How Everett Got Its Harbor Money—by Telegrams and Western Nerve

Washington City, Aug. 26.—[Special.] The river and harbor bill having become a law by the failure of the president to veto it within ten days, all appropriations for Washington state stand as last published in the Post-Intelligencer. The report of the naval board and the endorsement of Secretary Herbert, secured at the personal solicitation of Senator Squire, were what clinched the Lake Washington appropriation. To be sure, the appropriation is a very small one, but it is a start, and as a well-known engineer said to me yesterday, “If the people really want the canal, let them provide the right-of-way as required in the act and the money to carry on the work will be provided fast enough. The navy department sees the value of it, and the estimates sent to the next congress will undoubtedly contain a strong recommendation for the continuation and rapid completion of this work.”

One of the most remarkable pieces of work done in connection with the river and harbor bill was the securing of an appropriation of $10,000 for the dredging of Everett harbor. Mr. J. T. Leovy, a representative of the Everett Land Company, was in Washington City for seven months working for the recognition of Everett’s claim to harbor improvement. In his labors he was fortunate in having not only the friendship and support of the entire Washington delegation, but also of such influential men as Senators Brice and Quay and Representative Lefever. When the movement for the Everett appropriation began it seemed an almost hopeless task. There was on file in the office of Gen. Casey, chief of engineers, a report from Capt. Thomas W. Symons, dated October 12, 1892, of a preliminary examination of Everett harbor, as a result of which the conclusion was reached that the mouth of the Snohomish was not worthy of improvement. All correspondence in the engineer’s office relating to Everett was then called for by Senator Squire by means of a senate resolution, and it was found that over a year later conditions in regard to commerce and other matters had so changed that Capt. Symons had considerably modified his opinion.

The house committee, however, could not be induced to insert an appropriation for this object, and when the bill went to the senate it met another stumbling block that had not been provided against. There was no estimate for the proposed improvement. It took some hard quiet work to get the war department to fix up this. A concurrent resolution, dated June 20, 1894, was passed through both houses “directing the secretary of war to cause a survey and estimate to be made of the cost of dredging the bar at Everett, Wash.” The survey was made, but time had flown and it was suddenly discovered that a report could not possibly reach Washington City before the senate would act on the bill. Then an unheard-of thing occurred. Mr. Leovy went to Secretary Lamont and asked him to have Capt. Symons telegraph his report immediately. The very breeziness of this Western way of rushing things nearly took Secretary Lamont off his feet. When he recovered he courteously but emphatically refused. Such a thing had never been heard of in the history of the war department. There was no precedent for it and it could not be done. “Nevertheless, notwithstanding,” to quote from Senator Vest, Mr. Lamont did what he was asked, and the very next day. Several senators visited him and he finally concluded to set a precedent for other secretaries to follow in the case of an emergency like this.

Capt. Symons’ report was telegraphed in brief, but it gave the information wanted by the senate, and before his full report had been received by mail the bill had passed the senate with a $25,000 amendment for Everett, and had gone to conference. The history of its reduction in the conference committee to $10,000 is already known to the Post-Intelligencer readers.

The plan proposed for a fresh water harbor at Everett is based on harbor plans and harbor lines approved by the secretary of war. It provides a harbor basin 100 feet wide, 5,300 feet long and 26 feet deep at mean lower low water adjacent to deep water of Port Gardner bay, also a fresh water inlet and navigable channel from head of harbor basin around peninsula to deep water in Snohomish river at head Old river; this to be 100 feet wide and six feet deep at mean lower low water. Also a pile and brush bulkhead from lower end Smith’s island to deep water interposed between harbor and inlet channel and the Sound. Material excavated is to be deposited behind bulkhead. Capt. Symons estimates 180,000 cubic yards dredging, at 13 cents, $23,400; 17,300 feet bulkhead, engineering and contingencies, $17,610; total estimate, $41,010.