San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-10
Editorial Correspondence.
THE OPEN PORT: VELAs co.
The Work of the Syndicate Grows
Upon Ihem-An UnequaiIed Re-
cord for 90 days-The Future
City Shows its Skeleton.
VELAsCo. October Sth, 1891.

Daily LIGHf.
The slogan of the Brazos River Channel
and Dock company, Deep Water fact.
not promise" has evidently been heard
all over Texas and as far northwest as
Denver. and as far east as Baltimore.
The news journals of all North Texas. the
Denver journals, the Manufacturers
record of Baltimore, some Ohio and Kan
SaS journals. and even news papers in
Mexico and the Pacific slope have herald
ed that Long expected come at last, the
creation of ueep water port on the Gulf
coast of Texas. Too many SOundings have
been made upon that bar at the Mouth of
the Brazos, by men whose dollars were
waiting investment upon the result Of
such SOundingS, to admit o any reason
able doubt as TO the fact of deep water.
Too many vessels craving from sixteen
to eighteen feet of water have already
entered the river over that bar and
passed up it's tide to Nelasco to leave
a shadow of doubt that steamers drawing
eighteen feet of water can load at any
port in Christendom and clear for Velasco
with the utmost confidence in making
dock at their destination without lighter
age. This fact, so generally heralded, is
now accepted, and The attention Of mer-
chants and shippers is directed TO the
means of communication with the port
now opened and the facilities for handling
stated. a railroad is under construction
from VelaSco TO Chenango, the nearest
available railway point, some forty miles
distant, and this line completed, as IL will
be in three weeks, will give connection at
Houston with the great railway system of
the state. The iron for this road is en-
route, grading well advanced, and ties on
the ground. Surveys are being made of a
line from Chenango up the BrazoS valley,
which will open that incomparably fertile
region TO direct communication with this
port and tap every leading railway in the
state in It's extension. Government en-
glneerS are examining the distractions in
the river ana making estimate OF the cost
of removal and the opening of I stream
to light draught vessels as far up as
Hampstead The San Antonio and
Arkansas Pass survey from Gid
dingS to Nelasco is about COM
petpd. aud construction will be begun
as soon as practicable. The other great
railway lines are all within striking dis
lance and short constructions will give
them direct access TO the docks OF this
company. While this is being done, and
railway connections amply provided for,
the company is pushing dock building
with the same energy and celebrity that
has characterized all their operations
Their first dock Will be completed, ready
to receive freight as soon As the railway
connection is made, November LIST. These
docks are all to be traverSed by the tracks
of the NelaSco Terminal, and every APP
pliance will be puJ in operation for the
rapid discharge and loading OF vessels:
The deep river channel, more like canal
than liver bed. admits OF heavy draught
vessels coming directly inShOre and ans
charging cargo at the end of u gang plank,
and 800 vessels have discharged cargo in
this way at NelaScO since last JuLe.
I'll. h. -
now directing itself and upon which all
their vast resources are brought to bear
includes. besides this work of railway
and dock building, the Gaping of the jet
ties and the grading and paving OF the
streets, the building of electric lines of
street railway. waterwOrks, depOJs, and
all else necessary TO the cTea-
growth of such city as VelaScO
is certainly destined to become. In
addition to these the perfecting of the
enamel and the work aJ Surf Side will
command prompt attention. The crea-
tiOn of city even in Texas. miles away
from all railroad communication, is not
as easy AZ it may seem on paper, and 10
those who have been watching matters
here, the progress made in ninety days
has been phenomenal. Not less than
100000 feet of lumber have been landed
here and used up within ninety days and
100000 more will be used within the NJ Xt
three months. The brick yards are run
ming to their utmost capacity and the
lack Of building material, which has
greatly retarded construction, will soon
be a thing of the past.
The hotel accommodations are now
equal to anything in the state, and few
months more will see another hotel equal
~ as cOmmOdiOuS and as well equipped at
Surf Size, the coming sea side resort OF
Texas, only three miles distant from
VplaScO. and to he connected with it by
electric street railway.
All these enterprises are, however,
dwarfcd by the proposed Improvements in
the channel of the river itself, by which
the stream for ten miles from the mouth
of the jetticS will be Strengthened. its
banks protected from caving by any
vagaricS of the current in high water,
and the passage from the mouth of
the jettieS 10 the wharves at Nelasco
shortened. This work con-
templates an artificial river channel near
" one and Il quarter miles long, into
which the river will be turned, forming a
new bed for the stream, retaining con-
siderable body of valuable land, straight
ening the channel and greatly improving
its navigation. BY "A series of wing dams
in the cOncaveS of the lesser bends the
bed of the stream will be narrowed at
such points TO uniform width, causing q
more direct and rapid flow of the cur
rent and preserving and deepening the
stream within its prescribed limits. This
outlines, briefly and most imperfectly, the
work which this syndicate has cut out for
itself in the immediate future. No man
can tell TO what this thing will grow.
Every day sees an immense thrOng from
every state in the union seeking invest
ment for business and not for speculative
purposes. The certainties Of a great city
soon to be. and a wealth Of commerce to
be handled at this port of which the pres
mt gives but a glimpse, inciteS everyone