April 17, 1966July 31, 2026

‘Sea Devil’ is dead — but legend lives

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A April 17, 1966 Seattle Times Maritime News edition reports on the routine expansion of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, noting that the Port of Seattle had been acquiring land and property since the airport first opened, covering 1,100 acres and growing to 1,377 acres. The Port Commission voted to expand the airport further, dealing with ongoing property damage claims from neighbors affected by increased air traffic and plane sizes. Over 300 eminent domain cases had been settled, with claims totaling more than $2 million in property value compensation.

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A Seattle Times Maritime News section from April 17, 1966, featuring a story about the legendary ‘Sea Devil’ — the German WWI raider captain Felix von Luckner — whose legend lives on despite his death. The page also includes ocean vessel movements on Puget Sound, news about Californians worried over Soviet fishing, airport expansion coverage, and a Frederick & Nelson Farmer’s Market advertisement.

As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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