We got back to the Underground Tour HQ at 12:45, just in
time for… more waiting. But then the fun finally began.
Apparently, they didn’t exactly do things smart in
Seattle back in the late 1800s. For starters, they built their city using
measurements taken at low tide. Genius. Naturally, flooding became a problem, not
to mention fires, mud churned up by horses and wagons, and sinkholes the size
of swimming pools.
The holes began forming so rapidly that instead of fixing
them, they just started naming them. According to our tour guide, they often
made things worse on themselves, like using sawdust as a primary fill material.
(It was cheap. So was their judgment.)
Then there was Henry Yesler, an opportunistic machinery man
who set up a mill in Seattle. Within six months of arriving, some questions
came up suggesting he hadn’t exactly acquired the land legally. But did that
stop him? Nope.
Henry was a scoundrel, utterly lacking in morals or ethics.
So naturally they made him mayor. Back then, the mayor had the power to settle
lawsuits. Henry, being Henry, would sue the city as a private citizen and then
settle the lawsuit as the mayor.
By doing this, he drained the city coffers twice, and
that was just during his first term! The good people of Seattle rewarded him
with two more terms.
Apparently, when we do something stupid, we double down on
it.
Here are a few photos Michael took during the tour:
Tour Guide
Broken Concrete
Watercloset
Steel Beams supporting the sidewalk and street above
Tourist walkway. Very humid here, with a strong smell of
mold.
Discarded building materials. Some of this is sure to be cut
from old growth trees.
Lighting for the underground
Lighting Panel from below.
Before the 1889 Fire
Exit Sign
Roots growing down from street level
Bathtub that was discarded into the street during
construction. Also discarded during construction were hundreds of dead animals
and general garbage.
Please don’t lean
After the fire, trolley rails are deformed from the heat
“Sanitan Washdown Closet.”
Late 1800s letterpress with an old manual typewriter sitting
on it.
After the fire. Michael thinks the building in the distance was the first building
constructed for the University of Washington.
Later that evening, Camille made swordfish for dinner. It
was AMAZING. I’d never had swordfish before, and now I can’t stop thinking
about it. Here’s her recipe in case you want to impress someone:
Camille’s Grilled Swordfish
- ¼ cup
olive oil
- Juice
from 1 lemon
- Zest
from 1 lemon
- 1
tablespoon soy sauce
- 3
cloves minced garlic
- ½
teaspoon salt
- ¼
teaspoon pepper
Marinate serving-sized pieces of swordfish for at least 8
minutes but no more than 20. Grill on high for 5–6 minutes per side, or until
internal temp reaches 135–145°F.
Serve with salad and Jasmine rice or rolls.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
