Seattle Bet Everything on a Ship Canal—and the Clock Was Running Out

The connection of Lake Washington with tide water on Puget Sound by a ship canal has been the dream of every inhabitant of Seattle from the earliest times until the present day. They talked of it in the first log cabin, discussed it in the hamlet, wrote it up in the village, began work on it in the town, and are unalterably determined as a city to carry the enterprise through in some way. Governors and senators have been elected on that issue, and never for a year, a month, a week, a day, an hour or a minute has any citizen of Seattle stated his determination to win, or doubted that he would ultimately win. It has become a watchword which every heart in Seattle echoes and outranks every other minor sentiment.

At last, after a persistent agitation for forty years, a board of United States engineers, consisting of Col. G. H. Mendell, Maj. T. H. Handbury and Capt. Thomas W. Symons, was appointed and instructed to make a survey into the whole subject matter. That board made a favorable report, and upon its recommendation an appropriation was made by Congress for a survey.

The reason for the southern route having been more generally considered was that there was much more work required to excavate, and consequently the cost would be so much greater. Now, however, that the ownership of the tide lands is settled, the earth taken from the canal can be utilized on the tide end and the expense recovered by a compensatory gain.

The opportunity now will soon fade away. The state desires to sell the lands, and already applications are being made. They will be cut up into lots and blocks, and combined action, such as is now feasible, will become impossible.

The old-time public spirit still grows in Seattle. In two short days nearly $50,000 was collected toward building the canal. The citizens are determined to carry out the Seattle idea of “dig the canal, and dig it first.”