Railroad War Erupts on the Seattle Waterfront

A sudden move of the Great Northern road on the Colman coal bunkers at the foot of Madison street last night was defeated by the caution of the Lake Shore people. The bunkers stand right across the Great Northern right-of-way. The track by which it enters the city runs directly under the eastward bent of the bunker trestle. The space underneath the next bent is occupied by the hydraulic elevator, on which is a piece of Lake Shore track. The Great Northern claims as part of its right-of-way the ground occupied by this elevator and sidetrack, and if its more westerly track ran southward it would run directly over this ground. Its officers were determined to have this ground and to remove the bunkers and Lake Shore track. Preparations were made to carry this plan into execution after dark. But the Lake Shore people were prewarned. About 7 o'clock they ran a train of flat and box cars on the disputed track and kept steam up. About 9:30, a Great Northern construction train arrived from Boulevard, well supplied with tools for destruction and a strong force of workmen. Finding the track occupied, they were forced to retreat back to Boulevard around 11:30 o'clock.