Grand Trunk Pacific dock
Encyclopedia
The Grand Trunk Pacific dock was a shipping pier in Seattle, Washington
. The original pier was built in 1910 and was destroyed in a fire in 1914. The pier was then rebuilt and continued in existence until 1964, when it was dismantled. The area where the pier stood is now part of the Seattle terminal of the Washington State Ferry system
.
, with the small U-shaped dock for the West Seattle ferry in between. Immediately to the north of the Grand Trunk dock was used by the Seattle fire department's fireboat Duwamish. The next pier north of the Seattle fire boat dock was the still existing Pier 54
, previously known as Pier 3 or the Galbraith dock.
of lumber. As built, the dock had a prominent tower on the water end that was 130 ft (39.6 m) high. The upper story of the dock was used for offices.
The dock was built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
, a Canadian company that built the second Canadian transcontinental railway and that also had interests in steamship lines. In 1910, the company had two new steamships built, the Prince Rupert and the Prince George, which used the Grand Trunk dock as their Seattle terminal. The Prince Rupert and the Prince George each could carry 1,500 day passengers, and also had 220 staterooms for longer runs. The Grand Trunk Railway employed them in competition with the steamships of the Canadian Pacific Railway
on the “Triangle Route”, which ran between Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver
, British Columbia
. The Grand Trunk liners also ran from the dock to the railway line's western terminus in Prince Rupert, British Columbia
. The liners arrived in 1910, even though the first train did not reach Prince Rupert until 1914.
and the coastal steamship Admiral Farragut. According to one source, Athlons engineer first noticed the fire at about 3:00 pm. He alerted the Seattle Fire Department
. Another source says that it was the wharfinger
who noticed the fire at about 3:40 pm and raised the alarm.
Although the fire spread rapidly through the dock, fueled by the creosote
-saturated piers and timbers of the pier, both Athlon and Admiral Farragut were brought off the dock without damage.
Engine Company No. 5 of the Seattle Fire Department
responded to the alarm and drove out on the dock. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, “'they said they were just standing there – and the very air around them seemed to turn to flame. The fire engine's fuel tank, holding fifty gallons of gasoline, exploded, burning many of the firemen. Two firemen, Patrick Cooper and John Stokes, were trapped in the fire. Badly burned, both had to jump into the water to safe themselves. Cooper died three days later and Stokes was never able to return to full duty as a fireman.
Fire companies responded from all around the Seattle. The fireboats Duwamish
and Snoqualmie fought the fire, and, with the aid of the revenue cutter Unalga they were able to keep the fire from destroying the adjacent Colman Dock
, although that dock did sustain $10,000 in damages.
Five people died and 29 more, including 10 firemen, were injured. The fire burned for two hours, and attracted a large number of onlookers, including the mayor of Seattle. Some people took advantage of the fire to loot nearby businesses, including Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
, a business still in existence as of 2011, which was then located at Colman Dock.
In 1917, the new dock measured 605 by 116 feet, with 1,200 feet of berthing space, with a cargo storage capacity of 12,000 tons. There was a storage room on the second floor of the warehouse which was served by an elevator with a 400 ton capacity. The wharf as it existed in 1917 was said to have been “semi-fireproof.” There were adjustable passenger slips and a depressed railway track for loading freight cars. There were offices and waiting rooms on the street end. Like Colman Dock, the Grand Trunk dock had an overhead bridge to the Seattle business district. Depth of water alongside the dock was 55 feet.
Heavy construction costs and economic dislocation during World War I
caused the bankruptcy of the Grand Trunk Pacific in 1920. The line was taken over by the government of Canada and operated as a division of the Canadian National Railway
. In 1927, the Kitsap County Transportation Company
(KCTC) and Puget Sound Freight Lines (PSFL) formed a joint venture company called the Ferry Dock Company, which took out a long-term lease on the Grand Trunk Pacific dock, which was then in a rundown condition. The dock became the main terminal and for both lines. In 1929, the stockholders of KCTC and PSFL reached agreement with Wilbur B. Foshay (b.1887) to sell their companies, including the Ferry Dock Company, to Foshay, who was then assembling a utility and transportation business empire. Foshay however was financially ruined in the October 1929 stock market crash
and the transaction never went through.
