The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-01


deep water. and at other times apparently
on the theory Of squatters rights
All the different interests of indivfduaiS
were represented by attorneys Who APP
peared before the convention and its COM
misrees to press the claims OF their re-
spective clients and the state was repre-
sented by some Of the ablest men In tho
convention. The result OF the great strug-
Sse was that the convention. by article
XVII OF the constitution. asserted Its
'"ovnership to the beds and shores OF all
navtgable waters In the state. up to and
Including the line OF ordinary high tide.
in waters where the tide Gibbs and nowA
ana I'd TO and including the line OF ordin-
arv high water within the banks OF AL
uayigabls rivers and lakes.
Tho convention also. by article XIV OK
the constitution, declared In favor OF state
control Of the water fronts OF all the cities
and towns fronting on navtsaole wafer.
In pursuance Of these two articles the
legislature OF 1850 passed laws for the Gre
alton OF q board Of tide land commits
aoners and q board OF harbor line COM
missioners. whose duties were to execute
the provisions % the constitution above
referred to.
M,,ch litigation resulted but in the fnal
hearings the higher courts held uniformly
In favor of the contention OF the state. SO
that all the various questions involved IN
the suits are now res adjudicata, and titles
emanating from the state are unimpeach-
able.
The tide lands are divided into TWO
classes: first those in front or incorpor-
ated cities and towns and for two miles
on each side thereof. and second all other
tide lands. A local board of appraisers
was appointed In each county fronting on
tide water. whose duty 1t was to plat and
appraise the states tide lands. At Sc
attic this was excellently done. ana VIII
be seen by glancing at any recent city
man The tide lands In front or Seattle
were covered, to some extent, by buildings
erected on piles, and the question or nil-
ing them was q serious one until ex-Gov.
Eugene Semple. who as MEMBER OK the
first harbor Zine commission had given very
much thought to the subject. conceived the
idea of excavating the conventional water
wavs and the Lake Washington canal. US
ing the material obtained from the cuts
to create an embankment above nigh Tue
In pursuance of this idea Mr.. Senple
prepared bill which was passed into
law by the legislature OF 1893. providing
for the excavation Of waterways by pri-
vate contract Under this law he entered
into several contracts with the state for
and afterward transferred these contracts
tn the Seattle and Lake Washington Wa
terwav Company which formally inaug-
urated its work July g. 1885 The progress
Of the work done by this company Is
shown by the report of its president 10 the
commissioner OF pubic lands. published
with the report OF that officer for lSas,
from which the following facts are gath
cred:
In July. 1885, arrangements were made
with the Bowers Dredging Company FOR
carving on the work, and the enterprise
was formally inaugurated on july - by
placing the dredger Anaconda In position
and actually beginning the excavation or
the east waterway. as dehneated on the
state maps With the exception or tenn
porary stoppages due TO breaks OF MAJ
chinery and other unavoidable causes, the
Anaconda, reinforced by her consort, the
Python, continued in active service until
July. 1897 at which time the Bowers
Dredging Company went into the hands
of receiver. During these two years
more than s250,oo were expended and
large amount of work accomplished. The
cas-, waterway was excavated TO the re-
auired width and depth for distance or
3na feet. and l.7s4ooc yards OF material
deposited on the embankment. raising
nearly sevesity-five acres above high tide.
and making II available for all building
purposes.
A detached fill was made for the Cen
tenniaI Mil Company. upon which the
large Touring mill Of the company has
since been erected, and a slip made along
side thereof for the accommodation of
shins carrying the products of the mill.
Very particular surveys were made. both
OF the tide land and highland sections.
the latter having been gone over many
times at great expense. and a fine con-
tour map made thereof. by means OF which
the amount OF excavation and the amount
Of land required fer righi-of-way can be
exactly determined.
The work wcutd have been continued.
notwithstanding the endorsements of the
Bowers Dredging Company. but for the
fact that number OF tide land owners
refused TO take UP their obligations for
filing, and raised questions OF law in re-
gard 10 the tine Of interest payments
which necessatated a bait until the mat
tiers could be autnoritiveiy settled
This work Ia being executed in accord
ance with plans furnished ny MAJ. Thomas
w Synous. L. = engineer corps. who Is
the chief engineer ~ the company. Those
plans were approved - Cpl Menaazl. L. )
engineer corps. Gen. Crsishil. chief OF the
L. u engineer corps. Col Henry Fad
(Slnce deceased. DISTINGUISHED engineer
who served fer long time as a member
OF the T. :. Mississippi river c8uFntssi ~.
Ans who was sent oIt here by IRE MISS
StppJ Valley trust company. IL 81. LOUIS.
80 make . thorough iuyestlg sfion In It's
interest. pending aar negotiations for
funds TO b.gfn the WORK Tie plans have
also h%en formally approves. ard the work
authorizes 10 proceed by both the state
ard sHxssya! governments.
The scope % the pan in the excavation
q, swo waterways. each ore thousand feet
wide and tseGty-six feet deep below low
est low tide. a second waterway leaving
the EAST waterway at right angles AZ It's
soutaegn-aost point and running. three
hundred feet wtds and twensy-sIx feet
deep. due east TO the foot .. The halI ard
theme. ere hundred and forty feet viGa
ana thirty feet deep 20 Lake ~ aslIn gtass
TIE difference az level atroa. thirteen
fsct below sow wafer IN the lake and nlsa
iset IL re eagx = to - overcome px ga