Year: 1875

SOdis NdiiTOdOS anu 0nIp


Building.


SEATTLE, April 5, 1875,


Mr.. EDITOR Almost every day we
hear Of new coal mines being discover
ed and new companies are being organ
lied to work them, or at least some Of
them. Recent developments point to the
fact that Seattle lies just on the edge Of
a vast field Of coal, and that the natural
outlet to the sea. for the countless treas
ures locked up in our immediate vicini-
ty, is through this place. These facts
are becoming patent to every one at all
conversant with our locality and its
surroundings. In view of these facts.
how are we to avail ourselves Of the
great wealth stored up in such abund-
ance in opr very midst Easy enough.
First. bring a pressure to bear on the
Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad that
will compel them to finish the road to
the Cedar Mountain Mine. This they
can do easy enough if they try. Let
them sell their lands and from the pro-
ceeds provide the iron for the track
This can be done for the first 25 miles
for $4,000. using iron that will weigh
20 pounds per yard. 1t is true that
heavier rail would be better. but 20
pound rail will do. Even good strap
rail would do to carry 1000 tons day
for number of years to come. The
New York Central commenced on a
strap rail and run for quite a number
of years and did large business. T
iron was not useu on the entire length
of this road until the four companies
were consolidated, which was in 1874.
The Schenectady and Saratoga road
was run on strap rails as late as lS46.
with quite large trade in lumber and
stone. 1: is certainly within the means
of the company to build good road
that will answer the purpose Of getting
out this coal. If they cannot get heavy
T, let them get light. The Seattle Coal
Company are running ten ton engine
on sixteen pound rail. and they could
run thousand tons a day without any
material injury to their track for years
to come. This track has been down
some four years and no broken rails
from running yet. Such rails would
probably cost $4,000 per mile. or S45,-
600 for the frst fifteen miles. Then if
the railroad company could not put on
the rolling stock, the coal companies
would put on their own trains and run
their coaf without doubt. Then the
vexatiors delays at the mouth Of the
river in consequence of winds would be
numbered with the past. In order to
accommodate the business of the route.
as vel as the shipping. the road should
be built ont straight across the flats in
line with the point at jackson street to
deep water and well out in the bay with
pier. heads running ont SO that vessels
could load at each side Of them from a
track running out on the centre Of each
pier head. These piers should belong
to the coal companies and be kept up at
their expense. The reasons for leaving
the shore with the road and running
straight out are many. but principally
that the company may be able to fill up
their tresslework with an embankment
so as to have a permanent earthen way
from the shore out to whele the tracks
switch out to the different pier heads
where the transfers from the cars to the
ships can be made. If the road is built
down the shore this cannot be done,
because the road bed would not stand
unless filled in from the shore. On the
other hand, if built out from the shore
SO that the tides can come and 60 with
plenty of room each side Of the pier
heads, the strain on TIE embankment
would amount to nothing. II might be
found necessary to protect the outer or
western slope with stone. of which there
is an abundance ON the line of the road.
and that, too, within short distance
With these projects completed and all in
working order, the first step has been
taken to utilize and make these im-
meuse coal deposites subservient to our
prosperity. without which they are
comparatively worthless. Over this
road coal can be transported for three
mills a mile per ton cost. An engine
that will weigh eight tons willhaul over
this route, from the Renton mine, at
least five hundred tons per day OF ten
hours, and there is no doubt but that
amount of coal can be marketed. provi-
ded it can be got to market cheap. OF
course tho cheaper the coal the more
there will be consumed.


Let us see how this will pan out. 1t
is said that SO, 900 will finish the road
bed to the Benton Mine. except the
tresseling across the bay, which we will
call $l2, 600. finished for the rails. Here
We have SIS, 1000. II the same rail 10
used as the Seattle Company use it will
cost about SO. 600 per mile. or $54. 600
for the fifteen miles. There will be
wanted Two 8 ton engines, costing on
the rail some $1,000. In addition to
these there will be wanted 100 coal cars
Of the capacity Of I tons each. which
can be built in Seattle for 1920 apiece
$22, 600. Here We have an outlay Of
$99. 900. apd The road is ready TO move
$500 tons of coal psr day. but We must
be liberal and allow another thousand,
which makes us $4,000. Now take