The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-24
PLAN OF THE HARBOR
Land Conmissioas Location
d Waterways.
PlENTv OF Moons Foa SHIPS.


ads hAss - the hsad q the bay and the
hashng iine iron Railroad avenue % West
Seattle have bsen decided On By the stats
tand commiss1oa. aAd the karbor line
along ths main water front Of tie city viii
soon b located. The ofac5ai map wiz
then b GIed and tie harbos strip viz b
axed permanently.
The plans for the harbcr hing sero0 the
edss Of the 49, nats end for the waterways
through them - prepared By 6sixrud &
Nastsn. the eneinesrs for the commission
In this city, provide abundant facilities for
shipping. The hashor strip from Railroad
avenue aeross the sdes Of the tide Hats to
The limit II one mile beyoud the city
boundary on Che west Il 20 b the maxi
mum width Of go feet allowed By Law, the
outer line being q the line Of thirty ave
fsst q water q high side. On the harbor
strip provision 10 made for large ware
homes with railroad tracks on each
side of them. - that freight can
b Transferred from shin 70 rail-
and vice versa with the greatest ease.
70 the south Of the harbor strip the main
channel Of the Duwsmish river 10 located.
running in straight lime from tbs south
est. 500 feet vida. and crossing the
Terminal railroad about whore ths pres
snt drawbridgs Il. On each side Of this
channel provision II made for large
basin with three waterways running into
II from the southeast parallel with the
Duwamish- The Law dos not allow the
conmission to carry out this plan in It's
entirety On The ypst Of the nver channel.
but It 10 expected thar further pAuers will
be granted for the purpose.
Each basin will be 1000 feet wide north
and south and 5. 30 feet long east and west
with 600foot double lock opening from
IL midway into the harbor. so that the
water in it and the connecting waterways
viii always be kept at the high tide stage.
From each basin three waterways, 80 feet
wide. will run southwark through the tide
OATS, 20 that any factory or warehouse
located between them can have direct
access to deep water where ocean ships can
lie 10 load and unload. The basins and VA
terways viii b connected ct the southern
extremity Of the latter with the main chan
mel Of the Duwamish, % - 70 admit fresh
water and thus prevent the tersdo from
working On the ships and piling. Between
each two waterways will DO . space !, Us
feet vide. On each front Of this will be .
railroad track for loading and unloading
and driveway. thsss occupying strip IS
feet wide. The next street will be $50 feet
wide with four railroad tracks on IL, and
In the center will b. . street 100 feet wide,
the three intervsning blocks being 3oox6o0
feet With interesting streets. The limit
Of the hArbor, - established by Law as .
line one mile beyond the city limits, only
allows Of basin about 1000 feet long with
two waterways opening into Il. and on the
west side Of the western waterway there
II only one block 800 feet wide with
seventy-fivs feet for railroad track and
driveway on the front and l50-foot street
on the inner side. but the plan contem-
plates the duplication Of the arrangement
made for the east side Of the Duwamish
channel II power should hereafter b
granted. That ample room will b left by
this plan for the future extension OF COM
msrce - apparent from its giving tan and
six-tenths miles Of frontage on the basins
alons. exclusive Of that on the waterways.
All the railroads approaching from the
south would run from the head Of the bay
md those from the north along Railroad
avenue. and all would connect at the head
Of the eaet system Of waterways At that
point the tracks would ran ACROSS the main
channel. With yards on each side oil It, and
switches would lead from these main
tracks along each Of the waterways and the
intervening streets. Thus all drawbridges
would be avoided except that nov cross
ing the Duwamish river and another carry
ing over Ill the roads from the yard on the
east side 70 that on the west side of it.
Railroad avenue west. on which the Ter
minal road nov runs. would be on the
harbor strip for most Of its length.
A waterway viii also be located in
Smiths cove. 400 feet wide. starting just
east Of the coal bunkers running inward
probably TO the meander line.
IL Is estimated that the material exca-
vAked for the basins and waterways will go
long way towards filling in the inter-
ven.ng tide fats above high water mark.
and when the railroad tracks are built adj
disional material can easily be secured to
complete the work. The whole Structure
for the foundation Of streets and buildings