Traveling expenses, 3 men to and from Olympia, at $16 each

$48.00

Tools and material......

Hire of boat

75.00

25.00

The town of Olympia is situated near the head of Budd's Inlet. Between the lower wharves of the town and the low-water line of the inlet there is a distance of over three-quarters of a mile which at low water is a bare mud-flat. Through this are a number of crooked channels, the deepest of which shoals to less than 3 feet at low water. Owing to the windings of the channels and their shoalness, none but the smallest steamers can ascend to the town at low tide. Those drawing 24 feet and upwards are very frequently compelled to remain below the town until the tide rises-much to the discomfort of passengers and the detriment of the trade.

The town of Tumwater, at the head of the inlet and about 2 miles above Olympia, 18 accessible by steamers of light draught only when the water is above half-tide, and as there is no regular lines of steamers running there, and no occasion for them, there is no need of an extension of any harbor improvements from Olympia to that point at present. The limited business which is now done by water with the town of Tumwater finds adequate facilities with the present condition of channel.

An inspection of the Coast Survey chart of 1876 shows an extent of mud-flat of three-quarters of a mile to the low-tide line, and a further distance of three-eighths of a mile to the 6-foot curve of depth at low water.

It appears quite desirable that a channel of 6 feet depth at low water should be provided, so that ordinary light-draught vessels navigating the sound may at all times reach the wharves at Olympia, and that the existing deeper parts of the channel which are now to be found at the wharves on the west side of the town be enlarged and, if necessary, deepened so as to form a basin to accommodate deeper draught vessels which may be brought over the mud-flats at high tide.

A project for an improvement of the harbor and an estimate of its cost can only be made after a careful survey of the harbor. The need for an improvement is appar

ent.

The total business done with Olympia by the regular lines of steamers terminating for the year ending September 30, 1884, is estimated as follows:

Number of passengers
Tons of merchandise

32,000 8,500

Other steamers making occasional trips to the town add to these amounts quantities which cannot be reliably estimated. Among the exports of merchandise by steamers are hides, wool, furniture, sash, doors, and hops.

The population of Olympia is estimated at about 2,500. It is the capital of the Territory and the county seat of Thurston County. Its principal support is derived from the trade which it receives from the interior farming country and from points on Puget Sound.

The Olympia and Chehalis Valley Railroad, a narrow-gauge railroad, 14 miles long, traversing a good farming country, connects the town with the Northern Pacific Railroad at Tenino. Three other railroads, used exclusively for the transportation of saw logs terminate on the inlet above Olympia. About 17,000,000 feet of logs were

brought down during the last twelve months over these roads. These logs are made up into booms at Olympia and towed down the sound.

The town of Tumwater has a population of about 300. It is situated on the Des Chutes River where it empties into Budd's Inlet. The falls of the Des Chutes are located here. They have a fall of 82 feet, and at low water in the river the volume of water passing over the falls is estimated at 8,000 cubic feet per minute. This waterpower is used to drive the machinery of three grist-mills, two saw-mills, two sash and door factories, and one tannery. The present capacity of the grist-mills is about 200 barrels flour and 40 tons mill-feed daily, and that of the saw-mills 35,000 feet, B. M., daily. These manufactures are used at Olympia and in the interior, but little being at present shipped by water.

Connecting the town of Olympia and the west shore of Budd's Inlet is a pile bridge three-eighths of a mile long. A pivot-span has been placed at the east channel, having a clear opening of 36 feet on one side of the pivot-pier. The decay of the timbers of the pier has caused the bridge to settle, and it is with difficulty that it can be opened or closed. The pier is in such an unsafe condition that it is liable at any time to fall over against a passing vessel when the bridge is open. In its present condition the bridge is a serious impediment to the navigation. The principal need of the bridge opening is to pass tow-boats with their booms of logs. The bridge was built many years ago by funds raised by the inhabitants of Olympia, and subsequently turned over to the care of the town authorities, who are supposed to keep it in repair and attend the draw, but which they neglect to do properly.

A county bridge across the head of Budd's Inlet at the town of Tumwater, about 1,800 feet long, is built upon piles. It has a draw-opening of 40 feet in width. This bridge is now considered unsafe for the passage of teams, and its use has been abandoned except for foot passengers. The county authorities have no one stationed at the draw to open and close it, this work being left to those who desire to pass through. The result is that it seriously interferes with the free movement of log-booms, and in its present condition can be called a serious impediment to the navigation of the upper part of Budd's Inlet.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

To Capt. CHAS. F. POWELL,

Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.

