Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-19
DEEP WATER HARB9R.
Remarks OF W. P. Csru herr, e; q BIZ.
fsre tho Real Estate Fxcssng.,
Msy s, 1888, n Denver.
The Need of Texssis the Need OF ;hs Grea.
Sorthwsss-A Plea for q Deep
Water Convention.
Denver Journal of Commerce, May 8.

Denver Journal Of Commerce, Mays
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen.
| thank you for the invitation you have
30 courteously extended me to address
the Exchange on the subject Of deep
water. Ipresums the discussion of any
subject that relates to the materlsl well
fare Of Denver is in order, though the
question I shall present more properly
belongs to the Chamber of Commerce.
The Exchange being an adjunct to the
Chamber Of Commerce can act with thst
body, l take it, In all matters OF public
| interest and mateIisl progress,
| The time you have granted me
is too brief to present this impor-
tant subject as 1t should be; but 1 shall
endeavor to point cut in few words the
advantage OF deep-water harbor al the
| nearest tide-water point to Denver, where
| all commerce shall enter or depart free OF
| charge. A free port Is what is coutem-
plated by the general government when
1t undertakes to improve or deepen 9
hsrbor.
think you will agree with me that the
great activity In real estate and the won
derful growth Of Denver during the past
two years are almost entirely due TO your
new short rail line to the Sea. That enter
prise has impressed the commercial world
with Denver's importance as the distrib-
uting point for the northwest and west.
Renewed life pulsated through the veins
of this handsome city when Governor
Evans announced, after 8 discouraging
delsy, that he had secured money suffi
cient to carry out this grand enterprise.
In your esgerness to reach the Sea you
did not realize that your new road is de-
pendent on rival rosds to get its tire sic to
the gulf. This is the situation to-day.
There is needed, besides free deep water
port, q through rail line to the gulf that
shall be under one msnagement-that Of
Governor Evans.
Take Denver IS center point and with
q radius that shall reach Chicago, de-
| scribe q circle, and you will find that this
circle touches the Texas coast from Gal
| weston to Arkansas Pass, distance OF 200
miles, and you will see that these places
are equally distant with Chicago from
Denver, while Kew Orleans lies nearly
| 200 miles farther. Add to this the dis
lance from the mouth of the Mississippi
to New Orleans, some eighty miles,
and it is readily seen that
the latter city is situated disad-
vantageously as far IS time and rail
haul are concerned. At New Orleans and
Galveston commerce is subjected to
towage, lightersge. warisge, etc, which
must be added to the sea and rail rates to
| Denver. The northwest needs q free
port, and that port a. the nearest point
on the coast, all other things being equal.
The 20:h degree Of longitude west from
Washington passes through Arkansas
Pass. Nearly or quite one-half OF the
| United States and two thirds Of Texas lie
west Of this line, aud are more directly
tributary to Arkansas thsn any other bar
| Dor on the gulf coast. You have now
| slmost as direct railway connection with
Arkansas Pass as with Galveston. 1t Is
known that it will take time and great
outlay OF money to get deep water at
| Galveston, besides when secured freight
is subjected to charges by existing light
ersge and wharfage companies. Nothing
of this kind exists at Arkansas, and if the
hsrbor be improved by the government
will not exist. Ecor omy, time and IL ash
| bility are to be considered in the solution
Of the deep ws'er question. The physi-
cal features OF Arkansas Pass are especially
favorable, viz: A narrow bar, scarcely
three.fourths OF & mile In width; nat
ural powerful current like that
which furnishes the securing force
for Eads' successful work at
the mouth Of the Mississippi;
deep water in the Gulf at the mouth of
the Pass, and strong littorsl currents that
carry away any sediment that may be de-
posted 0y the strong current cutting the
present yielding banks of the islands.
With the assistance of jstties which Can
be constructed, 1t is said by competent
engineers, at cost not to exceed 81 ,0o0,-
| 900, and possibly for less, the bar can be
permanently removed to q depth Of TWEEN
ty-f five feet. This hsrbor is securely land
locked, and would not only accommodate
ocean ships, but would afford safe har-
Dor Of refuge in time Of storms for sll
kinds Of Gulf shipping.
The work should be done by the gen.
eral government, or by private capital to
be reimbursed by the government when
the improvement shall have been made a
success, 30 that no wharfage or other
monopolies could grow or exist to sad
die unnecessary charges upon commerce.
Texas has not the political strength to
secure adequate appropriations from Con-
gress for this work; hence, the. Texans
appeal to Colorado and its sister states
J and territories for assistance.
| A deep water convention should be held
in Denver, Composed Of delegates from
sill parts Of the northwest, to adopt some
practical method to secare deep harbor.
Texas no doubt would be largely repre-
sented, and the attention of the outside
world attracted to the importance of this
subj5ct. II awould be big card for
Denver. All Texan harbors should be
represented and the claims of each pre-
scented to the convention. If such con-
vention is deemed advisable by the Den
yer people, the Chamber of Commerce
should take the initiative, and the Real
Estate Exchange and the business men of
Denver should heartily cooperate.
l gnk