National Republican., 1886-05-31

Galveston unrbOr.
In 1874 the improvement of Galveston harbor
was commenced on plans designed by Mai.
Howell, U. s. A., approved by a board com
posed of Gems. Tower, Wright, and Newton,
U.S. A. The plan contemplated two parallel
letties 1900 feet, or about two miles and a
quarter, apart. They were 10 be submerged
no part OF them being higher than meau low
tide. and only q portion of them as high rs
that. From the shore ont for several thousand
feet they were several feet below low tide, thus
forming huge gaps TO facilitate the flow Of the
tide to fill the bay of Galveston, tidal basin
the tide is about II inches. These jetties
were to be built of gabions. Each gabion was
made OF willows in the form ofa basket, about
II feet long, feet wide and 6 feet deep.
hydraulic mortar about inches thick. They
were placed end to end In the line OF the ietty,
and sand was then pumped in them and
eoyersstcnred on them 20 keep the waves from
out only to 10 and 1877 feet depth, respectfully.
Nearly two miles Of the north jetty were built
in this way prior to 1850 This entire work was
completely oblterated in 1850. and then Col.
Mansfield was put in charge. lie recon.
mendcd the bnilding of the jetties with brush
mattresses, ballasted with stone In manner
quite similar TO the Mississippi jetties, aud on
substantially the same locations chosen by
Noj, Howell. The advisory board was recon-
vened TO pass upon the new plans, and 1t ad-
vised putting down trial section Of mattress
WOIk near tue OUlgT Gnu Ol Lnt OH norm
gabionade, and also the changing of the direc.
tion OF the south Jetty, so that its outer end
would be distant only aDout 10 400 feet from
the north one, thus destroying the parallelisin
of the two jctties.
The vigoroudproSecution of the south lefty
was then begun OSSO), and in March, 1881, Col
Mansfield reported 1t officially as being COM
pleted. II was then ~ miles long from shore
About this time the people OF Galveston be-
came disheartened, declared that no real
benefit had resulted from the works In ten
years, and after consultations and meetings
the chief citizens of the place addressed let.
ter to Capt. Elds, then In England, to know II
he would undertake the Improvement on the
mo cure, no pay" principle, which he had
undertaken to do with tho Mississippi letties.
The result was that an offer TO do this and
secure thirty feet depth OF channel was ma ie
By him and formulated into bill. which wati
introduced in the last Congress. It provide
for tho construction of the necessary works,
and made the compensation depend upon the
securing Of thirty foot channel for S7,TJ1, 900.
This bill was vigorously opposed by Gen
Newton and Col. Mansfield, aud by others o
the engineer corps of the army. These two
officers, in their Official reports TO the Senate
and House committees assured Congaess tina
with $780, 900, or less than one.tenth OF what
Capt. Eads proposed they could complete the
official plan of 1880, and secure n twenty five.
foot channel. A letter substantially confirm.
ing this was also written by Col. Merrill. U. S
A., and was read in the House by Mr.. Bayne
OF Pennsylvania, when the measure came up
for discussion. The result was that 1t was dc.
work was carried in the river and harborbill a
that session, for the reason that Capt
Eads had previously reviewed before
the Committees the features oi
the government plans, aud had convinced
those committees that even II the work
were completed, they had four radical defect
in them, either one of which would defeat tn,
object In view: l. The enormous width be
tWann tho intlinQ nbnu IN n m
should be carried up several feet above high
tide, 10 prevent storm waves from injuring thu
channel by carrying sand over the letties int
II when the channel was once secured. 3. ThI
openings left between the shore and the let
ties, to facilitate the inflow OF the tide into tn,
bay, were wholly wrong in principle, ant
would prevent the deepening of the channel
4. The sea ends of the jstties terminated II
water too shallow TO secure any pennanen
depth greater than that at the ietty ends.
Besides these inherent defects, the jettie
TSad SSr oGT s sy In tS
brush from them, the water must contall
sediment or mud, as at Mississippi jeties. II
declared that the Ietty reported by Col. Mans
field as complete and substantial was almps
wholly destroyed already and that IL required
aten foot pole to reach its remains inman
| places.
new board OF army engineers was con
| vened during the recess OF Congress, 1885. b
| report upou the Galveston works The boar
| consisted Of Gems, Duane, Abbot, and Com
stock, and their report has just been published
| Executive Doc. So, H. X.
This board does not give Capt. Bads the leas
| credit for the unanswernble logic with whiCl
| he pointed out the errors In hydraulic engl
neering which their brother officers have mad
| at Galveston, but their report Is as complete
vindicaiion OF him as his friends could po.
sibly desire. First: The board admits that 9
| per cent. IN the height OF the substantial an
| completed jetty of Col. Mansfield Is wholly dI
stroyed already and that the works must b
| built OF stone and concrete. Second; That tn
| Ietties should be feet above mean low tide
| Third: That they should extend from the Ian
| out TO 30 feet of water about 10A miles or 81
| 600 feeD, and should have no openings In ther
| TO let the tide flow into the bay. Fourth: The
| reduce the original width OF the opening-l2
600 feet about one mile, or to 1000 feet. Fifth
| proposed by Capt Eads' for sT,750,00O, with n
money 10 be paid until after the stipulate
depths were secured, their works are estimate
| TO cost 100000. without any guarantee of SUI
cess. On the contrary the board says: "This Q,
| Piled"
Already 81, 100000 has been almost who'll
wasted at Galveston. Two plans have bee
| tried by our army engineers, aud now the
propose third. At Charleston we are bulC
Ing submerged lettes on plans OF Gen. GIL
| more, U. >. A., with precisely such defects Il
| Capt. Eads pointed out in those Mt Galveston
| The late board of his brother officers at Ga
| weston says: "The greatest securing effect wi
be obtained, and the greatest security again'
undermining, by making the lettles tight and b
raising them above high water" Had W
not better move slowly In these i'm
pIovements, or expend the money onl
after civil engineers have approved thel
| plans The House, by very decided vote
has recently taken away from the Mississippi
| river commission the control OF the appropria
tion for the Improvement Of the Mississippi
and has lodged 1t with the Secretary of Wal
Gen. Gilmore Is president OF the MisissipI
| river commission, and Gen. Newton Is II
chief Of the army engineers and the official at
wiser of the Secretary WAR, and the commit
| sion is essentially military one, which til
House refuses to trust
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