Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-29
DEEP WATER.
Arkansas Pass is Already Available for
Deep Water Commerce.
Natural Advantages Which Only Need TO Be
Improved BY Capital - It Can be Done
Inside of SIX Months.
Corpus Christi Caller.

To the Editor of the Caller:
A recent visit to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and
careful investigation OF the harbOr improve
ments there, ana the conditions under which
commere is carried on, both there and at Tam
pico reveals facts of the deepest Importance,
not only TO the immediate vicinity of Arkansas
Pass, but TO the entire country interested in
deep water.
Vera Cruz is upon the outer sea coast, has no
bay, and not even a river mouth. The only pro-
tection to shipping Is little island just large
enough at its inner point to afford location FOR
a fort about three-quarters of a mile from the
land. Behind this little island all theshiPPing
at Vera Cruz finds what little shelter is had at
that point. The situation is so exposed and the
place so small that the steamships always lilo
with fires banked and steam up, ready TO put to
sea if there be time enough, and if not, to assist
the anchors by starting up the engines. storms
come up with great fury ana suddennsss, ahd
wrecks in that port are numerous
Every pound of deep water commerce coming
TO Vera Cruz is lightered ashore No vessel OF
any size ever approaches the two little DOCKS,
which are built I from that shoIe- me ; HCl@
of Tightening is subject TO frequent interruptions
and those Interruptions are often OF long dUra-
ton during all of which time the vessels are
lying there under heavy expense. NotWlth-
standing this the deep sea commerce OF vera
Cruz is very large. There are several european
lines pIvinT steadily between Vera Cruz AMI the
old world and one line running Havana and
New York This shows that = large commerce
can be carried on by lighterage even under e1-
tremeIy unfavorable conditions.
Now comparing the handling OF deep sea com
merce at Vera Cruz with the handing OF the
same at Arkansas Pass, every point OF suYahtage
rests with the latter \ dock IL alreadJ con
templated at the head OF Mustang 1sIanu- lhis
dock will be within one mile OF water thirty tees
deem in the Gulf of Mexico, where thOUSauu
steamers of the largest size might lie AZ anchor
That anchorage is safer IN every way IMAM InaS
OF the port of Vera Cruz II We Ioo5 20 II@l 49, IS
,e-fsrr we
sea commerce is lightered q distance OF elght
miles from the outside Of the bar 10 the uScES OF
the citv Arkansas Pass would need 70 lShtsF
only one mile. Therefore, what Is PractlCAolS
at Galveston and Vera Cruz IS VaSIly niore 30 -
Arkansas Pass. -
What is tree at Vera Cruz is also true or every
other Mexican port. Every pound OF the GeSp
water commerce of the republic Is hahdl5u ~
lighters, and there is not from one enc p on nSr
sea coast TO the other, either upon the FaCluC
ocean or the gulf, q steamer To-Day WuiCn IAeS -
anchor at a dock The foreign commerce. %
more business with Europe than with the United
States The point wish 20 enforce, thereIofe'
is that we have at Arkansas FasS SIIeAuy' Soile-l
tions more favorable Tor the h3nqllnS " al ~
limited deep water commerce tnan exist any
where in Mexico or at the port OF cav
The great west and the great Empire StaTe OF
Texas need not wait for congress to act. Deep
water is already within our grasp Whsn we
can put the commerce OF this vast region ~
one mile Of the ships which wait TO receive IT, IL
is folly for us to sit with folded hands ana WalG
six or eight wears, while deep water u OelHS
obtained
years, while cOaxing congress IN 20 IesIlAs
private capital go to work a. Arkansas Fass; ~
is no difficult task to lighter gooqs one sno oa.
mile Galveston lighters mucn OF her cOnlLIlsso
eight times that distance. and Mexico ngnSers
all hers fully that distance. -
There is nothing in the world TO prevent OF
hinder the Immediate formation Of steamship
company upon n large scale to run oetWeen
Arkansas Pass and any deep water port OF VIC
very small and the sea OFF Arkansas Pass IS vastly
less caprcious than it is in the tropical ports or
Mexico or the stormy ones OF the N9rtn AtLA-LS,
There are few days throughout the year When
Tightening would be interrupted by storms upon
this part of the gulf coast
Now here is another of our great natural az
vantages, which needs only TO be improved oy
capital. intelligentIy used, IN order 70 orlng
prosperity to this entire section. we nave AZ
Corpus Christi dozen other natural advantages
which are Just now beginning to be appreciates
and improved, but which like these would oe
brain of man were applied to utilize them.
Arkansas Pass can be made deep water
port within six months. All that IS neeGeo -
the completion of q railway from corpus SnTlsSA
to Flower bluff, and thence to the head OF MUS
tang island, and the building OF a single dock az
the head of that island. All this can be done
within four months and at outlay not ex-
ceeding $500, 900. Steps are already Delns EisOr-
Gus taken to secure steamship faclllles. now
will the merchants, bankers, business men ahC
shippers of Texas and OF the great Northwest
sit with folded hands while congress Is delloer-
ating over deep water, when II Is P SI i,L
them to realize all of its lnlneasuraOIe aoVah-
tages without waiting for anybody ,apprOVat
or appropriation? The great advantages
of Arkansas Pass viii unquestlonaoly De
recognized by congress very soon, but all mat
tiers of legislation must be admitted TO De uncer-
tain both in the length of time involved and
the amount of the work settled upon. Arkansas
Pass can get deep water across lts par quleEer
than any other point in Texas. Not only TINS,
but when it is obtained 1t wlH furnlsn 2
smoother safer and better ha-bor than the pest
friends Of Galveston could POSSIBLY ci2lm Tor
that port. Galveston harbor is wholly exposed
on one side. and vessels lying at her dock are
often sunk during storms. But at Arkansas, the
harbor is so completely land locked, that rom
the deck of vessel it is Impossible 70 see any
opening either into the gulf or INTO the inner
bays No smoother or more completely
Iand-lock harbor is Imaginable, ana tne
accommodations are ample for the present
needs of commerce, and can, for the smallest
OUTLAY be extended to meet the requirements OF
q commerce as large as New York's. These ad-
vantages are becoming better and better known,
both to congress and the country every day, ana
we need not fear for the future OF Arkansas Pass
at the hands OF congress, but 1t Will De Wortn
hundreds of millions to Texas and the MOTH
west to save even one year in admitting deep
done without waiting for either the action or
con Sress or the completion of . single jetty-
can conceive of no subject more vitality con-
nected with the prosperity OF Texas ana the
Northwest than this.
The movement viii be inaugurated lnmeoi-
ateIy looking towards the utilizing OF these
great advantages possessed by Arkansas Pass
and not possessed by any other port on the guif
coast Now what are the business men and
property owners OF these great empire states go
ing to do about it? z. II. ROPES.