The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-17
A DEEP WATERW Az.
FAVORABLE REPORT on BELLisS-
HAN BAY IMPROVEMENT.
Capf. Taylor Hrcons m~nas
wbasrom Greek waterway BE
pr~sx~a ne Cost OF S>o.eoo-
The Surveyor General Of Alaska

sseegsI Dsxrsseh 90 the Post-TEfsilg sncer
WASHINGTON. Oct. iz-Tae washing
.on sssexasscr which has heen trying ser
some tire 20 get congress % make spo6
resaud 11uropriation fer tire Improvement
Of Eell!nznam hay az Wrzteon. @il -
strongly reinforced AT the next session .
a favorahls report from tire chief OF e7l-
glneers OF the war department Ire last
congress authorized IN the river and har-
Der appropriation bin survsg q BsliiHs-
ham bay from deep water &C the Tno1tc
q whatcorn creek This survey was mads
hy Capt. Harry Taylor. ard Dis report,
which has been printed Ss aoGse aee~-
Enent expresses the opinion tfAE ne pre-
posed Improvement Is a worthy one ana
Justified BY the interests OF commerce m
VOWED. Capt. TayioT's views were een-
Cured II b. the division engineer. ~oi-
Charles r Sutsr. Capt Taylor STATES
tat the warfage facilities a. New wat
com for deep draft vessels are fairly good
for ,he business carried on D. them. me
estimated cost OF the necessary dredging
Is SO Co. and this amount the washington
delegation wlu endeavor TO have appropFi-
atso ID the next river and sar0or appfo-
priation bill.
Following Is Capt Taylor report % us
chief OF engineers II fulI;
Rave the honor &c submit the following
report OF a survey Of "Beliinghafn bay.
from deep water 20 the mouth OF What
com creek 81 New Wnatcom. WASH.
rsade In compliance with the river and
harbor act OF June I. iS9s ana assigned %
ms charge hy your letter Of sep'eHiSsf .
80.
BeIlinghan bay Is portion Of ne great
body Of water 10 which. as a whole the
name OF Puget sound IL generally applied.
II reaches 10 within hftsen miles % the
international boundary line. and u opens
oss into that portion Of Puget sound IN
which are situated the islands forming the
san Juan Archipelago. IL Is about ten
miles long from north 10 south arg I'VE
miles wide from east 20 west II mas an
average depth Of about ten fathoms. with
q maximum depth. according 20 the coast
Survey charts or twcuFy-slx fathcfns
the fact % its being generally sufficiently
shallow 70 allow anchorage, faVorabiy DIS
tfnruishes II from most OF the other har-
oors Of Puget sound.
New shatcom which Is situated near
ne northern end OF Bellingham bay Is the
largest city on Puget sound north OF seat
tie. and ss the main distributing point tor
a large part az the Islands constituting
San Jaan and leland counties and the
western part Of Skagit county. as Well as
quite ar important part Of the main land
surrounding the city
Imports by water are received from
other ports on Puget sound, principally IN
the ordinary type q stern-wheel boat. and
from san Francisco In both steamers ana
sail vessels Communication between
gellingham bay ports and the Islands 70
the west Il kept up BY steamboats, and
small sailing vessels
The wharfage facilities at New what
com for the deep draft vessels are fairly
good for the business carried on by them;
but the wharfage facilities for the smaller
class Of vessels. which carry a very I'M
porfaut part OF commerce. are very poor.
From the nature of the business carried
on by these smaller boats, its convenience
demands wharf room near the business
portion OF the city. Mud fats extend out
in front Of the city from the meander line
10 low water. distance OF 400 feet from
the low water line 20 che six-foot curve,
distance Of so feet, and from the siN-foot
curve 10 the tweIve-foot curve. z9o feet, or
a total distance from the meander line TO
me twelve-foot curve OF 3, 800 feet. Two
long wharves which were huilt out from
the shore line 20 the eighteen-foot curve
accommodated the vessels which found
business al New Whatcom for number
% years. but these wharves were very
costly 20 maintain and have been allowed