The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-22

TIE Subdivision Of land
Seveath--The plan would be pxcduc-
tive IL no good 10 existing wharses. as Is
Ne0ld not bring fresh water 10 them
"Eighth--Ths bulkhead lines along the
slips basins and entrances aggregate
about 70 GO feet ia length, naost 81 xhich
woaEd be adjacent % deep water and very
srpensrve 10 buiid and maintain. while
/ the buikhead lines along the entire pro-
! tsct submitted by ne. including she canal
waterway. aggregate about 400 feet IN
len 9Th. most Of which would be retired
pensiys 70 bald and maintain.
Mr.. Dnrie then resumed, telling abou
Capt. Symons' high standing as an engi-
neer, especiaIiy In connection with bar
bors. re had designed the harbor I'M
provements at Everett, and Mr.. Darie
quoted President Hin. OF the Great North
ern. as having pronounced such plan
the ideal, With slips ~ an angie Of - de-
gEees wifh the current OF the stream and
tracks running on them. SHRUBS plan
proposed 20 run the river into deep water
al the drawhridge. bat Capt. Symons' pro-
posed TO defect that water along the water
front and thus use il TO protect wharves
from the teredo. There was not possible
business on all the Nharves TO compensate
for the ravages of the teredo. bur bringing
the fresh water along the front would pre-
vent this. The tide did not dow up. bat
backed the fresh water mp 50 that there
would always be fresh water in the water
ways. Capt. symons proposed a west
waterway as reserve 10 carry off water
when the river was high and thus take
the surplus With the silt il brings down.
Also Stixrud's plan ran the lines parallel
with the streets, thus continuing the
curse already suffered. The city was
vitality interested in the state getting as
much as possible for the tide lands, for 70
per cent. Of the price must be spent on
harbor improvements and at least must be
spent on seawail. What the
city needed most was level land
for commerce, for the great obstacle
to business was the scarcity of level land.
Therefore the city wanted to utilize this
great tract Of tide land, which was we'll
adapted for business. and the people must
see that Ii was not FILTERED away. but that
the most possible was gotten out of 1t.
Capt. Symons would have made a water
way 1900 feet wide, bat the Law only al
lowed 1000 feet. In regard to the size of
the wharves, Capt. Symons said the state
board could extend wharves further out
than 300 feet for large ships. They could
not wait for the state 10 do all the work
which Mr.. S;ixrud proposed, the locks
costing 81 900, 900 each, or they would ali
be in their graves FIRST. The cost of filing
In the tide lands would be mortgage on
them and would multiply their value
five times. Individuals could not do
the work, but it could be done as
Iae
Of SHRUBS locks would have to be laid In
100 10 200 feet of water. at the jumping of
place from the tide lands. hence Capt.
Symons' estimate of the heavy cost. He
pronounced the matter one of direct inter-
est to everybody, for they would all make
money by the execution of the improve
ment. Mr.. Durie then moved:
''Resoltcd. BY the Chamber of Commerce
and the citizens of Seattle in meeting as
semhied. that the plans of waterways for
tie harbor Of the city OF Seattle, including
the Lake Washington waterway. sug-
gested by Capt. T. w. Symons to the state
board OF land commissioners. be Endorsed
and approved, and that the state board OF
land commissioners are requested TO
adopt such plans forthwith"
j. j. McGilvra then defended Stixrud
against Durie's criticisms. and said every
body had too much respect I'D brass but
tons. He opposed the resolution, saying
that 20 pass ii on the spur OF the moment
on the report of an engineer who had been
called in TO report on a canal TO be dug
through the hill would be- injudicious. He
would not oppose q conditional resolution
recommending Symons' plan to the CON-
mission, but he opposed condemning the
work of man of Stixrud's standing out
of respect TO couple of rows of brass but
tons. lie objected TO the 300-foot slips as
not large enough for 600-foot ships. He
would establish waterway at least 600
feet wide. reserve 600 feet each side for the
ships, and trust TO the common sense of
the next legislature to confirm it. Mr..
Stixrud had been employed by the land
commission. Capt. Symons incidentally
by somebody interested in the matter.
lie moved an amendment, which read:
= "That it is the sense of the Chamber of
Commerce and the citizens OF Seattle here
assembled that the plans of WATERWAYS
over the tide flats IN the harbor of Seattle
submitted by Capt. L. w. Symons seem
TO Us TO have much merit and deserve
careful consideration, but We submit that
room for slips on this plan should be re-
served by the commission out of the
waterway itself"
W. d. Wood objected to comparing the
abilities of engineers and defended Mr..
Stixrad from some of the criticisms TO
which he had been subjected, but said the
Hing of the harbor line map without any
provision for the canal running through
the hill would be a public calamity. lie
pointed out the advantages OF both plans
and advocated a canal entrance from the
east waterway, and said they should have
tidal basins.
In replying to Mr.. Wood, Mr.. Durie said
the land commission had power TO inn
prove the haroor strip out sf tile IS per
cent. of the proceeds of tide land sales
allotted 10 the purpose.
Dr. Samuel Ramsey said the chamber
fully understood the matter, and he had
come on purpose TO vote for Mr. Darie's
resolution. lie spoke strongly in favor of
the Symons plan.
BY this time the meeting was becoming
impatient for action and voted down Mr..
McGilyra's amendment. Then Mr.. Darie's
resolution was adopted, Mr. McGilvra
casting the only opposing vote. and the
majority laughed at the practical unanim-
isy obtained.
The telegram sent by Secretary whittle-
sey to the state board o, land commits
sioners was as follows;
sam instructed By resolution upsni-
mously adopted TO inform yoa that Cham.
Der Of Commerce and very large meeting
Of citizens advise and request you TO adopt
the plan for waterways IN Seattle harbor
submitted 10 Yen by Capt Symons. IN
Guiding canal waterwav.