Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-27
GREAT Is VELASCO.
1T WILL BE THE LARGEST CITY
IN TEXAS.
of His Own knowledge About
Genuine Deep Water Port.

Mr.. l., G. Wall, the well-known real es-
tate man, who has had wide experience in
| the way cities are made in Colorado and
\ Texas, returned yesterday from a ten days
| trip to Velasco, the only deep water port
| on the gulf. Mr.. Wall is enthusiastic, and
| when seen by a GAZETTE reporter cour-
| teously accorded an interview.
You have just returned from Velasco.
| What was the object of your yisita"
II had heard reports about the city and q
| number of my friends got me to go to We
lasco and make thorough Investigation OF
! the place and its prospects. l did not go to
| speculate"
How were you pleased?"
81 was well pleased, in fact, surprised,
| for the reports had received were under
and not over the mark. l took particular
pains during the ten days l was there to
carefully look into everything SO that [
could form mature judgment on the SUBJ
| ject. ! found the most extensive work be-
ing carried on by the BrazoS river channel
the neighborhood of s., 600, 900 in the work Of
and dock company, which has expended in
permanent improvements, and this amount,
spen. as it has been by private corpora
ton, has accomplished what the govern
mcnt would have had to expend 81, 000, 900
TO do. The company has built two jetties
about 5000 feet long, extending into the
gulf, which has given them ia feet Of
water. while when they began work they
had only four and a half feet. This was
obtained by natural forces. not by dredg-
ing; the current of the mighty BraZos does
the work and continues to deepen the chan
mel all the way to the deepest water in the
gulf 1t is estimated that the rise in the
river which occurs in the winter and
spring will give them ut least from twenty
to twenty-three feet Of water on the bar
The depth of water on either side of the
bar is from twenty-three to twenty-five
feet, and the depth of the Brazos river
from the bar to Velasco is from twenty-five
to fifty feet. The width of the river is from
400 to 600 feet. / took the soundings and
made the measurements myself. ] do not
give these figures from hearsay.
The day before / left there was, l under
stood, contract closed for 5000 carloads of
stone to be used in Gaping the jetties.
This stone will be delivered as soon as the
road is completed, which will be November
l. Two cargoes of cement are already ON the
ground Velasco has been declared port
of refuge for ocean-going vessels by the
secretary of the interior on account of there
being four and q half feet more water than
at Galveston. Vessels are also allowed to
discharge cargoes at Yelasco. The port is
at present under control CT the collector of
customs ct Galveston, but will soon have a
collector OF its own.''
"Where is VelaSco2n
lit is three and half miles from the
mouth of the BrazoS river on high bank
about twelve feet above the sea level, and
is located in a beautiful grove of trees. The
town site never overflows. At present there
is population Of about one thousand peo-
pie, but this number will soon be multiplied
many times. Boat loads of people are COM
ing in daily via Galveston and Columbia
a great many houses are going up, the
cheerful sound of the hammer and saw be-
ing heard continually. 1t reminded me Of
Fort Worth when we could not build houses
fast enough. A lUO-room hotel, four
stories, has just been completed. 1t will
be opened on October by the well-known
hotel men, Hodges and Benson, former pro-
prietors of the lamented Ellis hotel. This
is guarantee Of what may be expected in
the way of hotel accommodations.
THE hotel is heated by steam and lighted
by electricity
"How will Velasco be fixed for rail-
roadsl'i
1.-The grade on the Brazos and Northern
from Velasco TO Chenaugo Is about COM
pleted, the ties are on the ground and the
steel Is on the road. This road, according
to contract, is to positively be completed
by November ], 1891. This road gives con-
nection with the International and Great
Northern and by it with the railroad sys-
tenn of the state. The San Antonio and
Arkansas Pass and the Missouri, Kansas
and Texas both have engineering corps in
the field, and it is stated by reliable au-
thority that they are heading towards We
lasco. There is now under construction