Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-11
TRINITY NAVIGATION
How the Idea Was Sprung On
People OF Dallas and Grew
in Favor.
The Times'Herald to Send an EzpJo,I,,,
Down the Trinity to GalYsstou-r, ~
Work to be Accomplished.
THE GAZETTE. P-,-
80 Mar,- . aE4g,

the organisation of the Commit S'ss
anti-commission clubs, man ~ aai
and demanded that he be heard Us. .g's y
the meeting adopt certain rsssI-..-a'
which he had prepared on the snfs -
the navigation of the Trinity rive. q
meeting having been called N, u
| purpose, the man was treated q.
truder and he and his resolution, :, l.
! actually laughed at, were CON-. u
| ously ignored. But this man 49,
Ding up ut each succeeding mas,s-.'--
the commission and auti-cor,--s u
| clubs until wearied by his rar.i,.--'1
day was fixed for the consideratjo-
navigation scheme. Few, il anr -
that the scheme was at all prae-r,1,-'
and Col. Ben Wolf, for such is trs-.-''
of the man, began to be regards -
crank with hobby which he va,
mined to ride to death. ''t'
The publicity given to the mes
however, caused q revival of tbs--''
ries of early DAYS when the Tr.ni, -. n
was not only u navigable strasr, ','s.
was navigated from its mouth aI-,,. -
Dallas. Communication after Com
cation appeared in the city paDa-s -
ing the facts concerning the trim, !. ~,
ferent boats, and adding to the s.5.E =.
information concerning the Trintr rir..
and the country traversed BY it.
Gradually it dawued upon the d,,t.,-,
ones, and even those Inclined Ia rf5s.--I
Col. Wolf and his resolutions. tbs- -
scheme was feasible one. Ibs go
tages TO Dallas that would -
upon the opening up of this wats-r,,
to the gulf were too apparent n, :,
be realized and appreciated. NJ.
was it that Col. Wolf begun 70 - =
garded in the light of comm,
Moses, destined TO lead Dallas shin,
and business into the promised hrl n
low freight and, consequently, of ds,s5-
ed advantages over their all-ral sr--
petitors.
Each gays developments incrss.sj
the inter& b, and when the meeti-s Hs,
held IN g. board of trade hall JIM
interest il the matter had developed MI,
speaking seach speech serving to irsrss..
the faith of those who believed itr5t
only possible, but practicable, to estat-
lish steamboat navigation on the Tr.,st,
from Dallas to Galveston. When The
enthusiasm wRs at white heat Col. E1sl
arose and started the ball -oit.
ing by saying: "Now Is ths
time to subscribe stock. - Down
went his own name for $50.
Others followed until total o. S---J
was subscribed. A committee to soIjs!;
further subscription was appointed and
they have since been at work, and have
secured enough to bring the total above
$40, 900.
The aim of the committee having ths
matter in charge is to determine upon
the best plan to be adopted to secure the
navigation of the river, and to Demon
strate that it can be navigsted by brlg-
ing cargo from Galveston to Dallas.
At the meeting referred TO above re-
port made in 1854 to Hon. JefIe-sl1
Davi then secretary of war under pres
ident Pierce, by Lieut.. VIM. II. c.
Whiting, an army engineer, was resl.
This document dealt on the subJsct q
Trinity river navigation and lieutenant
found that the Trinity river was at that
time navigable during high water, gen.
orally from the first of January to the
last of June, a distance of 600 miles from
its mouth, and that it could be made
navigable the year round by the expend-
iture OF moderate amount of money in
the removal of snags, Of OverhangilE
trees and the deepening of the channel at
White Rock shoals.
Mr.. Bryan Il. Barry, who has been
giving the subject some study, says the
opening up of the Trinity river would
work wonders for Dallas. The lands
along the river valley are covered with
great variety of the very finest timber,
now practically worthless, because it
cannot be gotten at. With boats con-
stautly passing up and down the river
saw mills would spring up all along It's
banks, and Dallas would become
a great lumber and timber receiving
and shipping point. Wholesale mer-
chants here would also have o great ad-
by reason of cheap freights from
the railroad. With the Trinity river
made naTigable the prestige of Dallas as
a commercial metropolis would be esIsb-
lished and made secure.
Below Dallas all the government sur
veYs abut on the river, showing that II
was regarded by the government as
stream. In the event, there
fore, of its being opened up TO nsTiga-
ton the railroad, county and
bridges that now cross
it will have to be provided
with draws TO permit the passage Of
boats. These bridges form a serious OBJ
stscle in the way of the opening up oil
the stream, bat they can be removed, IS
the government claim control over alI
navigable streams, and can require tina!
bridges crossing them shall be PROVIDED
with draws.
Some, however, favor a system Of tugs
and barges that will pass under ih9
bridges. One tug could, they say, tow
several barges, and if the tugs can %
built so as not to draw too much water
they will answer the purpose as well s.
the larger boats.
The Times Herald this evening en-
nounces it has determined TO send an e1-
ploring party down the Trinity to Gai.
weston. This party will be in charge OF
4 marine reporter, who has held respon-
,ible positions on San Francisco, Mem
phis and other papers, and who is fully
qualified for the work assigned him.
The work to be accomplished iS out
ined as follows:
1. To ascertain general information Of
liver bed.
2. All snags, bars aud other obstruo-
lions to be noted, the best method OF re-
same and probable cost.
3. The topography of bank near sucn
DISTINCTIONS to be noted, in order to as-
,ertain the practicability of putting IL
ocks and dams.
4. An accurate account will be kept o.
he depth OF water, especially at 81
-, afzfrnatsana ona l., oil han