Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-08
DEEP WATER QUESTION.
The Citizens ofBeaumont Petition Con.
gress and Appeal 10 the People
Of the State.
rie Advantages offered by sabine Pass
Set Forth an Against Those Onered
by Galveston.

10 the Honorable senu ofs and Representative.
ia ronRress Asscmbsad

! 10 The Honorable senu OTIS and Representative
Ia ronRress Assembled
/ We, the undersigned citizens OF Beau
mont in the county OF Jefferson, Tex.
/ respectfully represent that it is the desir
i Of the citizens Of this county that you us,
your influence and efforts, and also try /,
enlist the sympathy and support Of you
4 colleagues In congress, 10 secure tn,
appropriation recommended BY tb,
United states engineers Tor the improve
ment OF Sabine Pass bar at Sabine Pass
I Tex, for We are confident that the pres
ent lefty system as IS in process OF con
struction has produced the anticipated
results aud IS entitled 70 the confidence
OF all practical men, and the same carried
out TO completion will secure twenty
1--WE feet of water ON the bar, ane
we believe that Sabine Pass is the
port that should receive your chief atten
ton, from the fact that Il is the most
available point on the coast of Texas al
which deep water can be obtained within
the shortest space of time and by the ex.
penditure OF the least amount OF money
BY the government; In proof of which wa
state as a fact, that for sum less than
100000 expended during the past three
years by the general government on the
lefty system, which so far has not been
completed across the bar, there has been
since the 3lst day of August, 1855, an In
creased depth OF water Of over two feet
across the entire bar; the bar ut Sabine
Pass being soft mud similar to the bar at
the mouth of the Mississippi river, makes
it susceptible Of the same successful i'm
provement
II is admitted by ali practical and civil
engineers and sea-faring men that, with
deep water, Sabine Pass has one of the
best and safest harbors on the Gulf of
Mexico, the wrecking of vessels within
its harbor or the approaches thereto be-
ing unknown within its history, thereby
saving the expense OF maintaining life
saving stations, etc, as Is necessary at
Galveston and other dangerous bars and
harbors, and IL is fact that cannot be
controyerted that the commerce that
would go through a deep water port Of
Texas could be handled cheaper and more
eXpeditlously at Sabine Pass than at Gal
weston or elsewhere on the coast of
Texas.
There are certain results that would fol-
low the obtaining OF deep water at Sa-
bine Pass bar, such as great reduction
OF the rates of freight, reduced rates
OF insurance and the abolition of lighter
age and wharfage monopoly, which is
now so burdensome to the commerce of
Texas as carried on at the port of Gal
weston, and which leyies tribute in the
shape of wharf and lighterage fees that
equals the taxation of Che peo.
pie for the support of the state govern
nent. and the abolition and sayinnauf
which for one year alone would save
nore to the people Of Texas than the ex-
1ense OF obtaining twenty-five feet OF
water at Sabine Pass.
The great lumber products of East
Texas and West Louisiana the grain. !
,otton, cattle and commercial interests of
teHas ut large-should eittitle Sabine
1ass to the favorable consid ration of the
government in making appropriations for
ne improvement of harbors and deepen-
ne the water ON the bars And we do
lot eXags ate when we assure YOU that
more than $4,000, 100000 feet of mer.
pine timber, estimated AZ tho
ialue OF $500, 100000 Is situated within
IN area OF 200 miles OF Sabine Piss. the
)nly natural outlet for all this wealth. and |
EASILY accessible thereto by railroad and
water communication. And also all The
grain and cottongrowing sections of the
state and the great Northwest are as eos. /
ly accessible TO Sabine Pass as to cal
ieston, and all parts of the state north of I
me southern Pacific railroad are nearer
10 the former than the latter: and the
same Is equally so of the mincral-nro- (
lucing parts OF Texas
And 1t may be further urged In a busi. |
ness point of view, that great number of |
'allroads are now in course of construc- |
ion from North and Northwest Texas
WITH their southern terminal point fixed /
~ their charters at Sabine Pass. Because
IS the owners well know, that Sabine
Ass ls the most practicable point on the
'uif coast whore permanent deep water
AN be at once obtained and maintained
1t is also notorious fact that abont
hree-fourths OF the state is now comnor.
lively unsettled and unimproyed nm .c.
cunt OF the want of deep water outlet
ND consists of rich agricultural conn,
~, and can be made great manufactnr.
nS country by reason of many eyer-rnn.
ilng streams OF water with sufficient fail
o drive millions of spindles and tbon.
ands of looms. NV"
In defense OF Sabine Pass, and without
ny desire to antagonize Galveston or
reNent that port from getting an appro.
rlatlon, we beg to say that we have
'atched with anxiety the expenditure Inv
ne government for the past sixteen wears
4 millions OF dollars at said mort az 1,aI,
estoil, on shifting, quicksand bar. can.
rolleu oy changing currents, the work on
aid bar being managed In the interim Inv
nc pest engineering skill in this copntrv.
hu the same so far has cen a total fan,
re, IL being impossible to tell whether
nc water across the bar has Increased one
lch or decreased In depth that amount
ma we Oelieveit would not be economy on ,
le part OF the government to favor 1aI-
eston to the exclusion of other morris !
nj more especially Sabine Pass, when Il 4!
an ee proved that the work done M Sa'
me fass has been so fruitful. while that
galveston has been SO barren ~ re- l
lits. And while Sabine Pass Is NOT a
ny, with the brick and mortar ana NOM
ton OF Galveston, yet deep water for ,
eNas Is not matter solely of local Inte~. !
st, nor the building up OF city nj tho >
atel' put Is matter directly in the in. I
rest OF the great and growing commerce
texas and the great Northwest. Ana
y any further confirmation OF the facts i
rem stated we refer to the report of the 5