Wichita eagle., 1889-01-06
TEE DEEP WATER QUESTION.
How the Proposition VIII be Submitted
to Congress.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-At conference
today Senator Coke and Representative
Grain finally agreed upon the following as
the form in which the deep water PROPOSE
ton is to be submitted to congress:
Whereas, The commercial, agricultural,
mining. manufacturing and stock III
terests of all that part of the United
States lying west of the Mississippi river
and the commercial and naval necessities
of the entire country demand flrst-class,
permanent, safe and deep water port on
the coast of Texas; therefore, be it
Resolved, by the senate and house OF
representatives of the United States of
America assembled, That the secretary of
war be and hereby is authorized and d.
rected to appoint a board OF three en-
gineer officers of the United States army,
whose duty it shall be to make careful
and critical examination of the northwest
coast of the gulf of Mexico west Of So
degrees and 80 minutes west longitude,
excepting ftherefrom the mouth OF
the Brazos river in Texas, and select
the most eligible point for a deep
water harbor, to be of ample depth, width
and capacity to accommo date the largest
ocean-going vessels and the commercial
and naval necessities Of the country,
which can be secured and maintained in
the shortest time and at the least cost.
And the said board of engineers shall re-
port through the secretary of war TO the
next congress the point selected, and the
estimated cost IF securing such port. The
sum of $1,000, or so much thereof as may
be necessary to pay the expenses OF SUCH
board, is hereby appropriated out of any
money in the treasury not otherwise ap-
propriated.
1t will be introduced in both houses as
an Independent measure, and then its
friends will be governed by circumstances.
they can see any prospect or getting 1t
through in that shape more readily tnan
as an amendment to the river and harbor
bill, they will press it. But they will be
prepared to attach it to the river and har-
Dor bill if that seems TO offer the best plan.
They have been in great doubt as to which
plan to pursue, as they feel quite sure the
river and harbor bill will be vetoed.
Hence their desire TO be in an attitude for
the adoption of an alternative plan.
Representative Grain has received from
VIM. NJ douglas, of Galveston, a formal
proposition for submission to congress, in
which he agrees for the sum of 81, l50,0J0,
to obtain at least 20 feet Of water across
the bar at Galveston, payable in INSTALL
ments as increased depth is attained. The
proposition in detail is that for Sl,000,000
Douglas and his associates agree to inn
prove the existing bar channel so that by
the 90th of September. 1889, there shall
be a navigable depth in that cham
mel of not less than 20 feet low
tide For this sum. however, the works
will be only provisional. TO be of brush
mattresses, clay, stone and concrete; that
for every foot obtained in addition, and
not exceeding depth of 2i feet, he shall
be paid $50, 900, or a total of 81 100000 for
the 24 feet. To make the work permanent
would require a heavy ballast, to cost
81, go, 900 But he would make perman-
ent 20 foot channel for s., 250, 600 TO be paid
in installments of $4,000 for II feet, $500
900 for 10 feet, 500, 200 for IS feet and the
remaining ST50,000 for 20 feet. Or
he will make a 70 foot chan
mel good for two years for
81, 000, 900, payable in installments. and
this provisional work can be strengthened
1T cost of from 100000 10 $500, 000, and in
the course of five or ten years made per-
manent. After completing 20-toot chan
mel, Douglas offers to continue the inn
provement until depth of twenty-eight
feet is attained for 81 zoo, 600 more He
also states that provisional work of
twenty-eisht feet will cost about s.? 500,-
600, ard can be made permanent by an an
nual expenditure of from S2G0, 600 to S5G0.-
COO in from four to eight years time In
adding up his total of cost for a twenty
eight foot channel and making it aggre-
gate S4,250,O00, Mr.. Douglas sup
plies plus mark and follows
it with S200.000, his expected
profit, but be follows the 500, 900 with the
words IF paid" in parenthesis. He &C
companies his proposal with elaborate
maps and charts, showing all the various
depths of channel he mentions. He SAYS
that bis plan follows that of Capt EadS in
improving the mouth of the Mississippi
river closely. The government authorities
are manifeStly averse to committing any
great improvement Of this character to
private parties or to corporations. This
spirit prevails in congress as well as in the
execute departments, hence there is but
little prospect that Mr., Douglas PROPOSE
tions viii command any consideration in
official circles.