The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03


srr-sersons x.vsn CT March $. and occupied
about two months. as he had 70 survey
The country east g Fremont from re be-
stursrx ard he rsst % Ross addition was
haSfy vaussssa. Tae fad Sork vas CON-
pFerrd On May = and sIr. RIckSseker's
preliminary report sent % Capt. Sy1no1s
On Juue :. The preparation Of ne r7aps
occurred Two more months and they were
Sent n = sheets. bound n = volume. %
Capt. synous on August L. o. tness
sheets Il showed the survey fn sections
and tns ether was Al index map drawn %
scale q tea feet % one tncn-
Securing the RiSht-of-vay.
The survey having been approved by
CAPT. syuous and The var degartTz7e Tlt,
re eountv c0mns5 sssc1ers On October -.
1sa5. II response 20 petition 1a1Ier5essy
signed n The city. ard adopted by 2 mass
meeting o. CITIZENS ~ ballard he'd on ths
previous evening. decided 70 condemn the
r{ggt-of-v-ay and Levy special tax C hat
a r..I 20 pzy for &. This step net witn
ssr14 oaposs ton. for on December l.
Thomas and Anne Lancey and Emma Tnr-
rs- uetsrscns1 the superior court 10 cancel
The .evv ard RESTRAIN IS collection. The
suit vas dismissed BY Judge Langley on
January a. 1895 ard on June IS the su-
urerne court confirmed this decision and
declared the law under which the levy had
been made 70 Re cousts TIT sonai. On March
i a suit for condemnation Of right-of-way
had been begun h the name OF King coun-
" aEaf-st TIE state, the cites OF Seattle
and Ballard and so corporate and indi-
vidual owners q property on the route.
and on July y q special jury was drawn
70 try these cases. The hearing OF this
case was 70 have begun on November II,
but r. ti7s request OF Prosecuting Attor-
ney Haste * was continued 70 December
II. despite the protests OF the committee
of the chamber. In making the tax levy
OF the year 1896. the county commissioners
provided another levy OF half a mill for
the canal. which viii Yield 81 SIS. that Of
1895 having been S2Z.ll2. IL is the .nten-
ton OF the commissioners 10 pay for the
rzhf-of-way in warrants issued against
this fund and TO redeem them by means
OF a series OF moderate annual levies, IN
order 10 avoid making the tax any greater
burden on the community than necessary.
The cost of the r.ght-of-way between Sal
mon bay and Lake Union has been APP
praised by a number OF real estate men IN
order that tney may testify in the con-
demnatson suit and they estimate the cost
for TINS section at about sis5.0oo.
The plan of Construction.
The or ginsl plan OF the canal. as pre-
uared by Mr. Eastw.ck, contemplated a
prism 2s feet deep. 80 feet wide at the bot
tom, and las feet on the surface for 200
feet through the ridge between Union bay
and Lake Union, the greatest elevation
being ~ feet above the latter body Of wa
ter The dimensions will be the same be-
tween Lake Union and the head OF Sal
man BAY a distance OF 600 feet. OF which
the upper end IS only a few feet above
Lake Union. A dam was to be built at the
mouth of Salmon bay with lock 400 feet
long and 80 feet wide, and provision for
two more This dam would retain the
~ "a 1ax-a nd
preserve 4 sufficient depth OF water in the
channel. which IS 10 be dredged through
the middle Of the bay, as provided IN the
plan OF harbor Ines and waterways
adopted by the state land commissioners.
Tbs channel viii be 500 feet wide at the
bottom az the mouth OF that bay and 200
feet vide at the bottom through the bay
and through the shoals OF Lake Union and
Union bay. II was afterwards deemed
better TO raise the level of Salmon bay
permanently 10 that OF Lake Union and
thus a large area OF land at the head OF
Salmon hay and on the south side OF the
canal near Fremont VII be submerged.
The ma teTial exo2vated from the canal
VIII be used In filing this flooded area
and Is expected 10 be sufficient az least for
the whole distance from Fremont TO the
harbor lines al the head of Salmon bay,
and probably further along the shores.
THIS viii be so great benefit as to Offset
any claims for Gamag es. Nor VIII any
claims for damages due TO the closing OK
streets along the rlght-of-way hold good,
for the strip OF 800 feet 10 be condemned
viii leave a space of 60 or 20 feet on each
side of the canal for a roadway, railroads
and sidewalks. which may be ultimately
occupied by wharves and slips.
Shortening the Route.
The route as surveyed was somewhat
changed in the definite location made by
Mr. Ricksecker and the latter provided for
details not considered by Mr.. EasJwiek.
lie provided alternative tracks for the
Great Northern and Seattle & Internatlon-
al railroads where their roadbed s on
ground 10 be taken FOR the canal. and
moved the route OF the latter to the north
east for l. 700 feet near Ross, 80 that 4 Will
cross the canal by a Big skew draw and
SWING eastward onto the canal right-of-
way. lie also changed the line from Sal
man pay 10 Lake Union so that It is
stra .ght instead of curved and is 400 feet
shorter than at hrst proposed, moved the
line 100 feet further south near Fremont,
thus avoiding damage 10 the Fremont
MIL though cutting through the SITE of
H.bbard & Norton's tannery. From this
point the canal enters 90 feet OF water In
Lake Union, a body Of water having an
area OF sos acres. greater than the COM
bined area or the great docks at Liverpool.
and forming an ideal basin.
The whole length OF the canal from salt
water OF the Sound to deep water in Lake
Washington would be 1850 feet by this
route and the material 10 be excavated
would be $500 600 cubic yards. including
about a mile OF hard earth west OF Lake
Union. The difference between extreme
high and low tide in the Sound IS II feet:
between extreme high tide and the mean
level az Lake Union seven feet: between
Lake Cnion's mean summer level ard the
mean summer level OF Lake Washington,
nine feet.
To Cut Through smiths Cove.
A further change In the route was IN
augurated on March u by the letting OF a
contract from the state 20 ". F. HAYS
and Frank shay 20 excavate the water
way ia Smiths cove. laid out BY the state
land commissioners, and 70 fiji with the
eNcsvarcd material so acres Of t.deland IN
che northern part OF tho city. the esti-
mated cost being s.. 0oo, 90. Before approv-
Snz the contract. Gov. McGraw added a
condition that the company should also
cut channel 20 connect this waterway
with Salmon bay and deliver the COM
paeeed work 70 the government free Of
cost. This provided Tor waterway 400
feet wide from Seattle har6or 10 salmon
bay. where Il viii connect with the canal
The hrst piles for the bulk heading on this
vr0tk were driven on May 4. being an
earnest OF performance of the contract.
Il beng an obvious advantage 10 have
thu entrance 80 TIRE canal ia the hartsor Of
Seattle. Il was recommended TO the secre-
fary OF war thar the route should Re
changed . Incorporate tae Smiths eovs
waterway rs a Eart OF TIE canal with a
dan and Jock at tts mouth II was sug-
gesyed that the mouth Of Salmon bay
Should he damned w.rhou; a lock. so as 20
"a So char inlet 20 the level al sla VT-g4u