The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-09

Q<t3&<0xsA4
ssnbexxiement II II obtaining money
fsom the pubsc under faise presenseA
-
TEE s0Urn CANAL ESrKRFnssE-
The presence IN the city Of the party
OF ct Louis gentlemen who are fnter-
ested IN the south canal nom Puget
Sound TO Lake Washington has natur-
aliy attracted renewed public attention
to that enterprise ana TO the allied
work OF fiiling IN the tide lands 1t the
head Of the bay. 50 as to make Them
available Tor building purposes, and os
excayafing the waterways. by which
the water frontage Of the city wIl1 be
largely Increased.
The approaching execution OF this en-
terprtse, which viii involve an a8gre-
gate expenditure of $500. 900. wfll b
the coasunmation Of . work which
owes 1T inception TO Ex-Gov- Eugene
Gempie While that gentleman was
member OF the state harbor line conn
'anission. he became interested In the
problem Of making the tide lands avail
able for trade and commerce, straight
essing and deepening the tortnous chan
neis OF the Duwamfsh river through
that area and at the same dine opening
the great fresh water harbor OF Lake
Washington 20 ocean chipping He per-
ceivcd that IN order to be made useful
a. reasonable cost. the tide lands must
be filled IN and thai. too. IN one block.
not In isolated sections by individual
owners. He also perceived that a great
quantity Of earth must be borrowed
from some other place for this purpose
He then conceived the plan OF having
this work done by contract from the
state. the cost being secured by q lien
on the filled land. and OF securing the
necessary earth by excavating water
way In a direct line across the city to
Lake Washington. cutting through Bea-
con hill and the heights fronting on the
lake. BY combining the two undertake
inss Of filing the tide fats and excayat-
ing the ship canal. ne calculated that
the latter would furnish the material
for the former
Gov. Semple then secured the passage
by the legislature OF 1893 of q law en-
p0wering the state commissioner OF
public lands. with the approval Of the
governor. to make contracts for tn
filling OF tide flats and excavation OF
waterways under the conditions de-
scribed. He fought q test case through
the courts which established the valid
ity Of the law and then secured q re-
port from Capt Thomas w. Symons,
the engineer OF the United States army,
prunouncing the plan to be feasible.
and with the Endorsement OF four-fifths
of those who had the preference right
to purcase tide lands. he last October
procured the contract from the state to
make the Improvement.
Having carefully and persistently
covered all the ground preliminary to the
actual work and having obtained the
contract. which he had In the mean
time transferred to the Seattle & Lake
Washington Waterway Company. Gov.
6emple next proceedei to secure the
large amount Of capital needed to carry
out the contract. After a successful
preliminary Journey East, he went
again in company with Messrs. Durie
and Hale, also officers OF the company,
last November. and the presence In the
city of so large number of men Of
great wealth and high standing in st.
Louis Is practical evidence OF the sue
cess OF this last expedition. The.r CON-
ing and the energy with which they
have taken up an enterprise OF such
magnitude Is tie best possible proof of
the good staucc.1g Of Seattle among the
business men OF the Middle and Eastern
states.
With ths inauguration OF this great
work of harbor Improvement, which un-
der the contract Is TO begin on March /,
brighter era win dawn, not only for
Seattle. but for the neigfboring cities
and for the whole Puget Sound country.
for its good effects cannot but extend
over a wider area than the Immediate
scene of operation. Its completion will
provide our hilly city with an ideal
area for manufactures. warehouses and
other enterprises which need a large
level space adjacent to means OF trans
portatipn hy rail and water; IL will open
To ocsSan-going SHIPS the Duwaznish wa
terways and the great fresh water har-
Dor of Lake Washington and viii con-
duct along the whole existing line Of
whafves a stream OF fresh water which
viii check the ravagss of the tersfo. Il
will furnish abundant RON for railroad
ternAr--.s. 50 that all roads. present and
future. can have all the facilities they
require. Il VIII put Seattle In the front
rank AMONG me great posvs OF the
United sizes and among manufacture
ing cities.
Our visitors from ST. Louis are VEL
come for their own sakes as well as for
the coed results expected from their
visit. and Il Is hoped that tlsey will bind
shetr city To Seattle by bonds OF mutual
interest which time will only Strengthen.
-
POLITICS AND THE FARMER.