San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-22
Editorial Correspondence.
VOLUME OF BRAzos WATER.
A Long River and a Strong Flow
Brazos and the Mouth OF the
Mississippi - Conditions Re-
markably FaVorable-Ex-
pert Testimony Most
Encouraging.
VELAsCo, Aug. 20, 1891.

All interest in deep water upon the
Gulf coast OF Texas seems to have cen
tered here, where vessels drawing
from Is to Is feet come daily over the
bar at all stages of water, and where
assurance grows assured that 20 feet
will be gained and ma intaine ed with
in the next four or five months. The
universal expression Of those who,
from all parts of this and ad Joining
states, visit this region, is one of un-
mixed astonishment at the volume of
the Brazos water. The ride by boat
from Columbia, 40 miles up stream, is
revelation and serves to cor
rect more erroneous impressions
than any array OF printed facts pos
sibly could. Instead of finding a
sluggish stream all shadows and
bars, with occasional water holes,
they find q strong flowing stream
from two hundred to three hundred
yards wide, main tanning depth of
twelve feet almost the entire distance
to Columbia, notwithstanding the
very low stage of water. They learn
that Tor four weeks unin terrupted
navigation has been maintained over
this waterway, and that were IL not
for snags and other distractions the
steamer could readily a. cend another
forty miles up river. They see as
they approach it's mouth evidences of
increasing depth. and those who, de-
termined 10 push investiga ion to the
end, take tug for the mouth of the
jetties, find strong current setting
out into the Gulf which fire.
quently attslns a velocity of seven
miles an hour. Having gathered
all the information possible as
an eyewitness one naturally turns to
any other source of information posi-
BILE. With a map of Texas spread out
before him he traces the meanderiDg
OF the stream into the very heart of the
state, and well towards the borders
OF New Mexico finds 1t taking its rise
in the Llano Estacado, its head near
" one thousand miles from its mouth,
measured by its windings. This riv-
er drains an area as large as the state
OF Indiana and debouches boldly In to
the Gulf of Mexico in one solid stream,
there being no delta at its mouth, un.
der more favorable conditions tor
jeJty structure than are found any
where else on the Gulf coast, not
excepting the passes of the Misis-
sippi
f, l.. Corthell, the engineer associa-
ted with Eads in opening the mouth
of the Mississippi, in making his re-
port to President Lee, of the. Brazos
River Channel and Dock company,
two years since, affirmed that the Is
feet curve off the mouth of the
BraZos on the outer slope of the
bar was practically the same that
il was 80 years ago, Notwithstanding
there is an aggregate of 9, 900, 900 Gu bic
yards of sediment annually discharg-
ed, and that, in fact, the Brazos bar
was then no nearer the shore than ii
was in 1858. The flood season, or
duration of sedimentary discharge in
the river, continues during eight
mouths of the year. The descent of
the river over 20 miles of its lower
course is one foot to the mile; its vol
ume of discharge at mean stage Is
10000 cub'c feet per second; its maxi
mum discharge double that amount,
and it's velocity Al feet per second.
The amount OF sediment it contains
in high stage of water is about the
same as the Mississippi. The report
referred to above says: "1f compar:-
son is made between the conditions
existing at the mouth of the BraZos
river, and those at the South Pass of
the Mississippi river and at the Sulina
branch of the Danube, the comparl-
son would be favorable to the
Brazos." And yet the South Pass of
the Mississippi and the Sulina branch
of the Danube are the only places
where jetties have been successfully
maintained. The Brazos is somewhat
smaller than South Pass but larger
than the Sulina branch of the DAN
ube, and has q slope of
gulf bottom outside of the bar,
and littoral currents almost
identical with those Of the latter port.
The Brazos River is 600 ieet wide;
depth of water proposed "a feet,
width of jetty go feet, and area 10000
square feet. The South Pass jetty
channel is $50 feet wide, depth of
channel "a feet and area in square
feet Is, 900. This shows the area of
the Brazos jetty channel TO he one
third less than that of South Pass,
Mississippi river, which is entitled to
one of the first places among the
ports of the world. At the mouth of
the Danube the engineers report less
likelihood of extending the piers sea-
ward than there was fourteen years
ago. The jesties here stopped in Is
feet of water, and a depth of 20 1-2 is
maintained. The sue
cess of the jetties at South Pass as
also at the mouth of the Danube is
partly due to the littorsl current. OF
this littOral current Corthell says,
"Tbe matter of being able to main