The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-27
WILL DAMAGE NO ONE
Effect of Lake Canal on Salmon
Bay Property.
A STREET WILL PARALLEL IT.
Lands Over fiow ed to ne Fiiied in and
Abupdans space Provided for
frame Beside It

Daniel Jones, the right-of-way agent for
the Joint committee on rght-of-way fer the
government canal. has been endeavoring
to obtain an estimate of the cost of right
of-way and the release to the govern
ment OF all damages to property accrrins
by reason of the submerged lands. He
reports that he has met with fair pro-
gress although many OF the lot holders
along the proposed route are scattered
over the country and 1t has required
some time to reach them. Nearly all
the individual lot holders living outside
of the state have evinced a disposition
to be generous and give up their hold
ings for reasonable consideration.
Mr.. Jones has recently taken up the
question of damages 70 submerged prop
erty along The right-of-way through the
raising of the level OF Salmon bay to
that Of Lake Union and he has been
confronted by two questions. namely:
What assurance will the property holders
be given that their land will be flied in
with excavated material: and. II the
right-of-way cuts off the exits of adj
Joining property. OF what value will the
property then be to the holders?
Mr.. Jores has had consultations with
Eugene RicKsecker the engineer for the
government who will be in local charge
of the work of building the canal. and
was soon in a position to assure tie
property holders that wasted earth Will
be applied to the filling in Of Submerged
lands and that portion of the canal
right-of-way will be set aside for street
and railway purposes. Mr.. Rieksecker
was seen yesterday concerning these mat
tiers and he said:
There seems to be some discussion at
this time regarding the question of DAM
ages to property by reason of the water
of Salmon bay being raised to and MAIN
tanned ON level with the water OF Lake
Union. With the exception of a few mills
at Ballard there are really no damages.
BY far the largest part OF the land to be
submerged is either marshy during half
the year or rendered so by a rising tide.
1T is probably not generally known
that ii is the intention of the engineers
to distribute the earth obtained from the
canal prism only On this submerged land.
raising 1t to such an elevation above
the water level OF the canal as to pro-
vide proper drainage thereof. Sufficient
material will be obtained from the prism
to fill and reclaim all submerged land
on both sides of the canal from Fremont
to the state harbor lines. From this point
towards the mouth of Salmon bay the
submerged land will be filled In, COM
mencing at the point most remote from
the canal, and improving towards the
harbor lines until the excavated earth
Is exhausted. 1t is estimated that this
improved land will extend almost to the
present high tide line In the vicinity OF
the head of Salmon bay. As to the ques-
ton OF damages to lot owners where the
canal right-ofway corresponds with the
front line of their lots and includes the
entire street, they have no case, for 1t
is not the purpose Of the government to
lock up its right-of-way and keep the
public off. 1t is provided that. strip
OF land between 60 and 10 feet wide on
each side of the canal extending from
Lake Union TO Salmon bay. and a mar
rover strip from Lake Union to Lake
Washington. all lying within the 300 feet
wide right-of-way asked for, can be util
lied by the public for sidewalk, road.
street and railway purposes. although
owned and controlled by the government,
Incidentally 1t might be said that with
the canal this land will be ultimately too
valuable for ordinary business purposes
and viii likely be cut up into slips and
basins where railways and commerce
meet. as has been done at intervals along
the Manchester canal"