New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-18
APACIFIC COAST LIVERPOOL
, SEATTLE Is AMBITIOUS FOR IHh Liz
ro ATTAIN IT 4 SHIP CANAL 70 THE INLAND
rprsu.wATER LAKES Is NEEDEp-PRo'h'i'


rREsfI.wATER LAKES Is NEEDEp-Fi'o'N~'
rop THE DESIRED IMPROVEMENT
r,,v.soccAsroxA' CORRESPONDENT 81 THE fR''''N NJ
Seattle. Wash. January "
,..,,,,.a !, rdslide in Tacoma Harbor,
~ which lfteen acres OF lana anu -''0'''
Yards OF earth were dumped into the pay ~
,.,,ion f. needed harbor improvements III US.
soun1 While IN one sense the souhh j. o'.e ' ,
horbor in Itself landocked sea- l"n'"' 49,,
hundreds Of BAYS and nleis, ;here a'''e" "
which afford perfect anchorage. Inc great '""se
the tides. the depth o! the water tue p, ~
nopraphical ani geological conditions OF the Sno'
arc no, repeated elsewhere the continent III
tho case Of Tacoma. the Landslide wh"e " ON
without warning and was utterly uheNpe''e''
not an unprecedented occurrence some Hea'S 10
6f,eenacre tract OF land In the city slid loD teet
down the hill IN the course OF year. tic '
thing on a la.ge scale has happened in Seattle i,
10 conceded that many thousands OF dollars VIII
have TO be spent before either OF these TWO cities
have the harbor facilities their shipping ous.hesS
requires The river and harbor appropriations III
this state have so far been pitfuly small o"lns
partly 10 WashIngton's recent admisson 10 'ne
Inon and the necessity OF expensive surveys III
advance OF work and partly to the lack of appre-
citation In the East Of the actual growth ana deVei
opment Of the sound country.
The last Congress. however voted something Owe.
$780, 900 10 the State. and moreover set the sea- Oh
its approval to a project WHICH, "heh c''''e' o'
vii, create for Puget Sound not only one oil the
finest but one OF the most remarkable, harDors III
the world This is the ship canal which IL 10 unite
tho sound Mt Seattle with Lake Washington
body OF clear fresh water twenty miles long, aoou
three miles wide and from $50 to 600 feet deep. IL
forms the eastern boundary OF the city or Seatte
and is less than two miles from the sound along the
proposed route OF the canal. Between the lake ana
the sound lies "A smaller lake. connected with the
sound by a shallow stream and with Lake WASH
ngton by a small canal ussd for the passage OF
sawloss It will be that the natural conditions
arc most favorable for the enterprise.
The subjoined description is taken from report
made in 1891 by Brlgadler-Gen Thomas Lincoln
Casey. Chief Of engineers. to Acting Secretary OF
War L. \. Grant:
The proposed route and project for canal con-
Meeting Lake Washington with Puget luni con- 70
templates constructing canal 300 feet iohg, >"
feet wide at the bottom and lbs feet wide nj me
between Tnion Bay in Lake washington and Lake
Union. with masonry lock 400 feet long 20 49,, t'o
ah,v, - feet. dredging channels to connect this
canal with deep water In Lake Washington. ana
across LAX, Union: ana constructing canal 500
feet long ~ feet wide at the bottom and Us feet
wide Al the water line and % fee. deep connecting
Ike Tuion along IT, outlet with the head Of
Puget Sound two routes are cohSiiercd;; one ny
near the Sound feet long, - feet wide and 1916 feet
deep over sill cXircm" low tide. the other by way
Of Smiths cove and canal constructed across the
neck OF land between the head OF Salmon Bay an !
