The Dredge That Built a Dyke — and Then Went to Dig Seattle's Ship Canal
At La Conner a 200-horsepower suction dredge finished carving Swinomish Slough, pumping mud a thousand yards to wall off the tide. Next week the Anaconda leaves for Seattle and the south canal.
LA CONNER, June 1. — Special. — The Bowers Dredging Company has just completed its second government contract for dredging Swinomish slough at La Conner. The work has been very faithfully performed under the direction of Government Engineers Savatre and Carpenter. The dredger used here is a powerful pump with revolving knives or scrapers driven by engines of 200 horse-power. The scrapers loosen the earth, the suction pump draws it up and forces it through pipes a distance of 1,000 yards, depositing it on the bank, thus making an excellent dyke to protect the farms bordering on Swinomish slough from high tides. This dredger, the Anaconda, will leave the first part of next week for Seattle to begin work upon the south canal. It is very fortunate that such powerful machinery is available for such a gigantic undertaking as the south canal will be.
The farmers of Skagit county have great reason to feel encouraged. The crops never looked better than they do this year. The acreage has been greatly increased and the season so far has been simply perfect. Bountiful rains have removed every doubt of a full yield.
“It is very fortunate that such powerful machinery is available for such a gigantic undertaking as the south canal will be.”
Swinomish Slough is still dredged today to keep the channel open for boats, and the spoil still goes onto the flats — this item is the first shovel of that century-long maintenance bill. The Anaconda's next job, the 'south canal,' became the Lake Washington Ship Canal, the cut that decided where Seattle's neighborhoods and bridges would sit. Then as now, public dredging money was the quiet engine of a waterfront's real estate.
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