PHILIP G. EASTWICK,
Assistant Engineer.

SURVEY OF OLYMPIA HARBOR, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Portland, Oreg., January 31, 1885.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of a survey of Olympia Harbor, Washington Territory, as provided for in the act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, and an estimate of the cost of works of improvement.

The survey, tracing of which is forwarded herewith, was made by Mr. von Geldern, assistant engineer.

Olympia, the capital of Washington Territory, is situated at the head of Budd's Inlet, upon both sides of it, but principally upon the eastern. The inlet at Olympia is about three-eighths of a mile wide, and at low tide consists only of a mud-flat, through which are a number of narrow and tortuous channels with a depth of water of less than 2 feet. Lowwater mark is at a distance of about 4,000 feet from the lower wharves of the town, and, owing to the shallow and tortuous nature of the channels referred to above, boats of even the lightest draught are compelled to remain below the town until the tide rises.

The plane of reference being extreme low water, higher low water is from 9 feet to 11 feet, and higher high water from 18 feet to 20 feet above that plane.

Tracing omitted.

The flat is composed of a blue silt overlaid to the depth of a foot or more with a hard crust containing gravel, marine shells, &c.

Piles are attacked by the Teredo navalis to a certain extent, but not so largely as at other Puget Sound points.

Budd's Inlet extends about 2 miles beyond Olympia to Tumwater, at the mouth of the Des Chutes River. It is navigable to this point for only the lightest-draught steamers and only at high tide. No improvement should be extended to that point at present; but the existence of a fall of 82 feet in the Des Chutes River at Tumwater, furnishing a large water power for present and future manufactures, and also the position of the Olympia and Chehalis Valley Railroad on the west side of the Inlet, furnishing a means of transportation of these manufactures to the steamboat wharves, are points to be considered in the location of any proposed improvement.

Connecting the town of Olympia with the west side of the Inlet and with the depot of Olympia and Chehalis Valley Railroad is a pile bridge, built in 1868, with a draw opening of 40 feet upon the Olympia side. This bridge has acted as an obstruction to the free outflow of the ebb tide, and the presence of the draw opening on the eastern end has drawn the tidal currents in that direction, deflecting them somewhat from their natural course down the western shore of the inlet, and causing a slight scour under the draw span and in front of the steamboat wharf. There is no navigation above this bridge, and the draw is said not to have been opened for several years. Some rafting and booming of logs and lumber has been done between Olympia and the mills at Tumwater.

PROPOSED WORKS OF IMPROVEMENT.

To dredge a cut to a depth of 8 feet below extreme low water, of a width at the bottom of 100 feet, and with side slopes of one vertical on two horizontal. This cut is proposed upon the line a b, near the western side of the inlet, and from the 8-foot curve to a point on the pile bridge near the railroad depot, following the line of the natural flow of the ebb tide.

At the head of this cut, to dredge a basin 400 feet long, with a width of 400 feet, to a depth at extreme low water of 8 feet.

To build from Capitol Point, and on the line c d nearly due north, being in the direction of the proposed cut, a dam of stone and brush to a height midway between the crest of mud flat and higher high-water line-that is, to a height of 14 feet, more or less, above low water. The estimated cost of these improvements is as follows:

310,000 cubic yards dredging, at 40 cents per cubic yard.. 1,500 feet of stone and brush dam at $7 per linear foot Engineering and contingencies, 10 per cent....

Total....

$124,000 10,500

13. 450

147,950

The estimates for excavation are upon the assumption that all the material in the cut would have to be dredged. It is thought that with a free opening in the pile bridge at the head of the cut the current, properly directed by the dam, would assist materially after the top hard crust had been removed. The reasons for the selection of the western side of the inlet as the position of the proposed cut are as follows:

A direct route from the bridge to deep water, following the line of the deeper pockets and of the natural flow of water from the Des Chutes River and from ebb tides.

Better means of keeping open a dredged channel on this line than

any other by directing the flow of these currents by a short wing-dam as proposed.

A direct communication with Tumwater and the Chehalis Valley, the sources of present and future manufactures and agricultural products for export. Olympia freights, being chiefly of supplies for local use, would be but slightly inconvenienced by the increased haul of less than half a mile.

