The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-09
ON A BIG SLIDE.
Court House Hill and Its Down.
ward Movement.
A s,x.EooT PIECE BREAKS OFF
The slide Is Getting Nearer All the
Time to the Foundations OF the
House OF Justice.

Regularly every year with the return of
spring comes the land slide on fesier
way between Sixth and Seventh avenues.
This year Is no exception TO the RUE, ana
the customary slide has commenced. Al
teady il Is endangering some OF the resi-
dence property on Seventh avenue, and
unless there is prompt action TO prevent
a recurrence of the trouble 1t Is only
question OF time ghen the court house
will become endangered. The pres
ent break is within 10 feet of the court
house grounds.
This trouble with the hill to the north
Of Yesler way is one OF long standing 1t
is about twenty years since the nrst at
tempt was made TO grade that street,
then known as Mil street. between sixth
and Seventh avenues The grade did not
stay cut for any length OF time. The fol-
lowing spring a large land slide from the
north followed. and the street was COM
pletely filed with earth for the distance
of iorg block and to q depth greater
than before any attempt had been made
at grading. The slide was OF such pro-
portions that standing trees Of good size
were carried into the middle Of the street
and still remained erect.
Subsequent grading Of the street and
removal OF the debris Of the first land slide
simply caused a further moving OF the
earth. James Parke at one time had a
residence on the west half or block 4 CT
c. c. Terry's addition. bounded by Yes
Ter way. Sixth avenue and the alley. Ills
grounds were handsomely laid out with
shrubbery. The caving away and land
slides which followed the last grading e
Yesier way left his grounds a perfect
wreck. carried away some of his outbgild-
tngs and endangered the house so much
that he rrudently moved 10 from OF the
dangerous lots to the south side OF Yes
her way. Since then the ground on which
The house formerly stood has caved away.
and slid down into the street Mr.. Parke
has Tow pending IN the superior court IN
action against the city OF Seattle for S. II:
damages. claiming that Tire land slides
were caused solely BY the grading OF Yes
Ter way.
The present slide has been threatened
all spEtng. but the actual eaving away
took place On Wednesday The western
portion Of the lot occupied By the dwelling
house OF Everett Smith broke sQ1artly
away directly adjoining the house 10 a
depth OF six feet, ard the Whole hillside
below. nearly ss feet in length. slid for
ward, the front edge covering the side
walk on the Dc-th side Of yezier way.
The next slide viii bring down the house.
At the last meeting OF the city council Mr.
Smith had presented a petition to tina,
body calling attention 10 the dangerous
condition Of the hillside below his resi-
cence, and praying the council to have
STEPS taken TO remedy the matter The
petition IS n the hands OF the street COM
rlittess 20 whom u vas referred.
The beard Of public works ard the stree.
committee % the city council visited thu
land slide on Wednesday. bat have as yet
decided On NJ course OF action Nothing
~sn probably bs 3cns nntn the council acts
upon Mr.. Smiths petition.
CITY Engineer Thomson saws the cause
- the land slides at this particular place
- that there Is 4 stratum there Of very
tenacious blue clay. which Il irrperyious
TO water. Above this the soil 81 conposef
90 gravel ant szz1. with a slight adrrzsx-
taTe OF clay. Through this upper stratum
thu water ps-coiates DEAN "a the hiaa
clay. and makes L AS slick as grease"
The pitch Of the stratum Of elee clay -
Substantially the sane as the slcr.e e,f tn.
hin Naturally, altar heavy rstrfaIls. tins
land slides foi2Qy. The remedy i simply
20 Fsit II a substantial tie drain G, srrfs-
Gent capacity In the ground above where
1, Is broken. ard AZ she Level Of the hire
clay Stratum Tbs vii carry CT an The
surface water from the hif above
TIE sans con55slc7 % affairs as exists
on yesler way formerly exsx,e. o., Nsnth
aveuEe south. rear the South school and
u Vas feared thai structure vas ezdxr-
ss1ed- Drainage en- the style outlined
above STOPPED tke st35sS q. ozcs. and zr-
rSrertfy for good
There = no Disgusting the fact that Il
t~s trresEsry Of TIC hf91 fyfzg soS.ta Asss