The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-27
NAY CHANGE HARBDR LINES
Property Owners Ask for a Revis-
ion of Present Boundaries.
LAND COMMISSION OBJECTS
AZ Secretary Alger's Direction =
Begins lnvessfRnt ton-l.txeiy Meet
inx In Captain Harry THSior's
manded The Boards Action.

maAded The Boards Action.
| A petition signed by more than dozen
| persons. firms and corporations owning
property along the states harhor area
| ard directed to the secretary OF war. re-
guessing him TO modify and fix the ex-
is;ing Seattle harsor Ines. was the basis
for meeting held in this city yesterday
afternoon OF board Of United States
engineers. The meeting was held n the
office Of Capt. Harry Taylor who with
Capt W. l.. Fiske and Lieut.. c. L. Pot
ter. both of Portland. constitute the board.
which met 10 investigate the matters con-
tanned in the petition. at the direction az
the secretary of war.
Representatives OF nearly AL or the Pc
tironers, Land Commissioner Bridges.
Secretary of State jenkins aud State SUI
perintendent +. j. Browne. the last two
ex-oiiicio members of the state board OK
land comm .ssioners. attended. the meet
ing. The question raised In the petition
OF the water front owners. affecting the
location OF the present harbor lines. WAS
discussed by the representatives Of the
petitioners and BY the members of the
state land commission. Early in the meet
ing Ii was made plain that the property
owners desire that the secretary of war
shall d,sestabIsh the present hafbor line.
which is the outer line OF the harbor area.
as established by the state board four
years ago. and drawing 1t toward the
shore, lay Il down much nearer 10 the
low-water line than at present.
Land Commissioner Bridges strenuousiy
objected. almost from the beginning Of
the meeting, TO consider any PROPOSE
ton which contemplates a change In the
existing harber area. A spirited debate
followed. but before the subject had been
thoroughly discussed the members Of the
state board withdrew from the meeting,
declining 10 recognize the Jurisdiction OF
the board and refusing to participate or
attend its deliberations.
seattle Commerce Involved.
| Without arriving at any definite con-
| clusion the board continued hearing ar
| guments and receiving testimony relating
| 10 the proposed changes in the harbor
| lines. In the afternoon the members OF
| the board examined a map which has
| been prepared. showing the changes WHICH
! the property owners request the depart
| men. 10 make. shortly before O'clock
| the board went into executive session TO
discuss the issues raised. No definite con-
clusion was reached and the hoard adj
/ journed 10 give the matter further ,con-.
tasfa Of sh.. ho. a
when completed. will be forwarded to Sec
reiary Alger for approval
Il vital point affecting the commerce of
Seattle is ra.sed in the petition and in
the action taken by. the board yesterday.
I Another question, involving the power OF
the state land commission to govern bv
regulations the conduct or business over
the wharvss OF Seattle and to Tx the
rates To- be- charged for wharfage Ia
brought into prominence In the confioy-
ersy. The state land commission has
taken an attitude of resistance against all
proposed changes. The property owners
declare that the existing harbor lines es-
tabl shed by the state land commission
on July 5. 1894 and approved November
Il by Acting Secretary OF War Joseph -.
Doe, constitute serious Constructions 10 the
rapidly widening commerce of the Queen
City. The ssue thus raised has IN effect
! been placed before the secretary OF var
for his adjudication. ard for the pufpo@s
OF acquiring Information concerning the
| equities involved. the board Of engineers
was directed to sit In this city and take
testimony in The premises.
The board OF engineers met yesterday
morning at 1880 O'Clock. Besides the
members Of the state land comrniss.o on.
there were present representatives. OF
various water front owners. Including c.
J. Smith general manager OF The Pa
- s-s4sra .Fxwr-
Tacoma. counsel for the Northern Pacific
Railway Company: Judge Thomas Burke.
|. counsel for the Grfas Northern: Harold
! Preston, +. r. Asasworth. Lswreuee Col
man, George Don~orth. f.. +. Blaine and
others Upon opening Tie meeting, Cant.
F'iske, who Is chairman OF the board
read petition addrs ssed 70 the secretary
OF war, signed by the following property
owners: James NJ Coimsn, the CONNER
cisl Company. :he Seattle Hardware Com
pany. DAVID Gilmore. the kirkman es-
/ tate. Amos Brown th~ elise Investment
Company. Eliza 8. Starr, Jacob Furth.
Charles Hopkins. Columbia Il Puget Sound
Railroad Company. George Kinnear. J.
| h. G. lockwood. as trustee for Allen a
Nelson Land Company: the Seattle Dry
dock and shipbuiidirg Company. the Cen
tennial NIL Company. John Sourry and
the Grfat Northern Railway Company.
Reasons for the Change.
The petition ~ az follows:
We. the undersigned Owners Of
waarves docks and other water front
property in tn. city of Seattle respect fnlig
Request that under the powers conferred
apon you by congress you Will. at IS early
date a. may he convenient ax modify
and yeadissxf the harbor lines in the har-
Dor OF the city OF Seattle. ugspn Puget
/ Sound. The reasons upon which this an
plicatten ia based are az follows.
'sTne foreign and domestic commerce. NJ
! the cify of Seattle - now very large fa-
exceeding both In value and tonnage the
commerce Of any other por; o., p,,ga,
+, Sound and ia now growing more rapidly
I than ever before.
In order successfully 10 handle the s,
eTnaSiDE Sea going commerce 81 fhfz effy
additional extensive ard costly lrrr,ro.@
fnengs 81 the form Of snagvss decks and
warehouses along the c1fy Water frr.s.,
/ must soon be provided. And this in t,,rn
calls for the establishment under fha an
taorifg OF the government of ha~sns
line IN Seattle harSor fixing clearly snd
definitely the outward Hniss 10 vhgsh i'm
provernerts nay h. carrss. and beyond
which no improvements r1ay be hereaf.er
extended.
Finder The laws 81 the state 81 wash
sngfD0 tire state authorities haze stteyars.~
81 20 establish hsrfor Hnes IN fsoYts n tfe
IS