San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-23
ROPES PASS.
WHAT CAPTAIN MITCHELL SAYS
OF THE OPERATIONS THERE.
The Brownsville and Corpus Christi
Road - Artesian Waters-Alta
Vista Hotel - The Electric
MISUNDERSTANDING Opera
tions-The Work Con-

MISUNDERSTANDING Opera
tions-The Work Con-
tempIated, Etc.
Capt. Mitchell, of the Port Arkansas
company, Corpus Christi, who has
been in town for a day or two, left
yesterday evening for the Boerne
hills. Col. E. H. Ropes came up with
him from the sea coast. but they
parted company here, the Colonel
going on to New York upon business
connected with the operations of the
company. Col. Ropes was too busy
and train time too near, to admit OF
any protracted conversation with him,
but a LIGHT represen tative corralled
Capt. Mitchell before he got away
and elected some matters that may
be of interest to the public.
After interchanging condolences
| over the excessive heat, the Their
mometer being then about 100 in the
shade, Capt. Mitchell was asked:
How about your Corpus Christi,
Brownsville and South American
railway? Have you commenced
work in earnest and have you your
line all located?n
To which he replied-"All located,
and grading has commenced at the
Brownsville end. We will construct
that road as rapidly as the material
can be brought forward, and that
will be the only draw back, the in
convenience of landing material.
We will let that interfere with our
work, however, as little rs
possible, as We intend to have it run
ming just as soon as grading can be
done and track laid; you may rest as
sured no time will be lost.
Does your line run through any
towns or business centers?
mo. The first forty miles out of
Brownsville the line passes through
a quite thickly settled section, the
rest of the way through large ranches;
but every mile of it Is through very
fertile region, the very cream of the
cotton and corn lands of southwest
Texas, and valuable far rs will be
opened all along the road"
What progress are you making
with your electric railway in Corpus
Christi?
Good work is going right along
and we are not letting grass grow un-
der our feet, as we are under contract
to complete it to the camp-meeting
grounds, six and one-half miles down
the bluff, by September, and it must
be done"
What progress are you making ON
your town site?
Satisfactory. The foundations for
fn OF FOL lafI l.
will be con tinued without Interrupt
ton. This hotel will be completed
late this fall and there will be moth
ing finer on the coast. 1t will be
quite original in design and no ex-
pense Is going to be spared to make it
complete in every particular. Stand
ing in the center of the park, skirting
the bay, 1t will have most COM
handing situation, the grounds will
be charming, and the Improvement is
modern in every particular. 1t will cost
complete about $l25, 900 and will have
LOG guest rooms We are boring for
artesian water within 500 feet of the
hotel and at $50 feet have struck an
inexhaustible supply, good for every
thing but drinking purposes, and
possibly fit for that. The water is
found in a twelve-foot strata, and
there is no limit to the supply. /
have some of the water now under
going analysis. We propose to go
Gown much deeper however, and see |
if flowing we'll is not practicable"
You are still at work cutting out |
the old Corpus Christi channel across
Mustang island? What is the copdi- !
ton of that work?
We are now half way across the is-
land. Progress has not been as rapid
as at first owing to nature of the is
land formation. Much more clay has
been met with than was anticipated,
and of far sitter quality. This clay
has tonghened as the dredge boat has
until we are now working
in stiff clay that cuts like old cheese
and does not show the least DISPOSE
ton to cave. While our progress Is
slower it is more satisfactory, because
the clay gives assurance of perman-
ency without revetting. Cap. Butts,
who has charge of our dredging oper-
atoms has been at Arkansas Pass for
eleven years and knows Mustang Is
land thoroughly and he says there is
not teaspoonful of quicksand on it.
He expects to find sand and shell
from the center of the island to the
gulf shore of the island, with clay
bottom dipping at the coast to a
depth of possibly twenty-five feet.
BY chart measure we will reach
thirty feet of water in from 5000 to A.
700 feet from the outer edge OF Mus
tang island, and the length of jettie
and amount of revetting will depend
anon circumstances When Our |