Wichita eagle., 1890-01-02
DEEP WATER IN TEXAS.
The Sabine Lake and River-The TOWN.
The Pass-The Engineers Report
The Great Storm-Too Much
One-Sided in Texas.
STEAMER PEARL RIVERS.

STEAMER PEARL RIVERS.
On THE SABINE, Dec. 81, 1889.
To the Editor OF the Eagle.
Since my last l have journeyed from
the western deep water" harbor a
Arkansas to the eastern line of Texas, tn,
great Sabine river, and am now CROSSING
the bar at the upper end Of Sabine Lake
The lake is about twenty miles long ant
twelve miles wide, a beautiful sheet O.
water with general depth of seven O
eight feet. Along its banks the landl
are low resembling very much the landl
around Galveston.
Two rivers enter this lake, the Sabine
and Nechez, both navigable but the Sa
bine much the larger. The principa
business on these rivers is in pine lum
Der, both the long and short leaf varie
ties, with considerable cyprus. This pine
region, in going eastward, is first struck
near Houston and increases in density
and size as we progress east. At Least
that is the outlook from the train on
the Southern Pacific, the thoroughfare
from Galveston to New Orleans. The
lumber is of good quality for general
building purposes, and much is trans.
ported to Galveston and other points,
both by rail and vessel. 1t is brought
down to ''the pass on barges. the one
towed by our boat having a capacity OF
zoo, 900 feet. The denizens tell me that
sea vessels carry as much as 800, 900 feet.
n,oxxyx- ~, .
At the foot of this little lake lies the
town of Sabine Pass. 1t is small vii
lage, of but few good houses-a hotel
and store comprising its business
places. The town was swept
a isth Of fy ootobes storm 1885, on wh aes
the people represent as cyclone not
likely to occur again in century. 1t is
said that the soil here will produce ire
mendously of vegetables of all kinds;
but to the casual passer-by there is little
to indicate that the people make much
effort on such experiments. The fact is,
that where Christmas can hardly be dis
by the temperature from the
Fourth of July, and cattle grow without
feed, and need only branding, there is no
great incentive to blowing and hoeing.
The second growth of watermelons still
cling to the vines, and tomatoes can be
picked fresh from the gardens, and roses
fresh adorn the Christmas dinner tables.
And Christmas is by no means over yet,
as is indicated by the crowds which
climbon and off at the depots, and gather
around them to hurrah as trains pass,
very largely composed of negroes, whose
enjoyment of Christmas in the south
always lasts week, with two or three
days to quiet down on and resume
work.
THE PASS.
From the town of Sabine Pass to the
ocean is what is known as ''the pass"
and IS eight miles long and an average
of one-fourth of a mile wide. Its
are represented as in the
shape of the letter S, and its depth thirty
feet, with depth at the town Of thirty
feet. At the entrance to the gulf the
pass wldens and the jetties commence
opening in funnel shape, and drawing it
to the width of 1000 feet, thus giving
force to the power of the water for
the clearing out of the channel. 1t is
claimed that the channel over the bar is
now about twelve and one-haf feet, and
that it has been much improved by these
jetties, demonstrating beyond a
the practicability of
water for the largest
class of vessels. The government
made few slight appropriations for this
work. ALI but the last claimed to have
been lost from their insignifcance; but
that now the work is on the highway to
success, and that it is the cheapest of all
entrances to the ocean. 1t is further
claimed that the bar is composed of a
soft mud formation, easily removed.
The government used boat with pro-
wheel in front which aided
@ bore its way through with the usual
propeller wheel for Its locomotIon.
THE ENGINEERS REPORT.
Much complaint is made of the engi-
leers' report. Of course this is to be
AIKEN with the usual degrees of allow
lnce for self-interest, and as the COM
nents of unscientific against scientific in
ormation. Among the comments might
70 recited some remarks anything but
complimentary. But forcible obeiec-
ion is made to the declarations of the
BOARD that the surroundings were
'marshy and subject to frequent over
iow," and ''the only suitable places for
labitation are upon small mounds or
idges." Said our captain pertinently:
They were not sent to build or even
ocate a city, and then continued quot
ng from the act of congress. but to re-
,ort as to the most eligible point or
POINTS for a deep harbor which
an be secured and matained in the
hortest time and at the least cost" This
Gems logical, in view of the further fact
hat the board admits that 1.-The bar diff
ers somewhat in material from similar
carnations at other points along the
,oast, being composed mainly of
oft alluvial," and that as a re-
ult of the work already done,
With slight appropriations the
sabine and Neches currents have in
reased the channel over the bar three
md half feet in depth. The captain
emarked that it was a better swamp
han Chicago. To add to the force of
hat remark, it may be suggested that
he first scientific explorers at Fort Dear
'orn reported that place as ''unsuited
or habitation;" and only thirty-five years
go the writer walked over the frail
wooden parements of that marsh when
t almost every step the water squirted
through them into his face. Neverthe-
ess Chicago is now the second city of the
Inion, contending with New York for
he worlds fair on the anniversary of the
our hundredth century of the discovery
f the continent by Columbus. viii the
ext generation read this report as we
cad the reports of Chicago, or laugh
t the reports Of the committee Of
octors who gave it as the opinion
f scientists that railroads could not be
I'm at rate over thirty miles an hour
With safety to health. To casual OBJ
erver. without science, there is large
urface suitable for habitation; and let
eep hartor be once established here or