The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-23
HARBOR OF EVERETT
A Great Tidal Basin Projected
by the Land Company.
WAR DEPARTMENT APPROVES IT.
a Channel f,5oo Feet Wide From the
Head OF stesmboAt slough 20 sns
Mouth of Old River.

W ttHEESF0S 1EgIs aRs'
In response 10 the resolution irtroc coed
by senator Squire, Secretary OF War La
mont ha. transmitted 20 the senate copies
81 aII letters and reports received and
mssie in his department since November
: ,st2 relating to Everett harDor. The
Everett Land Company FIRST requested
a. late ,sa1 permission 20 eonstruct .
h.,t,o, tidal basin ar Everett. from the
head of Steamboat slough 10 the mouth OF
Cd river. at Least I, SO feet wide. Tho
eonnnsnvfs pgan vas 70 ersdge this basin
10 such q depth as II might deem desira-
bic. aud maintain it at high tide By means
Of hulkhea9s ard tide-gaies. This letter
was submitted by the chief OF engineers
4, Can't. Thomas 81. Symons on October 4.
1853. One week later Capt Symons made
an extensive report on the foregoing re-
ous., OF the Everett Land Company, in
which he says:
aAs the proposed harbor promises to be
A valuable addition 10 the commercial
facilities Of Puget sound. and ~ its con-
strnction will not be damaging to any
vested interests or 4 desriment 10 any Of
the interests of navigation, ! recommend
that the requests OF the company be
granted: provided, however, that the war
departmsnt, in granting the request. re-
serves 10 itself the right TO exercise over
the barbor and its management such full
or partial control - may from time 10
tim. be determined upon.'
TO Construct A FExsH wArKR HARsok
The plan which the Everett Land Com
pany proposes for the Improvement Of the
harbor is as follows:
sTo build dixie composed Of a buik-
head and material dredg ed from the har-
Dor from the lover end OF Smiths island,
southern!y toward deep water At old Port
Gardner, now called West Everett This
dixie 10 be about 5 100 ieet from shore. To
connect the lower end Of this dixie with
the main shore. aud TO build at conven-
lent point lock about 80 feet by 100 feet
and deep enough Tor passing all CONNER
elsI shipping. To shut off ali sloughs
along the right bank Of Old river, and at
i;e head 10 put in a lock about 30 feet by
80 feet and tide gate opening inward 30
feet wide. With the siils at six feet below
low water, and q dam to complete the
crossing Of the river. The water in the
hsrbor would be maintained At about high
tile by the tide gate opening and admit.
the head Of Old river rises higher tba an
the water in the harbor. This water is
sufficiently fresh at high tide to be teredo
proof. When the river Is up IL would be
entirely fresh. The harbor. so inclosed.
the company propose TO dredge out TO
such dimensions and depths as are needed
Tor com merciai purposes. The lower lock
would give passage to all commercial deep
sea shipping and the upper lock to al
boats suited TO the navigation OF the Sno-
homish river. and the locks and tide gates
would give passage to all log RATS OF ordi.
nary dimensions.
THE company proposes to reserve an
area for channel. as shown on the large
map submitted, OF from 800 to 80 feet In
width. aud to reserve the remainder OF the
Enclosure tor wharves. slips, mills, etc.
and TO establish q roadway zoo feet or
more in width entirely around the har-
Dor"
Capt symons states that this plan seems
entirely practicable. and as good a one AZ
could be devised to take advantage of the
natural situation at the mouth of the Sno.
homsh river. TO construct q deep fresh
water harbor.
REASONS FOR HIS APPROVAL.
Capt. Symms bases his recommendation
for the approval of the request of the com
pany upon the following facts and con
siderations
II. The Old river, bordering the Evereil
peninsula on the north and east. has now
no value for purposes of navigation, being
shallow, and obssructed with bars, drifts,
snsgs. old doiphins, piles. etc. and with q
very shallow bar at its mouth, on which
aie surveys show there is Two feet of sand
ST low water. It's degree of obstruction
cal be judged from the fact that. while its
head is but three and a half miles from It's
mouth. Iow water at the head is two and
one~haif hours later and SIX and one-third
feet higher than in tho open waters Out
side. The withdrawal OF the Old river
from tho Snohomish river system
l will therefore certainly do no harm
to the general navigation interests
/ OF the Snohomish river. On the other
hand. when the proposed harbor IS hullt.
l .hasi3es the benefit which would accrue 20
genera deep sea commerce there would
result hencat to the navigation entering
and leaving the Snobomlsh river. as II
would enable boats, by passing through
,he hareor and the locks at the upper and
/ lover chds q! IT, TO 20 At all stages OF tie
tides from jeep water in the Sound 20
/ eesp water in the upper Snohon.ish and
Us delta mouths.
The construction proposed would also
! compel the ida. volumes of water con-
I taaej IN tae Sa0honish aud Rii its delta
i channels 20 PASS out aud IN through the
channel lying Just under Priest point, and
i isis Increased volume would have a ten
1 eeGey - sCOur out a better channel across
TIE shadows lying IN front OF the river 5
maath.
"Al boats now going into the Snoho-
/ @lsh use this route under Priest point.
n
81 an they can only traverse the shadows IN
ir'gi Of tne mouth when the tide is up.
i Therefore IL may be safely asserted that
n tie Asgbor proposed would be OF no detrs-
4 neat "a Suohumisn Ttyer navigation in
sAy definite particular. while IN tso par
j tealars Is would bs beneficial. namely, by
X '&fa3sGluE new route into the river pas
u sable ~ al stages Of the tlde ana by con-
eeog- a.jng tbe igdal aows and thereby
~ V<1tesiug tie present used entrance.
= TIE withdrawal % the o.d river
Npaia hase uo disastrous effect ia iucfeas-
.AE The food height of the water IN the
n as1a sheu the glytF is ia 4 fresaet stage.
Careful observations and con putat.ons
ms3s by Ns Eugene Ricxsecker an engl-
tscs fosn4erly employed 81 sAls offlce.
as'a - Nhom have every conf
eSece, shows thst the combined
efYsnE capacity 81 the tour
eeSa mouths # the Saohomish.
9snoiag eanA lu.l. exceeds the esrryl ng
@s&a'y az she Suohoalsh river jas'
d asese be delta oy ~ per cent. and that u
aae o.d river ls Withdrawn the combines
sATY hs oaazcity 81 the otser three
mouths. d. e, Steamboat. Ehey and Unlon
feagas. exceeds the capacity ct the Sac
II ~en'sb 81 .aare taan q per cent.
&c ia &acul 81 parties familiar Win
'as spcAiltv is 49, practically unanimous
apao.atng she theoretical deduction
sasi SO damage VIII result from tie wish
@sss ~ Ca Tfycy IN increasing ihS
- 80 heights ~ the leila hen tie sno-
~etl'sa viseT IS Is irsshet STAGE.
t.e trap1sea AAFGor wld not Hood
"a - lAti3 aet now Hooded. Ii nil slap. :
- &An1A.u sha atrr a. "a fsssst ixFrs o.