Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-04-05
CANAL NOT FEASIBLE.
CAPT. SYMONS KNOCKS OUT A
PUGET SOUND SCHEME.
Canal with North Bny-The Idea
Doubtless Suggested by the Short
Distance 10 Butld One.

nave IoiiS Dteil dreaming Ol cana
to join the two. The principal appa
rent reason for wanting a canal there
is that it is such short distance to
build one.
In Compliance with the provisions
OF the river and harbor act of 1891
Captain SymOns, United States engi.
neers, made a preliminary examina-
ton of the country between the two
bodies OF water, with view to the
construction of waterway and chan
mel between them at the most practi-
cable place, of sufficient depth to be
navigable for all classes of vessels. He
decided that the enormous cost OF the
proposed improvement renders it un.
worthy to he undertaken by the gov
ernment at the present time. Fol
lowing is his report, submitted to the
chief of engineers:
81 have the honor to submit the
following report on the preliminary
examination for a waterway between
Hoods canal and North bay, Wash,
required by your letter OF August 90,
1891.
"The language of the law requires
preliminary examination from
Hoods canal, in Puget Sound WASH,
to North bay, in said Sound, with a
view of constructing a waterway and
channel between the two bodies OF
water at the most practicable place, of
sufficient depth to be navigable for all
classes OF vessels
"North bay is not named on the
coast survey maps, but it is the local
name, and is understood to be the
north end OF Cases inlet, where it
comes closest to Hoods canal.
"The waters generally throughout
Hoods canal and Puget Sound are
very deep, averaging probably 800 feet,
and with extreme depths of over 500
feet. Shadows of small extent exist
at the head of the numerous arms and
about the mouths OF the rivers.
"The shores of Hoods canal are
generally steep and abrupt hills, rang
ing from 800 to 5000 feet high.
"The head of Hoods canal and the
head of North bay come within about
two miles OF each other.
"This proximity OF the heads ol
Hoods canal and North bay has nat
urslly suggested waterway between
the two, and the project has been
many times mentioned. Some years
ago town was laid out in the vicinity,
as its projectors laid stress upon its
importance due to the canal to be
constructed between the two bodies
of water.
"The proposed waterway and chan
mel may properly be considered from q
commercial standpoint and from a
military standpoint.
"In my opinion, from neither OF
these standpoints is the improvement
outlined worthy of being undertaken
by the general government at the
present time.
Shipping can now reach, in con-
venient manner, every point of Puget
Sound proper, and every point ol
Hoods canai. The proposed water
way would shorten the distance be-
tween the entrance to the Sound and
the points thereon in but few in
stances. From Olympia, at the ex.
treme southern end of Puget Sound,
it is q shorter water distance by the
existing open channels than it would
be via the proposed cut and Hoods
canal, and with better and wider water
to traverse.
"The only commercial use and con-
venience which the proposed cut
would serve would be in those cases
when single ship had business botf
at the head of Hoods canal and in
the upper waters of Puget Sount
proper. In such case the cut woult
avoid the long passage around. Sucf
cases are not now, and are not likely
to be in the future, OF frequent occur
renee. The proposed cut would prob
ably be OF some slight convenience Il
steamboats, from the commercial cen
ters of Seattle and Tacoma, enabling
them to make q wider trading circui
on q single voyage.
"The benefits above outlined ar
entirely incommensurate with tn
cost of the improvement.
"The principal industry of tn
population living on Hoods canal an
North bay is the lumber industry
There are probably less than 400
acres OF land on Hoods canal an
North bay under cultivation. Th
total population along Hoods canal
about 200 to 1000 souls, and ther
are about 100 near the head OF Mort
bay.
"There are three sawmills on Hood
canal, at Port Gamble, Quilcene. an
, Union City. Also one shingle mill
Union City.
From a military standpoint 1t
: evident that under certain conceiv
BILE conditions it might be advantag
Gus if there were u passageway II
warships and vessels OF all kinds fro
} deep water in North bay to deep wat
in Hoods canal. These condition
are, however, OF SO remote and u
oor,o;, a character that thev are n