The Canal Fight That Would Reshape Seattle

It is evident that the personal and political enemies of Senator Allen have selected his hearty support of the Lake Washington ship canal project as the point upon which to oppose his re-election. Hon. N. H. Owings, who is one of the most prominent of the little coterie who have declared war on Senator Allen, submits to an interview on this subject every few days. He denounces the proposed canal, denounces Senator Allen for his support of the proposition, and almost denounces Lake Washington for existing. His views are echoed and editorially indorsed by the Spokane Review, which has joined the Tacoma Ledger in its efforts to prevent the Lake Washington improvement.

In view of the attacks made by Mr. Owings and his newspaper allies upon Senator Allen, it is well to call attention to the memorial to congress adopted by the first legislature of the state of Washington. It is to be noted that this memorial, warmly approving the canal project and urging it upon congress, received the support of Senator Owings, who now exhausts the English language in his denunciations of the proposed improvement and of Senator Allen for his support of it. It is in order for Mr. Owings to explain in what respect the situation has changed so radically that he is justified in denouncing in 1892 that which he urged upon congress in 1889.

The memorial itself set out the case: that Seattle, a growing maritime port on Puget Sound, is bounded inland to the east by Lake Union, a body of fresh water one mile wide, three miles in length and from fifty to 300 feet in depth; that eastward of Lake Union lies Lake Washington, four miles wide and about thirty miles long; that south by south-east of Lake Washington lies Lake Samamish, nine miles in length; that the distance from tide water to Lake Union is about one mile, with a rise of sixteen feet; and that the construction of a ship canal connecting the three lakes with tide water would be a work easily accomplished.

The memorial argued that such a canal would lower the water margin of all the lakes, drain the overflow of centuries, prevent the back-water floods of winter, and reclaim a great area of country now worthless but capable of being made valuable agricultural land. Since a limitless supply of the best and most valuable timber lines the shore and covers the country surrounding the lakes, they would in all probability become great shipbuilding centers. The country contains iron and coal, the coal mines being now extensively worked, and the canal would give the lake country a water outlet for its products so that ships could load with coal at the very mouth of the mine.

This memorial passed the House December 10, 1889, by a vote of yeas 59, nays none, absent 11. The memorial passed the Senate December 11, 1889, by a vote of 30 yeas; absent or not voting: Drum, Kneeland, Snow, Thompson (G. T.), Wood. It came in the nature of instructions to Senator Allen which he could not honorably disregard.