Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-19
Meeting Of the Texas Delegationto
Discuss the Question.
Army Engineers VIII Make an Impair
tial Survey of Texas Harb0rs and
Report to Congress.
Different Capacities of Galveston and Aran-
sas Pass for Deep Water-Some Inter-
esting Correspondence.
HOW IT WILL BE DONE .

water question as related to some port Oh
the Texas coast. Major benson of Gal
weston, who came in accordance
with the Denver resolution, was
the only outsider present. A
general discussion ensued, but
no definite plan was agreed on and an
other meeting will be held in day or
two. The idea that seemed to meet gen.
eral favor was to provide in the river
and harbOr bill for a commission OF
army engineers to make full and i'm
partial survey of Texas harbors and
then to report to congress the most prac-
ticable port for future improvement.
This is the outcome of the matter, and
though matters may yet take a different
turn, it may be safely predicted that this
course will be substantially followed.
SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT.
Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The Texas
delegation held an important meeting to-
night and discussed the deep water ques-
ton. Congressman Grain submitted the
following interesting correspondence
which has just taken place:
House OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON, Dec. ID, 1888.
General Casey, Chief Engineer United States
Army:
DEAR SIR-Willy you kindly furnish me
with answers to the following, at your
earliest convenience:
l. What is the estimated amount of
money under the present scheme, which it
is contemplated will furnish twenty or
twenty-five feet of water on Galveston
bar, and what amount is estimated for
thirty feet?
2. What is the estimated amount for
the carrying out of the scheme for the
improvement of Arausas Pass, Tex?
3. How much Of the last appropriation
for Galveston will be available on the
lst day of June, 1889?
4. What amount will be available on
the lst day of June, 1889, of the last ap-
preparation for Arkansas Pass?
5. What amount do you say can be
profitably expended at Galveston during
the next fiscal year?
6. What amount do you say can be
profitably expended at Arkansas Pass dur
ing the next fiscal year?
Z. Is it not disadyantageous to river
and harbor appropriations to make linn
tied appropriations instead of apprOpria-
tons in accordance with your official es-
Inmates and recommendation and if so
why?
s. Would there not in reality be a
saving to the government if annual
appropriations for river and harbor
improvements were sufficiently large to
to enable the engineers in charge of the
work to continue their Opera tions with
out cessation and is not large amount
OF money annually wasted in repairing
damages done during the interval be-
tween the date of the cessation of
work occasioned by the exhaustion of one
appropriation and the time when another
becomes available, and does not the oc-
casional failure of congress to pass river
and harbOr bill occasion the use of a large
portion of the next appropriation in re-
pairing works and the plant used in car
rylng them on:
8. Is not the failure of the army en-
gineers to accomplish contemplated i'm
provement within a given time very
largely attributable to the refusal or
failure of congress to furnish them with
sufficient funds annually to carry on their
work continuously?
10. Would not the improvement of our
national harboIs and rivers be very much
facilitated and, be made less expensive if
congress were to make an annual appro-
Priation to be expended upon such i'm
pr0vemeuts under the direction of the
secretaTSNof war, and if the present dEib-
let system of river and harbor appropria-
tiOns were abandoned?
As l desire to use your replies within
the next few days | will be greatly
obliged if you viii furnish them at the
earliest possible moment. l have the
honor to be, general, your obedent SER
want, W. H. CRAM NJ. c., Texas.
o THE REPLIES.
= OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER,
UNITED STATES ARMY.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Il. 1885.
Hon. W. H. Grain, NJ. c., United States House
of Representatives.
SIR beg leave to make the following
replies to the inteITogatiOns in your let
ter of the 18th inst:
To question one: The board of en-
gineers to which the subject of the i'm
provement of the entrance to Galveston
harbor was referred i'll report dated
January. 2l 1886, (annual report chief
of engineers for 1886, part II, page 1890
estimated the cost of jetties completed to
the thnty-foot depth of water outside at
81 600 600, their aggregate length being
81 000 feet: the estimated cost of the jet
ties out to the crest of the bar SO 900 900
and that this amount would probably give
two-thrds of the depths that
jetties carried out to the thirty-foot
curves would give. These estimates sup
pose that the money would be supplied
rs fast as needed, but in the opinion of
the board the depth which the jetties
will maintain cannot be stated with pre-
cision The case differs widely from that
of the South Pass of the Mississippi,
where the securing current results
from the overflow of n larger river.
At Galveston before the water can flow
out to produce scour) the tidal
basin must be filled from the sea, and
the area of the inflow is materially af-
fected by the necessary contraction |
caused by the construction of |
the jetties. For this reason the |
problem is somewhat indeterminate, and |
it is impossible TO foretell with |
exactness the depth which can be OBJ |
tanned with the works that are projected. |
To question two: The original estimate |
of the cost of the work al Arkansas Pass is
81 ,052 ,543. The'Aamount required for |
completion tiH addition to the apIFopria-
rion of August II +, 1888 } is 81 ,47I.000
To question three The hist apprenraa-
ton (6f August II, 1889 for Galveston
entrance wtn be entirely expended June
80, 1889. -
To1question four: The probable amount
that's win be available July |, lsSa;., for,l
Arkansas Pass is $50 Goo sssf
To question FIVE: The amount that can h h