The proposed cut is on the line that should be occupied by a channel for deep-sea vessels, should such an improvement be decided upon in the future. The citizens of Olympia desire such a channel; but the expense of such an improvement would not at present be justified.

Should the above plan of improvement be adopted, certain changes would have to be made in the pile bridge so often referred to, looking to as free an opening of 400 feet as is possible at the head of the cut. This bridge is owned by the town of Olympia and in a very bad state of repair. Owing to the interest taken in the improvement by the citi zens of Olympia, the town may undertake to make these alterations. Very respectifully, your obedient servant,

To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

EDW. BURR, First Lieut. of Engineers.

(Through Lieut. Col. G. H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers, Supervis

ing Engineer.)

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Portland, Oregon, November 3, 1884. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of a preliminary examination of the Puyallup River, Washington Territory.

This river, some 80 miles long, with several small tributaries, empties into Puget Sound, at the head of Commencement Bay and near the city of Tacoma. The upper section of the river is a mountain stream. The lower section, 14 miles long, is in part a tidal slough.

Beyond the reach of the tide for 12 miles, to Moore's farm, which marks the division between the upper and lower sections, the river is from 100 to 200 feet wide, and not less than 36 inches deep at low water. The obstructions in this part consist of snags and drift.

The river has a delta mouth, at which the mean rise of tide is about 15 feet. On the tidal portion there are shoals with only a few inches depth at low water.

An instrumental examination of the river was made in 1875, for compliance with the act of March 3 of that year. Reports thereof with

152 ENG

maps were submitted by Majors Michler and Wilson, Corps of Engi neers, and are published on pages 641 and 669 of the Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1876.

This examination was required to be made from the mines of the Puyallup coal-fields to the mouth of the river. The mines are some 17 miles above Moore's farm.

Both reports of the examination of 1875 stated to the effect that the upper section could not be made navigable without undue expense. Major Wilson submitted a project for improving the lower section. His plan consisted of snagging work on the part above tide, and of bar scraping and contraction of water-way by cut-off dams on the tidal reach. The estimated cost of plant and its operation for six months, and of 700 feet of dams, was $11,836. His dams were to close the east channel of the river mouth.

During the present month Assistant Engineer P. G. Eastwick visited Tacoma and Puyallup and conferred with many of the citizens interested in the wants of the Puyallup Valley, and personally examined into the need of improving the river. I had also previously examined the lower part of the river, especially with reference to some contemplated private harbor facilities at the mouth.

Since 1875 the Northern Pacific Railroad Company has constructed a railroad connecting the Puyallup coal-fields with tide-water at Tacoma. This road descends from the coal-fields, by the valley of the South Prairie Creek, to a point about 7 miles above Moore's, and thence follows down the Puyallup Valley. A branch to this road was lately built from the mouth of Stuck River, near Moore's farm to Seattle, and crossing the Puyallup-these two roads thus forming an extension of the main line of the Northern Pacific from Tacoma to Seattle.

The railroad bridge and a county wagon-road bridge, spanning the river about 2 miles below Moore's, are both low and without draws. The county bridge is located just above the town of Puyallup. Both structures would be obstacles to navigation. The measure of the need for the improvement of the lower section of the river is different now from what it was at the time of the examination in 1875.

Formerly the channels of communication were only those afforded by the county roads, which, at all times insufficient, were, during the rainy season, unavailable. The opening of the lower section of the river by the removal of drift and snags appeared to be essential to the prosperity of the valley. The completion of the railroad through the valley has furnished the facilities which, at that time, were considered all that were necessary.

The valley has, however, shared in the general progress of the country, the population has largely increased, and the area of land under culti vation been greatly extended.

Except coal mining, whose product could not be shipped by the river, the principal industry of the valley is hop-growing. An estimate of the area under cultivation this season places it at 1,154 acres, yielding about one ton per acre. Hay, potatoes, and other farm products are raised in considerable quantities.

Railroads would probably continue to transport the greater part of the hops, even if the river were navigated, as the product is generally shipped East by rail, and no saving in freightage would occur by delivery on the cars at Tacoma, over adjacent towns, as Puyallup.

A part of the product, however, which is sent to San Francisco would have more of a competitive transportation than now exists if river navigation were available, and also independent wharfage at Tacoma.