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| First water entering lock chamber |
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| Lock chamber being filled. |
February
2, 1916…
January
31, 1916 started out like any other cold, damp winter day in the
city. Then mid-morning it started to snow, it kept coming down all
day and on into the night. The storm continued steadily for 2 days:
schools were closed, streetcar service was shut down and a snow slide
closed the Northern Pacific Railroad’s Stampede Tunnel, halting
train service across the Cascades.
By
early afternoon on February 2 the wet snow was so deep it collapsed
the roof of the West Seattle Christian Church, and several hours
later the dome of St. James Cathedral crashed down under the weight
of the heavy snow. The storm left Seattle with 3 feet of snow on the
ground.
But
over at the government locks in Ballard the workers were focused on
something else. The cement work of the large lock was completed and
the miter gates installed, it was time to open the valves and admit
water into the chamber for the very first time. In this photo taken
just after noon on February 2, you can see the water coming from the
filling tunnels at the floor of the lock, notice the staff on the
upstream gate watching as the water pushes into the snow.
There
must have been a sense of jubilation and pride that after decades of
politics and planning- and 5 years of construction- it worked!
Perhaps this group photo was a celebratory one, Chief Engineer Major
J. B. Cavanaugh and his staff on the steps of the administration
building on that momentous day (Cavanaugh is third from right in hat
and glasses.) The Engineering Department workboat Orcas
did a trial lockage the next day and the lock was then in operation.
The small lock went into operation July 25 and an informal opening
celebration was held August 3, 1916, the official dedication was held
on July 4, 1917.
Sources:
HistoryLink.org, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
