The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-02

Admiral Phelps, Who Saved
Seattle From the Indians,
SUGGESTS AN INCREASE IN SIZE
President Semple Tells How the Water
way Company Will Meet His
Criticisms.

did when. as commander OF the slooIl-ot-
war Decatur he saved the infant city from
the attack Of the Indians, and when he
restored confidence in the future or the
city AT a time when the peoples hopes
were at the lowest ehb. He has been read
ing with close attention everything pub
lished about the filling Of the tide flats and
the digging OF the South canal. BY let
ter TO Ber.ah Brown, with whom he formed
a friendship during his visits 70 Seattle.
he calls attention 10 the proposed dinen-
sions Of the locks, and has thus been the
means Of bringing out additional p3rtfcu-
lars Of the plans Of the waterway company
to accommodate the largest ships afioat.
The admlraIs letter. which is dated
Concord, y. H, November Is, Is as fol-
lows:
Settles Wonderful Advantages.
I'm October. 1855. I found a small ham
let composed Of one sawmiIl and few frail
tanements, struggling for existence on the
shores Of Elliott bay. in imminent jeopardy
from an incprsion from united band OF
savage tribes. The exigeucies arising, nee
essary for its preservation, caused me to
become famia ar with the adjacent waters
and surrounding country. which rapidly
developed in my mind that here was the
proper site for the commercial emporium
of Northwestern America, and subsequent
observations have emphasized my earlier
impressions. Satisfied with its wonderful
tages-commercial. agricultural and
otherwise-and in a measure being one OF
its foster fathers, Seattle produced in me
an interest which has never tagged.
You will perhaps remember that l have
disinterestedy battled loyalty for her
supremacy against powerful enemies
Though unaware OF many minor encoun-
ters on both shores of the continent there
by creat ting a few friends and a host Of
bitter antagonists. Thus bearing in mind
h. farfs Of Ia
city. | trust you will credit me with not
being impertinent in calling attention TO,
&c seems TO me. an error of magnitude in
one of the grandest works projected in the
state of Washington and one in my judg-
ment which, If not eliminated, will here
after be prejudical to Seattle's prosperity.
Dimensions of the Locks.
your local journals inform me that
the dimensions of the proposed canal
10 unite the waters Of Lake Washington
and Elliott bay, via Duwamish flats, are
as follows. viz:
Rather less than four miles in length.
with bottom width of so feet and a depth
OF 30 feet. which. in my judgment. Will
render this water course fully adequate
for all demands now and hereafter; but
the lock is represented as 400 feet long. 80
feet wide and 80 fet deep. The last mention
ed is sufficient but the first two named will
fail i'm meeting the requirements of Seat
ties commercial, coal. lumber and other
interests.
Need of Large Locks.
''You VIII probably recollect that I was
ever an advocate for the location of the
navy yard on the shore of the lake-un-
fortunately it has gone elsewhere-but that
does not vitiate the value of that basin for
a depository for the nations steel cruisers
when not in commission. and their being
there would naturally introduce other gov
eminent interests. If not in time another
naval station. Consequently, an easy adj
mission of our warships of all classes
should be available. The largest line-of-
battle ships of the future WI probably
never exceed $40 feet in length. by 20 or
- feet beam. and a draft not exceeding q
feet whereas the merchant steamers will
approximate 600 i'm longitudinal dimensions.
by a width of 20 or * feet and depth OF
perhaps y or % feet. Now, are not the
probabilities apparent that when Seattle
shall occupy many more miles of territory
than at present with perhaps two or more
leagues Of lake front and A population num-
herring hundreds Of thousands of enterpris
ing beings. the worlds trade viii render
imperative the introduction of the largest
vessels in this inland sea, more than
twenty-five miles in extent. with her shores
dotted with fiourishing towns?
The enlargement of the lock twenty or
forty years hence would he difficult and Of
great expense whereas. at present the
former would be no more than the work
proposed and the latter not. excessive. but
enhancing the value and importance of the
canal A thousahdfold, and rendering this
gateway Of sufficient capacity 70 meet the
needs Of an ever-inCreasing business for
generations TO come.
Scattie's Growing Needs.
1.-THE errors Of the past In permanent
works Of this nature. in not foreseeing the
requirements Of the future. should be
avoided. and with this end in view. ! would
suggest that the proposed lock approxi-
mate at least the following Dimensions.
viz: Length. GO feet, width so feet and
depth so feet with an intermediate gate
located 40 feet from the hay entrance 10
accommodate vessels Of moderate length
Tn order ~ avoid handling the amount Of
water required for larger vessels. This
appears to me 50 be # serious Importance
20 the projectors Of the canal. and 70 avoid.
II possible. former unfortunate misconcep-
lions Of postericr demands. I SIN induced TO
OFFER the foregoing for what II may be
worth. trusting however that the lock
when completed may he Of sufficient ca
Y9City 70 meet now and hereafter the re-
Quirements of Soattle's commerce. the IA
cnitics 10 meet which. in 1895. VIII he seri-
ouslv wanting i'm essential conditions when
Chilled upon 20 meet the commercial re-
Qui~Cments u ten or twenty wears hence"
Mr. Brown Forwarded this letter u Hon
Eugene Semple president ~ the Seattle
ana Lake Washington Waterway Com
PAW. who replied on November .. as fol-
lows:
Waterway COmpany's Plans.
Il have just finished reading the very
Interesting letter from Rear Admiral
Phelps Of the United Statcs navy. 70
Yourself wherein ne calls attention 70 the
insumcleuey. AS he thinks. of the lock pro-