The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-03
THE IDEAL HARBOR.
Seattle win Have it When the
Tide Lands Are Improved.
LAKE wAsnsscTon ADDED TO n
uow 70 u Pssvessd - Ysli ne rids
R1sts and Mig the south cassa
snd waterways.

rlsx WORK OF reciaimiag The tide lanes
II r.sss head OF Elliott bay and e1cavsi-
Gag he Lake Washington and Diwafla-
49, waterways, which The Seattle
T.,.ee washington Waterway Company
fgaa undertakes ard il about 10 begin.
vii be one OF the most extensive pieces
of pubic work done b. q pfiEate coz
pofafIon n iisAs state. aTid VIII ns sfe
11rst practical step towards making
sos!d land or the tide lands. 30 that they
xIHl have an immediate value " baiia-
sna. purposes. Among the advantages
claimed Tor this undertaking are that
she, fiflsng sn Of the tide Hats ard cx-
ssavatIsn OF the waterways dovetai TO-
retj,er the earth taken frofn one being
s,szsful to the ether. aud THAI the lake
waterway viii be pushed To coglapletspn
without any ssoppage or work
This work Is to be done under an act
OF the legislature passed tn 1888, which
aa1sh1rixes any person CT corporation
"a ngsierls,ke the hasing in or the TIDE
IsssaIs In fru9st OF any city. gives them
= first Hen on the lands they may MI
In ror flsf actual cost OF the work With
Il ,,er cersg. added and per cent. In
4nrsst until che Ben IS satisfied. The
aiestr attach whenever the waterways
or ANY parts capable Of separate use
IRE flrltshed. ard are to be a FIRST mort
gage, TO be discharged In ten equal an
raiai ssssfaThneats. and. In case Of. de-
faaif. may be foreciesed Ike any other
Lien. III the state does not. within one
yeaw after the liens aftaeh. sea the
banks subject 80 lien to the parties isiy-
1ng preference rights OF purchase. the
partaes fsslding the lieu WILL have a six
months option OF purchase under the
laws existing AZ that time The law
grants the company making the I'M
pruyenents right-of-way through any
state lands for the construction OF
v,atervavs. but otherwise IL osgy APP
plies 10 improvements on tide lands.
-Ts.,e law does not grant the iil1proyers
any other rights to take possession 81
fhe lands than those of purchase OF
f..eael sure described. The cost OF bulk
heass= and restraining works Ia TO be
INCLUDED in the cost Of filing s.butting
Tide lands. as also h the cost of Milling
atreets. The waterways running through
tissa lands are declared public water
ways. free To all citizens. but where
e<arv. the commissioner Of public lands
A. allowed In his discretion to author
sxc their construction ard to authorize
the builders TO operate them and to col
aect 4 reasonable toll for vessels pass
ing through them.
Acting under this iaw. Hon. Eugene
gensfsie, In the year 1898. made Tor
a,xal application for contract to Inn
prove Seattle harbor. and fought test
eese through the superior and supreme
courts. whlssh confirmed the validity OF
she law. He then joined with u. T..
Durte. Andrew Heinrich. Julius +. Hale.
George Fowler. Elisha p. Ferry and
Il. r. Sweeney in the organization OF
fhe Seattle q Lake Washington Water
way Company. with $3.eoo,00o capital
stock. 10 secure the contract for max
tnr the sn.prose ments In Seattle har-
Dor and to carry Ii out. This company
obsairssi an opinion from Capt. Thomas
w. syn,cns. United States engineer
rorps. on the practlcslhi.ity OF the work
fran IN engineering standpoint. It's. ex-
tent and the best nissthod or carrying
ii out. The waterways were located
By tho state land commissioners In ae-
esaslaface with his recommendations,
with provision for a waterway leading
eastward to high water line near the
head or the bay. Of which the canal
waterway through the Highlands To
Lake Washington Is an extension. as
a private enterprise not provided for In
the contract with the state. The earth
taken from 1t will. however. be useful
in tiiliug tho tide lands, So that the two
undertakings can be carried on stimuli
faneousiy.
The plan. "a outlined by Capt. Sy-
mons. TX 10 excavate the waterways
through the tide land TO a depth OF
swanty-xAx feet below tpw tidr aad
within fifty 10 100 feet of the huikhead
lines az each si.ie. and then to ill The
tide lands two feet above high water.
IN order to allow for drainage and
seweragess. The dirt. which will be
sxsavated by dresigcs. will be ,iepositci
behind hulkhaads. The canal water.
way. he recommends. should be thirty
feet deep and eighty feet wide on the
water prism. with side slopes of one -
one. and with a towpath en- eSaeh side
Tor railroad and ether purposes forty
feNt wide and forty feet above the bot
tom uf the canal Ii Is proposed IN
use ihe canal to drain OF the surplus
water brought IN 10 Lake Washington
by the Cedar and Sagss1anaish rivers.
and thus relieve The farmers Of those
Valleys az tle disastrous foods which
have grown worse year by year. As
thss VIII cause the depth and velocity
cf the water IN the canal Ia vary AK
aiaegysIt seasons. n Is proposed to con-
ntkuse slaEllwayw ana auxiliary channels
u carry of the surplus water. which
viii BE- used for rsoFyer purposes Capt.
SyhFefts rss>senrtends 3 slope OF ere 10
cne IN the seSstlous thraOssh BEACON
hin ard the hin overlooking Lake
Washington. which he believes are aseau-
posed ~ glacial drlfs and clay ara on
wlateh Sc dseS not anticipate any Gan
SIR ~ slides. with proper pgSsvisioyn for
drainage and slearsRg, de SUMS UP the
advantages of the work ~ be:
The cseattsya Of magnificent barber
at iew cssSt, capslse ~ indefinite sx-
s'a'tslor, where whaTves cen ee main
ssiiatSf frs<s from the terssio and readily
reached oy <yssl agst wagot; TIE re-
ss&9lsstiaa or the fl.tgS and creation az
EFsN values the cxsnSgrals.ttsss, az the
fsSNz Washington ship canal f,v which
sae lake Via b. added 10 the hawsssr
faesSSsscs ~ tsss city: eaac revival ~ h,ss-
RES In these si@gsTxssssss slsl,s.x. ~ s,,rl-
Gus interference with ths> existing Val.
ues 81 suss,resSa property, sisss h,.,ocsn, =
~ ffsssA water ~ the ttsl,t~sr vpa,arxas
u fsse Vsty. - their gt4aSs, henes7t; tho
ssiasssssfyiag of tire railroad situation, be
ssssksng every fxart ~ the deep water