In August 1930, the Canadian Pacific Railway using the Grand Trunk Pacific dock as the Seattle terminal for their ships on the Seattle-Victoria-Vancouver, British Columbia route.
In 1959 the Grand Trunk dock was used by the Black Ball Freight Service. In the early 1960s the dock was dismantled and the area where it stood became part of the Washington State Ferry terminal.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The original pier was built in 1910 and was destroyed in a fire in 1914. The pier was then rebuilt and continued in existence until 1964, when it was dismantled. The area where the pier stood is now part of the Seattle terminal of the Washington State Ferry system
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
.
Location
The Grand Trunk Pacific dock was located at the foot of Madison Street. The dock area had previously been used a wharf for the steamship Flyer. The Grand Trunk Pacific dock was located immediately to the north of Colman DockColman Dock
Colman Dock, also called Pier 52 is an important ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal used by the Washington State Ferry system, and is still called “Colman Dock”-Location:...
, with the small U-shaped dock for the West Seattle ferry in between. Immediately to the north of the Grand Trunk dock was used by the Seattle fire department's fireboat Duwamish. The next pier north of the Seattle fire boat dock was the still existing Pier 54
Pier 54, Seattle
Pier 54 is a tourist pier Seattle, Washington. Previously an active shipping pier and warehouse, Pier 54 was originally known as Pier 3 until it was renumbered during World War Two. This pier was also known as Galbraith dock and the Galbraith Bacon dock...
, previously known as Pier 3 or the Galbraith dock.
Construction
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway dock stood just north of Colman Dock at the foot of Marion Street. The original dock was built in 1910 as the largest wooden pier on the West Coast. Construction of the dock required 5,000 timber pilings and 3,700,000 board feetBoard foot
The board-foot is a specialized unit of measure for the volume of lumber in the United States and Canada. It is the volume of a one-foot length of a board one foot wide and one inch thick....
of lumber. As built, the dock had a prominent tower on the water end that was 130 ft (39.6 m) high. The upper story of the dock was used for offices.
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
, a Canadian company that built the second Canadian transcontinental railway and that also had interests in steamship lines. In 1910, the company had two new steamships built, the Prince Rupert and the Prince George, which used the Grand Trunk dock as their Seattle terminal. The Prince Rupert and the Prince George each could carry 1,500 day passengers, and also had 220 staterooms for longer runs. The Grand Trunk Railway employed them in competition with the steamships of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
on the “Triangle Route”, which ran between Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The Grand Trunk liners also ran from the dock to the railway line's western terminus in Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
. The liners arrived in 1910, even though the first train did not reach Prince Rupert until 1914.
Destruction by fire
On July 30, 1914, the dock was destroyed by an explosion and massive fire. One source reports that the cause was a spark from a cigarette or cigar landing in a pile of sawdust. When the fire broke out, two vessels were moored alongside, the wooden inland steamboat AthlonAthlon (steamboat)
-Construction:Athlon was built in Portland, Oregon by the J.H. Johnston yard. Her first owners were a consortium of Jacob Kamm , Shaver Transportation Company and the Kellogg Transportation Company. The consortium built her at a cost of $4,950...
and the coastal steamship Admiral Farragut. According to one source, Athlons engineer first noticed the fire at about 3:00 pm. He alerted the Seattle Fire Department
Seattle Fire Department
The Seattle Fire Department is the medical, rescue, and fire protection force of Seattle, Washington and it is the largest metropolitan fire department in the Pacific Northwest. It is also a part of Medic One.-History of the department:...
. Another source says that it was the wharfinger
Wharfinger
Wharfinger is an archaic term for a person who is the keeper or owner of a wharf. The wharfinger took custody of and was responsible for goods delivered to the wharf, typically had an office on the wharf or dock, and was responsible for day-to-day activities including slipways, keeping tide tables...
who noticed the fire at about 3:40 pm and raised the alarm.
