San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-04
DEEP WATER PROGRESS.
The Work at Ropes Pass-Progr ess
Made TO Date-Operations Con-
ducted-Results to be OBJ
tained-Not an Untried
Experiment.
CORPUS CHRISTI. June 2.


Daily LIGHT.
The work at Ropes Pass is being
pushed forward vigorously. A large
force of teams have cut away the
hills and the high ground ahead of
the dredge. These teams are now
within so feet OF the gulf. This is
being done for the purpose OF dim
inlshing the amount of work to be
accomplished by the dredge.
Indications constantly multiply,
that this is the spot where Corpus
Christi Pass formerly went out into
the gulf from Corpus Christi bay.
The site of the present works was
located because OF numerous surface
indications of similar purport. The
dredge is now bringing up out Of the
bottom of the channel, large quanti-
ties of per. ect sea shells;some of these
are of kind which the boatmen
about these waters say they have
never before seen.
Ropes Pass is situated at point
opposite the middle of Corpus Christi
bay, where the deep-water curves in
Corpus Christi bay come the nearest
to the deep-water curves in the Gulf
of Mexico. Tradition has it that when
Corpus Christi Pass was upon or near
this spot, there were "a feet OF water
upon the bar, This is doubtless true,
for it is we'll known that there was
once 20 feet of water upon Arkansas
bar, when Arkansas Pass was located
miles north of its present position
and opposite the foot of Arkansas bay;
L. l. Of nj inf
very much less than Into Corpus,
Christi bay. Corpus Christi bay is
the finest tidal basin upon the gulf
coast. If there were "a feet Of water
maintained upon this spot without
artificial aid ii may safely be assumed
that dredging, revetting and jettying
will add at least six feet to that
depth, when once this Pass Is re-
opened.
People who are not informed upon
engineering matters, may suppose
that the work at Ropes Pass Is with
out parallel, but this Is a mistake.
A similar canal was cut across the
"Hook of Holland" from the river
Mas in Holland, by which the port
of Rotterdam is now furnished an
outlet into the sea, which makes 1t
seaport OF great magnitude. This
was accomplished by dredging across
the dry land and running out jetSies
into the sea, just as lie proposed at
Ropes Pass.
Tie jetties at Ropes Pass will be-
shorter and consequently less expen-
sive than at any point upon the
Texas coast. The distance to thirty
feet of water Is about 1000 feet. This
is about one-half the distance to
thirty feet of water at Arkansas Pass
and is less than one-sixtb the dis
lance to similar depth at Galveston
This will reduce the cost of obtaining
deep water at this point over that re-
quired at any other point and will
also effect 8 most valuable saving in
point of time.
There is DO noise or excitement
being created over this work as the
first cut nears its completion, but on
the contrary, the people of this section
are apparently soundly sleeping,
while work is being pushed forward
under their very noses, which 1s OF
the greatest Importance not only to-
them, but to the state of Texas and,
the great northwest.
The first cut will give about 10 feet
of water from bay to Gulf, and chan
mel width of only so feet. When the
waters Of the Gulf and bay are per-
mitted to rush back and forth through
this channel with each tide, the
SECURING" will be very heavy, and
the channel will be widened and
deepened by the currents, more rapid
ly than 20 dredges could do it. The
dredge will then be run back and
forth through the cut, which is about
10000 feet long, deepening it with
each trip she makes, and:this, added
to the action of the currents, will
greatly and steadily increase the size
of the channel until it Is able to re-
ceive and accommodate commerce OF
the deepest draught. Jetties will
also be thrown out into the Gulf to
the 80 foot depth. These will be
built of stone and be permanent, solid
structures.