Naval Officers Advocate for a Fresh-Water Canal
High-ranking officers from the USS Mohican argue that a ship canal connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington would provide a vital, secure fresh-water anchorage for the U.S. Navy.
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Naval commanders stationed in Puget Sound are highly interested in the proposal of cutting a ship canal from Puget Sound to Lake Washington. They emphasize the tactical benefit of having a fresh-water harbor where ships could clean their hulls and lie in safety. Captain Clark of the USS Mohican noted that fresh-water basins would be of inestimable value to the region’s defense. He argued that foreign navies—like the Chilean fleet—could easily run past shore batteries at the entrance to the Sound, but would be intimidated by the presence of ironclads based in a protected harbor. Lieutenant A. V. Wadhams echoed these sentiments, suggesting that as Seattle grows into a center of commercial importance, such a harbor would attract captains and shipowners who prefer the natural cleaning properties of fresh water.
“There is the navy yard at Port Orchard. It will grow and be enlarged, and ships after being repaired could lie in the fresh water while awaiting commission.”
The dream of a deep-water canal connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington was realized in 1917 with the Ballard Locks. Today, the Lake Washington Ship Canal remains a central piece of Seattle’s infrastructure, though it is now primarily used for recreational and commercial vessel transit rather than naval defense.
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