Although the fire spread rapidly through the dock, fueled by the creosote
Creosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...
-saturated piers and timbers of the pier, both Athlon and Admiral Farragut were brought off the dock without damage.
Engine Company No. 5 of the Seattle Fire Department
Seattle Fire Department
The Seattle Fire Department is the medical, rescue, and fire protection force of Seattle, Washington and it is the largest metropolitan fire department in the Pacific Northwest. It is also a part of Medic One.-History of the department:...
responded to the alarm and drove out on the dock. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, “'they said they were just standing there – and the very air around them seemed to turn to flame. The fire engine's fuel tank, holding fifty gallons of gasoline, exploded, burning many of the firemen. Two firemen, Patrick Cooper and John Stokes, were trapped in the fire. Badly burned, both had to jump into the water to safe themselves. Cooper died three days later and Stokes was never able to return to full duty as a fireman.
Fire companies responded from all around the Seattle. The fireboats Duwamish
Duwamish (fireboat)
The Duwamish reigned as one of the most powerful fireboats in the United States several times over her 75-year working life.She is the second oldest vessel designed to fight fires in the USA, after the Edward M Cotter, in Buffalo, New York....
and Snoqualmie fought the fire, and, with the aid of the revenue cutter Unalga they were able to keep the fire from destroying the adjacent Colman Dock
Colman Dock
Colman Dock, also called Pier 52 is an important ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal used by the Washington State Ferry system, and is still called “Colman Dock”-Location:...
, although that dock did sustain $10,000 in damages.
Five people died and 29 more, including 10 firemen, were injured. The fire burned for two hours, and attracted a large number of onlookers, including the mayor of Seattle. Some people took advantage of the fire to loot nearby businesses, including Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop is a store on the Central Waterfront of Seattle, Washington, United States, founded in 1899. It has moved several times, mainly within the waterfront area, and is now located on Pier 54. Best known today as a souvenir shop, it also has aspects of a dime museum, and was for...
, a business still in existence as of 2011, which was then located at Colman Dock.
Later history
A replacement dock, without a watchtower, was promptly built, and survived until 1964, when it was replaced by waiting area for automobiles boarding ferries at the new ferry terminal.In 1917, the new dock measured 605 by 116 feet, with 1,200 feet of berthing space, with a cargo storage capacity of 12,000 tons. There was a storage room on the second floor of the warehouse which was served by an elevator with a 400 ton capacity. The wharf as it existed in 1917 was said to have been “semi-fireproof.” There were adjustable passenger slips and a depressed railway track for loading freight cars. There were offices and waiting rooms on the street end. Like Colman Dock, the Grand Trunk dock had an overhead bridge to the Seattle business district. Depth of water alongside the dock was 55 feet.
Heavy construction costs and economic dislocation during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
caused the bankruptcy of the Grand Trunk Pacific in 1920. The line was taken over by the government of Canada and operated as a division of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
. In 1927, the Kitsap County Transportation Company
Kitsap County Transportation Company
The Kitsap County Transportation Company was an important steamboat and ferry company that operated on Puget Sound. The company was originally founded in 1898 as the Hansen Transportation Company.-Hansen Transportation:...
(KCTC) and Puget Sound Freight Lines (PSFL) formed a joint venture company called the Ferry Dock Company, which took out a long-term lease on the Grand Trunk Pacific dock, which was then in a rundown condition. The dock became the main terminal and for both lines. In 1929, the stockholders of KCTC and PSFL reached agreement with Wilbur B. Foshay (b.1887) to sell their companies, including the Ferry Dock Company, to Foshay, who was then assembling a utility and transportation business empire. Foshay however was financially ruined in the October 1929 stock market crash
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and the transaction never went through.
In August 1930, the Canadian Pacific Railway using the Grand Trunk Pacific dock as the Seattle terminal for their ships on the Seattle-Victoria-Vancouver, British Columbia route.
In 1959 the Grand Trunk dock was used by the Black Ball Freight Service. In the early 1960s the dock was dismantled and the area where it stood became part of the Washington State Ferry terminal.