The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-02
PUGET SOUND TRIBUTARIES
Greater Part - Year~ wevk De~e
% skagss nsver-Saas rronpsly
brskea Up-Deneaesal Results e
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 81 wers.

Special Dispatch to the Pess-Inseihxencer.
WASHINGTON. Aug l.-what mas been
done IN the past fiscal year with the money
appropriated By congress for the .mprove-
meni OK Puget sound and It's tributary
waters under which appropriation r. In
eiuded nothing but the xnAxgtng opera
fions-is set forth explicitly In the report
Of MI. =. H. Jefferson. master OF the snag-
beat. dated at Mount Vernon. July 10. He
says:
The snagboat has been kept AT work
steadily all OF the year. with the excep-
ton Of about one month. when she was
taken TO Seattle. hauled out and some
minor repairs made to the house and
bo1tr ard general oyerhauilng given the
machinery.
The greater part Of the years work was
done on the Skagit river. az usual. as II
Is the largest and most important river
district in every way. because there is
more need Of the snagboat's services on
u than on all the other rivers combined.
The bottom lands are more heavily TIM
bered and the banks appear 10 wash fas-
ter. thus putting more trees and drift
into the river. 1t needs constant attention
TO keep II free Of distractions and safe for
navigation.
mo unusually large foods have oc-
CURED this year. and consequently no
blocking Of the channel by drift at any
point. Many side jams however. formed
ut various points Of the river and have
been promptly broken up by the snagboat
before they grew to much Importance.
During the year several trips were
made to the Ssiilaguamish river and II was
kept clear Of distractions a. far as II ID
navigsble.
The 6nohomish river and Eby slough, q
tributary. were also visited. and about a
month devoted to clearing them Of snag
Instructions AZ far up as the head OF low
water navigation. The north fork Of the
6kagit, Hat slough and Swinomish slough
were visited In turn. and certain obstruc-
tons that had been reported to me were
dtsposed OF In those streams.
During the season Of low water last
winter anc spring. the channel Of the Ska
Git river was given q good cleaning as far
up a. low water navigation extends. and
during the season OF high water. which now
prevails, all operations are directed to-
ward trimming the banks and chopp.ng
overhangfng trees and those that are c;ose
TO the edge Of the bank. These treea es-
nerabie limbs. are much easier to handle
on the bank than they are after they have
fallen into the river and lodged at some
shoal place.
Experience has shown that shore
work ID very beneficial. especially as Il IL
done at times when other work cannot be
probably engaged In.
The benefits to navigation IN the last
year have been substantial, and evidently
satisfactory. Judging from the many COM
piimentary remarks from river men and
others In reference 10 the snagboat's
work. II the boat were out OF commission
enc year. the Gka1tt river alone would
soon become very dangerous to navigate.
and 20 many jams OF driftwood would
form that the steamboat men and settlers
also would cry for relief.
An attempt was made at two points on
the river below Mount Vernon 10 straight
en- the channel by cutting bitches across
narrow points of land SO that the water
would enter and eventually wash away the
points and straishten the river some. thus
In q measure stopping the rapid wash OF
the banks on the opposite sides As yet the
Hood waters have not been sufficiently high
TO accomplish much good.
Following ID summary OF operations