The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-08
Robertson Concern, Of Stella,
Wash. to Move to Seattle.
A SITE ALREADY CHOSEf
Work on the Construction Of a Ware
house. Chain Machine shops. Cook
HOuse and other Buildings ia BE
Bexun without Delay-One Large
Raft Sure and More will Like
~ BE Built the Coming NeAr.

ocean, has decided to erect q pant in Sc
attic and operate extensively in future
! from this port Capt II. T. Robertson. The
| paten;ee Of the raft and half owner In the
company. ard !. r. Kennedy, president &
/ the company. after looking about the Sound
| for a site, have finally given a decision in
| favor Of West Seattle believing il to be
the most advantageous point for the in
| siallaiion OF plant. Work VIII begin
without delay on a warehouse. dock and
| other buildings, and by next February ev-
| eTything Will be- in readiness TO begin the
actual work of building the raft
| For several years the Robertson Raft
| Company has been building RATS in Stella,
Wash, on the banks OF the Columbia river
and having them lowed 20 San Francisco,
where the company has monopoly in sup
| plying piles TO the Southern Pacific Rail-
| way Company and other corporations. This
method OF furnishing the market with piles
| and large timbers has revolutionized this
| particular branch Of business and made the
| company one Of the most solid in the West,
and the business Is but in its infancy. In
| the constantly growing Oriental and Ha-
waiian trade enjoyed by Seattle, the raft
| company sees an opportunity Of expanding
| It's field OF operations, with the result that
| before long an experiment may be made IN
| dispatching a raft 10 Honolulu or Japan.
| THIS Capt. Robertson says, is perfectly
| feasible and would be very profitable.
IL coming TO Seattle TO locate the com
| pany realized that Puget sound is the CEN
| ter Of the great lumber business of the
Northwest. and the natural point Of opera
| ton for such enterprise. Here there
are no exorbitant river towage charges and
| no dangerous bar to cross. In reaching the
| open sea. The big ocean steamers running
F, 10 San Francisco can take the raft On tow
! at the works and steam on out 20 the ocean
| and down 10 San Francisco. An unlimited
supply OF material can be secured at al
! times. and Iaw material for the m1nufae~
| ture of chains, which is an important part
| of the plant can he purchased as cheaply
| In Seattle as In any other city on the Pa
| cific coast.
| The site selected at West Seattle lies be-
| tween the ferry boat slip and the Novelty
| mill. and offers the finest advantages for
| operation. When the buildings are up ard
| every thing is in working order. the works
| viii make quite a thriving settlement al
| by themselves On an average twenty-five
| men will be employed the year round.
| which number viii he greatly augmented
| during building time.
II is the Intention OF the company TO butld
| fine tugboat 10 he used for towing pur-
! poses about the Sound and general work
| Offices VIII be maintained in this city and
| ali in al the company vii be n notable
! addition 10 the industries of the city.
Very few people have an idea OF the inn
| mers.ty Of these RATS. The first one 10 be
| built in this city will be larger than those
| now made by the company. II viii he
| s. feet long. fifty-five feet beam and thirty
| eight feet deep. IL will carry about SOC o1-l
| lineal feet OF piles. and II Is the intention
| III L m
| her, which IL is believed can be snccess-
| fully accomplished. The mode OF building
| is an interesting one First r cradle is
| built of prepared logs. Into this cradle
! the piles are placed unlil the raft IS formed
| When this IS accomplished the raft which
! has every appearance Of being a ships
! hui. is securely fastened with chains which
| weigh the enormous sum OF 10 tons.
| Standing aft. and looking along the length
| Of the raft, a person is apt to believe the
| RAFT to he Il solid mass Of iron When
| every ;hlng Is ready the cradle Is spread
ont and the raft ioated and ready to be.
,owed 10 sea.
The period during which f. IS safe TO
| tow these gigantic RATS IN the Pacific is
from June Is 10 September L. Then the
! ocean Is qaietest. and there Is less dang r
i at 'he raft parting from the tow.
! Capt Robertson has had ii decidedly up
! midtown carer In the raj, business. 1t
/ vas he who built tire famous Josgias raft.
watch NaS lost "a the Atlantic while be
ing lowed from Joggns. Nova Scotia. -
New York. II thc March numbor - the
+ strand magazju" a long account is given
of The 1jtempt - tow thiS famous raft ana
Us loss Afs-r tnl, 3ttempt the captain
met wien varying saccess. ANA in 1896 came
80 me Pacific coast wl}h Mcrv.r Darahfl-
/ ana formed a company "a operate an TIE
f1Ctfc His first attempt In ~cuJine a
raft from thr Column. "a To san Francisco.