Smiths cove with lock similar - that projected
for Shshoe Bay ne ,hrongS the 81 shoals a; the
| outlet OF the lock also contemplated
,vo routes not including damages for lands sub
merged. is as follows; Shilshoe Ray routs $1,000.
| smiths cove route S.j0o.co0 The Shilshole Bay
route costs 800 90 less than that by Smiths cove
on the other hand. tho latter route possesses az
vant,ces in that lis entrance ia in the harbor 81
| seattle whereas tho entrance Of the other is five
ana a half miles distant and secondly me SHl nm
ht
| tho smiths cove route is to be preferred.
In each Of tho projected vessels will pass
| from Puget Sound 10 Salmon Ray through ma
| sonry lock- So feet long ~ feet wide. with hit
varying according 10 the stage OF tho tide. Inc
d.o,h on SIT AT extreme low tide will be 1916 feet.
| AZ lowest high-wacr IS feet 40 there vii always
| be two occasions In each ,weniy-four hours "heh
vessels 81 2 feet draugh may pass through the locks
There Will time when vessels OF 10 feet draush'
| may not pass OF course. Increasing commerce VIII
| demand other arrangements. but the sill can be
| lowered a, no great Increase Of cost The only TWO
classes Of vessels which could enter the locks
| are the oceah grcyhounds which would be debarrei
| on account OF their length. and the large mist
class batteships and the protected cruisers oil the
| Navy on account 81 their width 81 beam o'her
locks can be built In future 20 accommodate snch'
| hn, AZ present they are not needed. Inc largest
| e,e,ushlps on the sound have no more than @-
feet length OF keel feet beam. and 2 feet draugh
| Few calling vessels fully loaded draw more Than p
zoe, From Salmon BAY vessels VIII pass through
4 canal GOO feet long. l5s feet Wild" at water-lh'
| and q feet deep. into Lake Talon channel Will
bo extended through the shcal portions ~ the AXE
| T., the poriag which intcrvencs between Lake.
| rnlon and Washington. Through this portaS" a
| canal eccl fee long leads into Union Ray Snoa'
| hight Of Lake Washington. Here lock similar 10
| the one at the entrance Of the canal overcomes
| the difference in level as feeO between the lakes
and a dreIgcd canal 1900 feet long enters deep
| water in Lake Washington
! thus there Will be three fresh water areas where
| sblps can lie at anchor undisturbcd 10y storm or
| tides Salmon bay will have thrts -hve acres OF
| wster NOR. than twenty-five feet deep. with an
! additional area OF l6J acres which can be brought
| TO the same depth at moderate expense. Lake
Union will have $50 acres OF the same d"pth "h''h
| area can be largely increased. Lake washington
| contains more than 20" acres win an "'erdh'
depth OF over 200 feet. The first two alone nearly
| oorai the area OF the London docks. and can be
| made TO equal Ilverpoors. To the east Of Lake
| Washington separated by a high ridge OF lahd lies
| another frcsh-water lake. about seven ana one
| half miles long-Lake Samamsh. Tn" last survey
| included estimates for canal between these TWO
| lakes. should there be demand for the ad
| ditional space
| The idea OF the canal ls at least "a old rs the
| civ of Seattle It the dream OF the earliest
| pionecrs and has been hoped for aud constantly
| talked OF ever since The attention or the Govern
ment first directed 10 the scheHl" as Inc means
Of creating an unexcelcd naval station; for 1t was
| carly perceived that Puget Sound must one day be
| tho location Of extensive navy yards. In 49,
| General George y. Mcclellan made survey OF
| this country. and IN his report TO the War Depart
| ment strongly recommended the building of the
| canal for naval uses. Recommendations have
| since been made to Congress and to the depart
| menis by Major O. S. Elliott. General Il. $. Alex
| ander. Captain Charles r. Powell. General Nelson
| A. Miles and others. In 1870 General Alexander
| made "A careful study OF the project and sur
| veycd several possible routes. The report &c
| Maior-General \. a. Humphreys. chief OF en-
gnecrs calls attention TO the fact that there
| only three places the Pacific Coast Of th'
| United States where navy yards or navy estab
| ,Ishments may be located where they can be mad,
| secure. one OF these Is at San Francisco, one al