The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-11-18
HON. CHARLES sew ART
ON sEEpwArERAr SABINE PASS
Description of the Pass and the Impede
meats to be Observation-Disclosures
OF this Over Other Ports-Esti-
mated Cost OF the Jetties
When Finished, Etc,

in the sll.importaat question Of deep
water for Galveston and had made ii Il
study, q HERALD correspondent allec
upon him TO got IA expression OF his
views on the matter OF tho chance for
Sabine Pass, wheroupon tho following
was had:
Reporter-Mr. Stewart, THE DALLAS
HERALD would be pleased Tor you 30
give your views about the probability
OF obtaining deepwater at Sabine Pas.
The place is in your congressional
district mud know YOU axe well in
formed ia regard 10 it.
Colonel Stewart am always
willing to talk shout SSBiuo PAYS,
Deep water can be obtained 81 that
point for less money than al any other
place on tho Gull coast.
Reporter--Why do you say so?
Colonel Swell, first leG me give
you lesson in geography. / find
many persons III Texes ignorant OF the
physical or natural formation OF the
country Ia which Sabine Pass III Situa-
ted. The Sabine and Neeh5s rlYeri'-.
two very large, wide and dsop
gtreams-emp.y into Sabine lake,
which is q body OF wator almost round
in form, and about 20 miles in diamo.
tor, and has an average depth Of 8 10 .
feet, and the wa.er OF thia iske passes
to the Gulf Of Mexico through chan
mel or cHtsoin9 four or Ave miles In
length, and this cut or channel ia
called Sabine Pas5. Tails cut, or pass,
Is from oDe-quarter 10 half mile or
moro In width, and has depth OF Wa
ter all the way through ", With the
NJ aefftRa
IL, OF FROM Is TO 40 feet. Where tho
pass strikes tho quit Chore IL q bar,
where, until recently, there wa8 not
more than 8 or . feet OF water, ana tho
obstruction to navigation IL this bar,
which IL now being improved by the
government. This bar, unlkS all
others on the gulf coast, wesJ oil the
mouth Of tho Mississippi, Is mud
bar, and can easily DO romoved; end
when once removed, the depth OF VIA.
ter obtained by it's removal can bD oas.
lily maintained at all seasons and IN
der all circumstances witn but very
httislif any expense.
RsporkOrWher ia the town OF
Sabine Pass located?
Colonel S.---rho town Ia upon or nB8r
the upper end Of tho pass--the end
nearest TO tho lake.
Reportec--Is it q good aito for city?
Colonel S.--Beautiiul; In aomo places
the ground is q little low; but there Ore
immense sheli-bAnks on Sabine lake
near by, and but for very small ex-
perse all the low places can b9 filed.
Indeed, all the streets could ba ahelled,
and streets, sidewalk and yards could
DO obtained which for cleanliness and
beauty could not be 6xcell5d.
Reporters there any goar country
uear it?
Colonel 5.--Within q foW miles OF
the town there isa country called the
ridge, where tho land 10 rich, and Tor
the production of Sea Island cotton
and vegetables OF al kinds, cannot ba
surpassed. On the Louisiana side of
the lake ID JohusoD's bayou, wbera
che lands are fine, Oranges, hgs,
grapes and other frpits grow 20 per-
feation at Sabine Pess.
Reporter-Is 1t healtay place?
Colonel systematically 80. Tho
people who live there are robust In
their appearance and took az well ~
do the people who live IN The noun
tains. There Ia no cause for aicknsss.
Tanned by the breezes of tho gulf on
the ono side, and surrounded by the
high, dry prairies on the other sides,
and all the water courses near IL being
tide waters, IL can not DO otherwise
than healthy. But / thought you
wanted my viewB about the prfbabili-
ties of deep water at Sabine Pass?
Reportor-I do want 10 know about
deep wgter, but had ssmo curiosity 10
know Gs1ut tho place and ice surround
ings.
Colonel Swell, tho place aud itl
surroundings are all right, and the
sooner you get corner lot las bottsr,
for deep water is assured already,
Raportar-NoT tell ms about tho
work OK harSor improvement az that
point; what has been done, and what,
II any, result has been obtained?
Colonel S.--After some money had
been spent III dredging tho bar with
out any appTsciablO benefit, q project
was submitted in 1882 Co construct TWO
istties, extending from shore to deep
water IN tho gulf, each jettY 10 DO q M5-
Ito less four miles ia length, estimated
to cost, when completed, together with
the dredging between tho iotties,
S,l77 ,60650. On August 2, 1852, Con-
greSs appropriated $4,000 for this
work, and this amount, with what was
on hand from former appropriations,
made about 100000 available with
which to commence operations. In
1859 in III working days, 1862 cubic
yards Of jetty were laid, embracing q
total Length OF 1904 teel OF Foundation
In tho west jetty, 6,li6 feet OF which
from the shore end was built noRrly or
quite up to tho level o. mean high
water. In July, 1851, Congress made
IN appropriation OF 500, 900 Tor the con-
anuation OF this work, and with this
money in March, 1885, tho construc-
ton OF tho cast Jetty was commenced,
and about l4,00O feet OF this jetty has
boon built from the shore into the
gulf, nearly all of which, extending
out xrom the shore, has been built up
70 moan high water level. The appro-
pristion being exhausted, tho werk
had 10 stop. These jstty walls have
about reached tho crest OF the bar.
Now have told you, as briefly as pos
sibte, what has boon done.
Roporter-But has any benefit re-
suited from tho labor done?
Colonel Sit was not expected that
any appreelable benefit would DO oh.
taiued until the jetties were built
aeruss the bar Into deep water, bus al
ready has tho water dsepenod upon
tho bar; 10 what extont l am not pre-
pared TO state with accuracy. ASH
told you q llttlo while ago, before the
construction or tho jetties, there was
net a depth OF moro than olght or nino
foet OF water on the bar, and II Is now
said vessel drawing ~ feet OF water
car easily como In. am quite sure
tho depth upon the bar, even with the
jetoea In their incomplete state, Is
eeoadfly increasing, notwithstanding
tho Goonring power Of the waters con.
fined In the jeities Is greatly wasted,
because Of tho walla net being com.
pleted across tho bar. When built
aeross this bar tho whole SECURING
powor OF the water will be exerted
upon the bar and II will soon DO
wenhed away.
Reporter will not another bar
iorm farther. out 40 tho jottiss arc OK
tendedf
0olonel s.-No, for tho jettios will be
carried TO deep water ana no bar can
~ formed. The water, where con-
Aned botwsen the lefty walls, runs
with great rspidity, and when was at
- pass about the hrst Of last month,