Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-01
A SAFE SEAPORT
Z
A Land-Locked Harbor Secure
from Storms.
PLENTY LAND FOR A BIG CITY,
Telasco Better Than a Land-Locked Rar-
bor--AbsoIute Security Inside the jet
ties-Unequaled Facilities for Ran
Connection-Tributary Country.


San Antonio Light.
| Most rapid are the changes that even one
| week brings forth in this center of actiyi-
| ties. This great state of Texas, and sister
| states as well, seem suddenly to have reali-
| zed that the deep water port so long looked
| for on the gulf coast of Texas has at last
| been found. In this realization al KINDS
and conditions of men have come here de-
| string to see and determine for themselves.
| OF course the speculative spirit is rampant
and some buy only to sell again, while the
| great majority, thoroughly convinced of the
| permanent nature of the port improve
| mentS, are making investments for future
| business and shrewdly calculating where
| the best business streets and corners OF the
| great city, so soon to grow, are likely to be.
1t is not of these things that this letter is to
| treat, but rather of the conditions surround
| ing the seaport itself. Previous letters
| have spoken specifically of deep water as a
fact, of the volume OF river flowing through
| the jetties to the sea, and the facilities for
handling commerce. In this letter attcn-
ton is directed to the security afforded
vessels loading and unloading al this port,
TO its loc2tion--just at the point where cX-
isting lines of railway can converge most
readily, and III the center of vast region
unsurpassed in the natural fertility of its
soil.
The location of this port, five miles up the
river from its mouth. and on banks never
overlooked by tidal waves or river rise;
located also on a stream unaffected by gull
gales. forever insures the vessels trading
here from damage by sea or storm while
receiving or discharging cargo. Velasco is
not bay shore over which sweeping gales
raise heavy seas, nor is it situated on an
arm of the gulf, 4 wide mouth opening to
to the sea and exposing it 10 the violence OF
the gulf winds, but some miles from the
mouth of the ietties, themselves but $50
nm OH haty Ix-nll
defined banks in no place much further
apart than the jetties themselves. Once
vessel reaches the mouth of the jetties and
enters she is safe, and this entrance is as
easy and natural as possible, the jettieS
opening in the direction of the prevailing
gulf winds. All that sense of absolute
security can do to induce shippers and ship
masters to clear for any port will lead them
TO this newly created deep water port
within the Brazos river. Once within the
river, miles OF commodiouS docks, stretch
ing inland and along both sides of the
river will await the shipmaster with
every modern appliance for rap
idly discharging freight and trans
ferring it without breaking bulk to
the remotest railway stations of the great
West. The location of the port OF Nelasco
reduces the difficulty of making port to
minimum, and affords absolute security to
the ship and cargo once the mouth of the
acquainted with these facts, and have dem
onstrated with what ease and safety port
can be made and cargo discharged and re-
ceived here, these very advantages will
speak loudly in its favor.
FACILITIES FOR RAIL COMMUNICATION.
Out of the world, as those who have never
studied the lay Of the land NAV consider
Velasco, it is none the less at the very door
of the railway lines of the state, as the fol-
lowing facts will show: Velasco, as yet
without any railway communication with
the outside world, though it will not be in
sixty days from date is only twenty miles
from the International and Great Northern
at Alvin. \ construction of thirty-two
miles would bring the Santa Fe road to the
mouth of the Brazos. The Southern Pacific
lines are only forty-two miles away at
Pierce Junction. The Arkansas Pass lines
are only about seventy-five miles distant
and survey of route is being made. The
Missouri. Kansas and Texas IS only 100
miles o. f at Doggy, and at Houston, only fifty
five miles distant, connection is made with
thirteen different roads, Offering choice of
routes as far west as Seattle, and into all
the great grain region Of the country. The
country from it's natural conformation
within distance of one or two hundred
miles from Felasco, is admirably adapted to
railway construction at minimum cost, and
connection with the Union Pacific and Rock
Island systems up the wales of the Brazos
would be very readily made. East, north
east north, northwest, west and southwest
lines of communication could by naturally
established without any lengthy construc-
tions. 1t is true some of these lines would
be indirect, but they would answer all pur-
poses of present commerce, and as that
commerce increased would naturally give
way to more direct and shorter mail routes.
No port on the gulf coast could be opened
presenting as great facilities for rapid con-
nection with the existing railway lines Of
the Southwest as Velasco presents.
TRIBUTARY COUNTRY.
The richest cotton and sugar lands in the
world lie within easy reach of Velasco. The
whole Brazos valley, unsurpassed any
where for the richness of its soil, naturally
pours its treasure into the lap of the port
opened at its mouth. This stream could be
made navigable for over 200 miles from the
gulf, and all along its way an immense COM
merce would be opened. The great grain
fields of Northwestern Texas, capable in
themselves Of supplying the nation with n
bread, will find their natural outlet through
this port. The 100000 cotton bales andu-
ally exported from Texas would reach Kew
York and Europe through the seapdft of
this state, Instead of some other State,
were the facilities presented, and Che IA
cilities are here at Velasco. Texas alone
in her cotton, wheat, wool, meat and corn
shipments will astonish the world withinA
another decade, and these shipments are
to find their natural outlet at the most GEN.
trally located, safest and cheapest seaport
on the gulf coast. That seaport is GER
tainly the one now opened at the |
mouth of the Brazos. With the adj
vantage of water freights secured, millions
of acres now lying idle on account OF re-
moteness from market, yet within one or
two hundred miles Of this port, will be
brought under speedy cultivation and the
products of this region marvelously multi
Piled No richer field is open to the agri-s
culturist anywhere throughout this whole
itself. and these lands are to-day as cheap
as they are fertile. A few years more and
their value will be increased teu-fold.