The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-15

Written for The Tribune.
Probably the most interesting among
the public enterprises inauGurated at
Seattle since our former visit in 1892
are in the building of the ship canal
and the retaining of the "Tide-Flats"
"a marvellous engineering and indus
trial undertaking. 1t has been the FOND
hope and bright dream OF the people
Of Seattle for years that the govern
ment would connect Puget sound with
Lakes Union and Washington by ship
canal, thereby creating fresh water
harbor and thus eXcelling all other har-
bors in the world. This dream Is now
being fully realized and work on the
same Is being pushed to the uttermost.
night and day. This enterprise is the
greatest ever undertaken on the Pa
cific coast and ranks among the notable
events Of the century. 1t has attracted
scientific and maritime press all over
the world, eliciting encomiums on the
commercial facilities of Seattle and the
indomitable pluck of her citizens.
Imbibing the Seattle spirit, which is
no contagious. we became greatly inter-
ested In their pet scheme. 1t will ex-
cite an interest in every visitor who
thoroughly understands it and can ap-
preciate the incalculable benefit 1t will
be not only to Seattle and Puget sound
and the Pacific coast maritime trade.
but to oil America and the shipping
world generally. By invitation we We're
escorted over the route of the proposed
waterway and the unreclaimed tide
flats-a coordinate branch OF the ship
canal-by Robert Knipe, esq. one of
Seattle's prominent real-estate .men.
and the honorable members Of the
chamber of commerce, who. with eX-
Governor Eugene Semple, president of
the Seattle and Lake Washington
Waterway company, furnished us
memoranda which in substance we now
give our readers.
We witnessed, also, to our surprise
and admiration, the working of the
ponderous dredges, with their iron
teeth. tearing loose the mud from the
bottom of the waterway, which was in
turn elected from the end of the sepen-
tine pipe line from half mile To mile
long, I'm big black stream eighteen
inches in diameter. The sight of the
great machinery alone was inspiring.
We crossed the ridge through which
the great cut Is in progress and endeaN-
ored to realize what the visitor will be-
hold ut the completion of this mighty
engineering feat four years hence.
The Nature Ofthe Work.
This is virtually a private enterprise.
backed by the state. The Seattle and
Washington Waterway company Is the
contractor with the state OF Washing
ton. The plans provide, in shore. for
the excavation of the several water
ways. of which there are four; the I'LL
ing in of the tide fiates belonging to the
state, now practically worthless. COW
ering over 1000 acres, to a height of two
feet above high tide and the construct
ing of bulkheads and retaining walls
along the margins of all the waterways.
Or, in other words. the building Of 4
magnificent harbor full equipped<with
docks, and the digging of a.Ship canal
nearly four miles long. uniting the deep
waters Of Seattle Harbor and Lake
Washington, the work to be done ac-
cording to,the plans and plats OF the
state engineers, adopted by the war de-
partment OF the United States. which
has established pier head lines In their
waters and along the waterways OF the
canal The two largest waterway are
each over a mile long and are to be ex-
cavated 1000 feet wide and 70 Feet deep
at low tide. the canal itself to reach
depth OF thirty feet at dead low water
mark In the lake. which is sixteen feet
higher than the harbor.
There will be only one lock. four hum
dred feet In length and a width In the
clear of fifty feet. This lock VIII take
all commercial deep sea ships. that Will
eyer come to Puget sound and all SAIL
Ing vessels accompanied by tugs. 1t
will accommodate vessels of sixteen
feet draft at dead low water ana as
the tide rises. those Of thirty-six feet
and over will be able to enter or leave
the lock. The distance from the lake
to the sound tfrom fresh to salt water)
including the lock. Is about two miles
and the largest war vessel or merchant
ship can readily count on passing
through the entire canal in from one to
two hours. the rate of speed depending
on the size of the vessel. The total dis
tance from deep water in Elliott Bay
or Seattle harbor to deep water in Lake
Washington is 2O,7s5 feet, or nearly
four miles. This includes the present
waterways which are to be excavated
to depth of twenty-siX feet at low
tide. For filling the tide flats, sixteen
cents per cubic yard is allowed. The
total material to be removed and put
in place is thirty-six million cubic
yards. Just about enough required to
do the filling in Of the tide lands. The
total cost OF the undertaking will be
$7.000.000 Work was commenced July
~, 1895. with imposing ceremonies and
IS to be completed by July, 1901. 1t is
believed, however, that the canal will
be opened for traffic at least a year
earlier. The tide flats will be placed
upon tue iHNThet anu ullliZcu as SOOIl
as they are reclaimed.
Importance of the Enterprise.
The Importance, feasibility and i'm.
mense benefits of this ship canal enter
prise to Seattle and the nation at
large are clearly apparent upon inves-
tigatiOn. Here are some of the facts
as explained to us: Lying at the head
of Seattle harbor are some two thou
sand acres of tide flats. covered by from
one to twelve feet of water at high
tide. This large area adjoins the busi-
ness portion of the city, and in fact al
ready forms a portion of it. These
mats constitute the only level tract of
land within the city limits, excepting
the narrow strip along the present
water front which is now completely
covered with business houses. The
actual water front of Seattle is five
miles long and from two to eight railway
tracks extend the whole length of it,
The present wharf frontage available
for sea -going vessels is fully two miles
long. not counting the length of the
steps between the piers. which. If in
cluded, would more than double the
length. When the great waterway is
completed and these tide flats are filled
in. there will be 1880 acres OF new land
will be divided into 4G6 blocks some $50
feet square. the greater number being
600 feet by 1000 feet. while not q few
will be even greater in length acreage.