave-ins occurred. Ali of the
original stock was spent on the work
and altogether the company has
spent from $4,000 to 500. 900 on
1t. When the company was organized the
residents OF the valleys promised to sub
scribe 10 the capital STOCK and 10 give a
subsidy of land around the lake. but we
never got any thing except we bought and
paid for II and a few hundred dollars of
stock subscribed by the farmers. The cost
vas more than We expected. for a few feet
below the surface We struck hardpan, and
the cut, which is forty teet at the deepest
point had TO be blasted out. The banks
being perpendheu ar. whenever they freeze
and Ihag, large pieces break off and fail
into the canal, so that IL has cost good
deal TO keep II clear. This could be pre-
vented by sioping the banks. The lock
water, for there is suice large enough
TO carry off ali the water that enters the
canal. We should be wiling to remove
the locks If both lakes were brought to the
same level, but If We were to leave them
open under present conditions the bed of
the lock would fill up with silt and other
matter carried down by the stream.
IF the farmers raise a fund, We will see
that it Is applied to the purpose of giving
relief in the way provided. The company
can best do the work, tor it has had expe-
rience with it and knows how it should be
done. But the subscriptions would have
to be in cash. for land and promises would
not do in these times, when it is impossi-
bic to raise money on the best security. A
great deal of time and trouble has been
spent in trying TO get congressional ac-
ton on the canal, and we are willing to
do anything In reason TO assist in these
efforts. All we desire is fair compensation
for the amount OF money expended and
for nur franchise -