Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-03
DEEP WATER A FACT.
THE TOPEKA CONVENTION.
BRAZOS AT TOPEKA.
What Has Been Accomplished Since Then.
Brazos the Only Bar That Has Been Re
mored-Brazos Deep Water Port.


Topeka Geepwater convention by one OF the
great railway constructors Of Texas, 1t IS
of little importance to ne where you get
deep water. Only get it, and l will
build to II as soon as YOU can
get the water This statement
covered the whole ground. II
voiced the sentiment OF the great trans
Mississippi region. Deep water on the
gulf coast of Texas was the one thing
sought When found there would be 10
trouble about making railway connections
with that point. Deep water in the shortest
time and for the least money was the key
note that was sounded in that convention.
The where and the how and by what
agency secured We're of secondary import
auce. Sabine Pass. Galveston and Arkansas
Pass were all pressing their claims before
that convention. and demand was made
for the concentration of efforts and govern
ment appropriations at one point, IN or
der that work might be pushed 10
is speedy i conclusion as possible,
and the great Northwest saved the long
haul TO the sedboard Not upon the floor Of
that convention, but quietly al his rooms III
the hotel, one of the incorporators Of the
Brazos river channel ana dock company
was showing plans for the proposed
Improvement OF the mouth Of the
BrazoS: work declared i'm practicable by
the United States government engineers,
and abandoned by the government upon
their recommendation. Galveston was III
dorsed as the point at which the appropra-
tions of the government should be concen-
trated, and the convention united III urging
Il congressional appropriation of Al least,
81. 0OU0UO for the work. Arkansas Pass
asked for and secured the Endorsement Of
the convention for the privilege of improve
ment by private capital. Both recommeM-
dations were adopted BY congress. Gal
weston secured deep water hdrDor appro-
| y
was permitted TO 90 10 work I'M
trammeled by the government
engineers Sabine Pass was left to the reg
ular appropriation Of government supple
mented by the local funds raised by inter
ested lumberInen, who desired more rapid
prosecution OF the work than the govern
ment appropriations made possible The
mouth Of the BraZOS was not so much Is
thought Of This was the condition Vi
things al the close Of the iOpek. cOuveE-
ton
Two years have passed. Galveston bar
has practically no greater depth of wafer
on il than il had then. but the channel has
narrowed ami the bar has gone seward.
Dredging operations nave ceased at the
Sabine, and the water Oh the bar there has
Swallowed two feet Nothing has been done
at Arkansas Pass, and its future IS Uucer-
tain. What has been done a the
MOUTH or THE BIAZOs.
Two ietties. a6O feet apart have been
constructed to the crest of the bar. one
mile from the old mouth of the river. ter
minating in twenty-five feet of water.
These jett.eS are substantial. constructions
of brush mattresses. weighted with clay and
shell and secured by triple rows Cf heavy
niliur Having settled beyond all reasonable
probability of farther subsistence. they are
now being capped with solid stone ana con
crete, and this work completed there is
every reason 70 conclude that the Jatties
will stand the CncrOachmCutr OF sea and
the assaults Of storms for generations 10
come The initeration Of the river
mud as fast as the mattresses We're
laid has prevented the work Of the
t0rado and the timber has not suffered from
the ravageS of this enemy to all gulf coast
constructions. The crest Of the bar Is
scarcely ship length across, and the chan
mel inside quickly deCpens 10 twenty feet
low tide is given BY the engineers upon the
work at about seventeen feet. but no sound
ingS taken ny outside parties during the
past ten days, and there have been a
score of them, report less than Is feet and
in some instances 20 feet. The latter depth
was reported by Galveston parties. who
cannot be accused of unuue partialitE To
this location. The depth Of channel deep
ems from the bar until Just within the old
mouth of the river, where a depth of AZ
feet Is found. II Is confidently eX-
pected that the depth OF water on
the bar Will be IGcreaoed 10 %
feet by lie close OF this year, anu once over
the bar vessels drawing that depth OF
water can sal! or steam up the river FOR seF-
eral miles and safely make their docks at
Nelasco, four miles up the river.
where all overflow Dy coast storms IS IN
possible
When work was commenced on these Jet
tics there was five feet OF water on the
bar. To-day steamer drawing eighteen
feet can come over the bar and
make her landing at NelaSco without the
least detention. Passing up the river one
sees huge piles of broken stone for con
crete work piled up - intervals along the
bank. These stones were discharged
from vessels drawing over sixteen
feet Of water. the depth OF channel inshore
permitting the discharge OF cargo as readily
as though lying alongside OF dock All the
river needs is the construction OF dociiS
anywhere for six miles up stream to ac-
Commodate such commerce as Texas mas
never dreamed of
There IS no more question OF the facts
stated above concerning deep water opera
tions here than of any other demonstrated
fact. Day after day the Light representa-
tive, who has visited this point for the sole
purpose of ascertaining the actual con
dition of things, has passed up and
down the river, made soundingS himself
a eo3e mads 5a6 ] the ssd Tss s cCm P5
~ no a -.llT