The Adjustable Ferry That Never Needed a Dock
A bold new invention proposed for the Tacoma waterfront promised to eliminate expensive landings by using adjustable decks to handle any tide.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Denison Ferry & Transportation company, with a capital stock of $500,000, is a new corporation formed in Tacoma to build and operate car ferries and railways. The company is organized around a new car ferry invention by Dr. James R. Denison, constructed with an adjustable deck so it can be operated at any tide without pontoons or movable landings. The deck is adjusted by huge screws operated by machinery. Dr. Denison claims that with the invention, it will be possible to do away with the expensive landings now required, as only rails laid to the edge of the deck would be needed to shift cars. He expects this economy to allow the company to cover the Sound with ferries, putting all waterfront mills in direct touch with railways without excessive switching charges. Ferries can be built of any size to carry from one car to a whole train.
“It will be possible to do away with the expensive landings now required for car ferries and all that will be needed will be rails laid to the edge of the deck.”
Denison's vision of an ultra-flexible waterfront connection highlights the constant struggle Tacoma has faced to bridge the gap between industrial rail and marine logistics. While his specific screw-jack mechanism never revolutionized the industry, the city’s ongoing debate over the 'Thea Foss Waterway' and modern industrial development shows that the dream of efficient, low-cost freight movement remains a central civic obsession.
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