San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-05
VELAsCo, Sept. 8, 1891,

I'AlLl LlJhl.
Most rapid are the changes that
ave one week brings forth in this
center OF activities. This great State
of Texas, and sister states as well,
seem suddenly to have realized that
the deep water port so long looked
for on the Gulf coast Of Texas has at
last been found. In this realization
all kinds and conditions of men have
come here desiring to see and deter
mine for themselves. OF course, the
speculative spirit is rampant and
some buy only to sell again, while
the great majority, thoroughly con-
viaced of the permanent nature
of the port improvements, are making
investments for future business, and
shrewdly calculating where the best
business streets aud of the
great city, go soon TO grow, are likely
to DE. 1t is not of these things that
this letter is to treat. but rather of
the conditions sur -ounding the q
port itself. Previous letters have
spoken specifically of deep water as Q
ract, of the volume of river flowing
through tho ~jetties to the sea, and
The facilities for handling commerce.
In this letter attention is directed to
the security afforded vessels loading
and unloading at this port; to It's ad-
vantageous location-just at that
point where existing lines of railway
can converge most readily, and in the
center OF q vast region unsurpassed
in the natural fertility Of its soil.
The location of this port, five miles
I'D the river from Its mouth, and On
banks never overlooked by tidal
waves, or river rise; located, also, OH q
stream unaffected ny gulf gales, for
ever insures the vessels trading here
from damage by sea or storm while
receiving or discharging cargo.
Velasco is not OF a bay shore over
which sweeping gales raise heavy
a nor is it situated on an arm of
the gulf, q wide mouth opening to the
sea and exposing 1t tn the violence
of the gulf winds, but some miles
from the mouth of ~jetties them
selves but $50 feet apart, up a deep
channel, between well defined
DdIhS III ho pioSC hiuSh bhOh
apart than the ~jetties themselves.
Once a vessel reaches the mouth
of the jetties and enters she is safe
and this entrance is as easy and natur-
al as possible, the ~jetties opening
in the direction at the prevailing gulf
winds. All that a sense of absolute
security can do to induce shippers and
shipmasters 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 com
modious docks, stretching inland
and along both sides of the river will
await the shipmaster with every
modern appliance for rapidly dis
charging freight and transferring 1T
without breaking bulk to the remot-
est railway station of this great west.
The location of the port Of Velasco
reduces the difficulty of making port
to a minimum, and affords absolute
security to ship and cargo once
the mouth of the river is made.
When commercial agents are &C
uuainted with these facts, and have
demonstrated with what ease and
safety port can be made and cargo dis
charged and received here these very
advantages will speak loudly in it's
favor.
FACILITIES FOR RAIL COMMUNICA-
TON.
Ont of the world, as those who have
never studied the lay of the land may
consider VeIasco, 1T is nom the less
at the very door of the railway lines of
the state, as the following facts will
show. Velasco, as yet without any
railway communication with the tut
side world, though 1t will not be in
sixty days from date, is only twenty
miles from the tracks of the Interna-
tionaI and Great Northern at Alva.
A construction of 80 miles would
bring the Santa Fe road to the mouth
of the Brazos. The Southern Pacific
lines are only AZ miles away at Pierce
junction. The Arkansas Pass lines
are about IS miles distant, and survey
of route is being made. The M. K. d
It. is one hundred miles off at Bog
CIV; and, at Houston, only hfty-five
miles distant, connection is made
with thirteen different roads, offering
choice of routes as far northwest as
Seattle, and into all the great grain
region Of the country. The country,
from its natural conformation within
a distance OF u or two hundred
miles from VelascO, is admirably
adapted to railway construction at
minimum cost, and connection with
the Union Pacific and Rock Island
systems up the valley of the Brazos
would be very readily made. East,
northeast, north, northwest, west,
and southwest lines of communities