The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-02
d USE TO REBUILD.
r..oms Wharves Would Slide
Into the Bay Again.
rs TIDE FLATS ARE SAFEST.
.-.ssba,fty That the Shipping VIII Re-
.~eve 70 the Head of the Harbor
for Foundation.

L.. Farthern Pacific. was given In today's
~.-.f.rrIrsEscKR There il no indIca-
-. an the surface that. in addition TO the
II =. sod one-half acres of docks that
y .s,r,1d our Of sight, twelve and one-helf
-. toox 4 submarine slide In view OF
4. TACT that Engineer Bihler, after con-
1..tIng careful and thorough soundings.
1900 the bulk of the slide at 1900. 600
n ,-tse xsrds. 1t is manifest that those who
su,sine. with the Tacoma Ledger theory as
i ass,s that '.only few yards" tumbled
n go The bay. are In error to the extent of
4 rms 1856, 900 cubic yards.
REGARDING Engineer Bihler's report on
i u. cxass of the big slide. a conservative
I 81 xs.l.Informed Tacoman, who served
!. /. civil engineer in his youth. and is
n roec,slly veil informed on the local water
3iront, szyss
.sThs original ravine. which Is now Com
Isseucement bay, had steep banks. In the
feourxs OF time the erosions from the Puy-
1sllup Waller and the washings from the
sass OF the banks, together with the action
lathe tides. filed up portion OF the bay.
sad We have the tide fats as a result; while
Nfur,bsr out along the ravine the wash
Ii.u flied In along the sides, the bay re-
ea.nsng proportionately deeper at the
bottom. The Northern Pacific has built
shsrves on the naturally filled-in soil, and
saQsd TO 10 artificial filing. All of this
II rsted either ON the natural filling, which In
turn rested against the side of the original
1lssk. The present slide or bulge resulted
II rom the pressure on this natural filing
eeessioned by the great weight of artificial
&t.ng. OF course the original bank has
10. given way, only the filling. To my
usnd this means that il - unwlse 10 drive
sl.ng into this filling aud add great
sslshts OF artificial filing. The whole
|has rests UPON an insecure bank. II the
Zpllng we're driven deep enough TO catch
snio the original bank 1t would be secure
IT, rock"
This gentleman has large property inter-
|els in this city. He adds
Il only hope this slide Will result in the
heavy docking and heavy shipping being
Transferred To the tide flats. That is where
"a belongs. | would like 10 see the bridge
a the foot of Pacific avenue. now leading
Isaoss the railroad tracks. extended over
ID the lids flats, and | hope this freak Of
1zsture which caused the water front slide
Iull bring this about"
sve the naturally flled-in banks will
tide. He says:
u know that there are subterranean
behring's under the land whore the slide
occurred. These springs have acted upon
IAs ground under the original beach until
Ifs fine sands. quieksand and other de-
sIDolIs gave way and caused the entire
Isznk to slide down under the pressure of
ihs hllsd-in docks"
Mr. Bihler's soundings showed that
Ipboat midway between the warehouse that
Ikppsd into the bay and the iron bridge
fscfoss the tracks TO the Commercial dock
HER is now eighty feet of water, where
sIpmviously there was but twenty. Imme-
1aesy in front of the warehouse, where
hare was previously only twenty -four feet
d satsr, there is now seventy. Thus il
4un be seen that the entire bank went
Isosn, carrying away 500 feet of docking.
l While the city and the railroad COM
1rsay. together with the land company,
1seFe lighting over the allotment OF 500
zst for city dock recentiy-aDd much of
Ais proposed dock has gone down, ProyI-
isnce having removed the bone of con-
lsalion-the railroad company officials
.Ated that it had cost $50 per front foot
1@r filing. Az this rate the !. 800 feet car
'sd away would aggregate $4,000. And
Isa! the railroad company says the loss in
4hs Instance Is but trifiing.
l Bans we're perfected last week 10 build
~ Ocean dock out twenty feet IN order TO
y deeper water. In view of the water
bot slide. Engineer Bihler was asked il IL
fss good engineering proposition to 90
building docks on the filled-in banks,
faeFs most OF the local docks now are.
ns shere nearly all Of Tacoma's shipping
ass Tess is done. lie said:
az seems as yet a feasible proposition.
asre Is peculiar formation about the
pace where the slide has occurred. The
|Fsglnsl site was a beach about 400 feet
sae, half OF which was washed into the
rginal solid bluff by the action OF the
ass, and the balance being the same
s'th washed out aud into the bay. This
he only point whore the natural filing
Sid. | account for this side by the
slon Of the suhterranean springs which
NOV existed there aud the presence of
s Cling. IL having slid down, we will
Isassa solid bottom. But doubt if the
npsny will ever again try TO I'LL in for
cas- Al that point Ii would make good
wing TO the side the steamer City OF
aaassson Is a. a greater disadvantage ia
a2ins landing than any of the other
ssed steamers. Thursday morning she
l4leusiy made her way up the channel
mads fast below the headquarters
--asg. The Kingston is too large a
10 comfortably turn around In the
1aaat. and so landing there is almost
= The question. This morning she
eoaged 70 wait in Seattle until il
us'a become light enough in Tacoma for
lsei 20 pick his way through the
~Asge which nearly ais the haroor IN
sNensty Of the docks. She loaded her
'Nagers and freight AZ the Ocean dock
- aaEaing. To do this Is great ineon-
~saee TO the boat. as her psssen gers can
F p.es their way along the dock 10 her
@@iak sith great difficulty; and 10 dis
- and take on freight involves n good
extra work. The Sound steamers
aeAriy ali uslng the Commercial dock,
~ used Only by those who are
- rates and competing With the
saefa Pacific steamboa lines. and
go Presented An unusually busy ap-
saos today Fred Marvin, one Of the
'soes1 And keenest steamboat agents
ne sosnd, had accompanied the foot
II seven from the Puget sound uaiyer-
% fort Townsend, bat. seeing an
s~ai q the accident in the Posr~IsrKl-
ssVk& he returned az once by the tFst
faFsseelrg The transfer OF the ship
~sSnsss % the Commercial dock he
- room for a branch office Of his
- agency 5y telegraph and took
s'oa Eais morning. Passengers
az the boats seem most curious
al about she great submarine
Sie, and copies Of the Posr-lSrFftI-
containing fuu account were N
svnAnd- A. day long great crowds