The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-01

They Trust Their Own Ef orts
to Escape Floods.
RAISING FUNDS FOR a DITCH.
Committees Appreciated 60 Bswts work :
cheaper 10 Dig ssw Ditch rhas
Esy tbs Old oas.

towards carrying our tns iihpfossaaehs u
. meeting yesterday af,srnooa IN the
eea,s!e National Bank building. ard they
intsaa To FEsh the work themselves with
OUT waiting until the Legal obstacles in the
way Of II execution b. the county are re-
moved.
There we're present w. I. Evans. J. j..
Mc6iIvra. ii. T. KELSEY. W. II. Phillips.
W. d. Wood. c. II. Adsit, William
Cochrane, John Rives. c. EgDert, John
Barns, Alexander Prentice. Henry West
fail, r. II. Wilson, r. A. Twichell. A. T..
Chafiey snd @. r. Wsgener, ihs engineer
who has done the preliminary surveying
Mr.. KELSEY acted - chairman and h. A.
Twiehsll - secretary.
In the course of Q general discussion 10
was developed that 1t was she unanimous
desire Of the meeting 70 Immediately take
the necessary steps 10 secure tbs right-of-
way for the ditch, either from the Wash
inrton Improvement Company o. bv q
new route. to obtain funds and TO ascer-
tain the SIZE, capacity aud cost OF = ditch
sufficient 30 prevent the flooding Of the
valley lands. Accordingly the following
committees we're appointed:
On right-of-way, n. A. Twichei, chair
man. ]. j. MetsilvFa. w. ID. Wood. Z. II.
Adsif, 4. r. Whittier, on finance. II. X. Nc
kinney. William Cocbrane. III. +. Kelsey.
Z. Egbert, Martin Nelson, Jerome Catiin.
q. 4. Anrud: on engineering. O. +. Wegs-
ner, w. K Phillips and 4. A. Twicheii.
Another meeting Will be held at tho call
Of this chalrmen OF the several COM
mittces.
yet be obtained 70 ths request for right~of-
e.. a -. - t.s.
days ago 10 the regents Of thf state uni
vessity. a. the matter can only be acted on
1t full meeting Of the board, Maj. ]. Il.
Hayden, one of the regents. says that he
sees no objection 10 the project, and thinks
that the board will AID 1t by granting the
rigntof-way. The following letter vas re-
ceived yesterday by Mr.. Twicheli from w.
j. Wood. secretary of the board. in reply
20 his letter published a few days ago:
81 am in receipt OF your favor OF the
9th inst, addressed 10 the regents Of the
university. regarding a right-of-wny for q
canal between Lakes Washington and
Union, across the southern portion of the
university site. The board will not be in
session until about April -. when your
communication will be laid before them,
and advice OF their action forwarded 10
y0u."
The object OF the farmers is to obtain
such immediate relief rs they can through
their own efforts. by digging a ditch TO
carry of the food water, and then turn
the work over 10 the county to he inn
proved and perfected. The finance COM
mittee will solicit subscriptions from those
90 be benefited and secure either cash or
securities which can be readily turned
into cash. When the county undertakes
tho work Of draining the whole district it
can give the subscribers credit on the spe-
cial assessment rolls for the amount o.
their hscripfsons. jast - allowance was
made for dstehtng already made in the as
easements for the White and Sloan bitches.
Several Of the leading farmers of the val
levs have pledged themselves TO aid in the
work By promising subscriptions OF $50 TO
Loo. and consider the improvement cheap
NJ the price, as the floods render their
land almost vaiueless.
A preliminary line for the ditch has
already been run by Mr.. Wsecner across
the university land and he has found W h at
he considers practical route involving no
greater expense than the cost of the pres
ent portage ditch. His first line followed
the southern line of section IT, where the
length would he $50 feet and the amount
of excavation for ditch twensy-ssven feet
vide with ten feet depth OF water at Lake
Washington and fall OF SIX and one-haif
feet would be sbon. &. o1o cubic yards. Bu,
this line cuts through the highest pogn. in
the section. and one Involving the moving
OF 5000 yards less OF earth. though some
what longer. was found further north.
This begins near the corner stake on Lake
at. al III "a.
OF west, striking Lake Union aoout 500 feet
north Of the section iiue. While the length
would be over 100 feet, the deepest cnt
would be sixty feet aud for about SO
feet IL would run through a swale only
ten To tweniy feet above Lake Union. The
estimated eosi Is So 800 and may tie less.
ss much 81 the material 90 te moved Is
eemented gravel. and Mr.. WeEener thinks
IL can se washed out by hydraulieking. A.
al aesmens 10 the university regents
u grant right-ofway, IL Is proposed g. use
shs material in asltnf ara the low land
along the Lake Washington front Of tie
sise. where about ten acres OF good land
coaid be made.
As yes Mr.. Negener hiss only calculated
the amount af water Ia be carried % from
the wafer shed 81 Lake Washington aud
Lake ssmnaTn'sa. ami. So provision Is al SO
60 lie made for turning Cedar river into
the lake and carrying of its waters
Through the d,seh. hs cannot yes
tell the exact sixe Of dit,h needed
but he thinks IL shoald 10 al
least twenty seven feet wide and uaay have
~ be forty feet. lie has figured on = fall
Of SIX snd one~aalf feet. squivalen. "a
nineteen feet peg mile, which would de-
Nesop great current and carry of an i'm.
mense volume OF wafer. The alter sAx,i
cs the lakes. ret including the aow a
Cedar river. has been estimated hv govern.
meat engineers ST 30 square miles and i:
Il estim ated that u takes so. ooo. 90 eabir
feel 90 add SIX snehes - the dspGh Oh water
IN the LAKE. The proposal Is during tile
Four summer months 20 reduce she level al
the lake - four !eel beloa the present nor.
nal snd then to maintain that as the
normal Thus during the aaod season the
Whole lake soa.a serve 40 a reservoir for
the surplus water, aEd tAs present Norma al
iesel w}tl become she food level Ists nok
proposes 10 dls aitea capable Of earrytnz
al the flo,a water as fast a. Il lswstn for
that would require q diieh probably Ion
sesi vide. As part O: the same work =
dam will have - Re ealls across Black
river TO turn Cedar river .sto the lake.
ltwss Al arss proposes. 10 use the p-e..
emit canal fos drainage ditch ~ ,trrn.,-
ing and widening IT, and there has eeea
some discussion between tie leader. ~
the movement and ths Officers al IL.
Washington Improvement Conspanv.
which own IL In regard to tie cost II sc.
qairang IL. bat the figures named ~ tas
eomnany. oI which George X KlnneA-. n.
T, Decay, John Il. p~nny Aaa T. vi.
snsitAers are ths principal mem acrs. Ase