The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-08-04
DECIDED ADVANTAGES.
vELAsCO KNOCKS OUT WHARF M0N0P0-
LY ALONG THE COAST.
Shippers and Deep Draft Vessel Owners
Swear by the Young Giant at the Mouth
Of the Brazos. Facts Business Men
Should Read and Ponder Over.

and commerce that every enterprlsing
and intelligent business man in the
state and in the entire west believed
it would have and is making ridicu-
lOus the mouthings and pessimistic
prophesies of the croakers and moss
backs. Shippers and deep draft YES
sci owners are already looking with
longing eyes toward Velasco. They
KNOW with the unerring judgment of
keen business acumen that Velasco
harbor means money for them. The
shipper knows that the deep water at
the mouth of the Brazos means for
him emancipation from the bond
age of wharf monopoly and
lighterage charges, a consequent
saving of thousands of dol
lars every year, and the
owners of deep draft vessels know
that Velasco opens up to them bust
ness on the gulf coasG which has
hitherto been closed because their
vessels could not enter any harbor on
the Texas coast and receive cargo,
owing to the lack of water in other
Texas harbors to float them after re-
ceiving such cargo.
In corroboration of these statements
a contract has already been entered
into by the Brazos River Channel and
Dock company and Velasco Terminal
Railway company with parties in
Texas for the shipment this fall of
about 10000 tons of cotton seed meal
and oil cake.
An interview with Mr.. M. P. Nor
1isey, the traffic manager of the We
lasco Terminal railway, reveals the
fact that these shipments will begin
arriving here about August Is, and
will continue until about February,
1898. Mr.. Morrisey said there would
be about 100 carloads of the cotton
seed product for shipment through
this port, which would require
the carrying capacity of twenty
vessels, one-half steamers and one.half
sailing vessels to transport it to the
European ports for which it was des-
tined. The steamers will carry about
5000 tons per cargo and the sailing
vessels as low as 1900 tons, averaging
about 800 tons per vessel.
The Velasco Terminal railway COM
pany is now charging it's terminal
facilities by building double track
all along it's wharf front, and also will
erect sheds for the protection of it's
largely increased business. Mr.. Nor
risey also said there would be several
cargoes of cotton out of this port this
season, despite the fact that we are
yet without a compress and short on
screwmen.
That there will be a half million
bushel grain elevator erected here
this fall is now certainty. This is
now the only point on the Texas coast
where a grain elevator can be sue
cessfully operated. Grain buyers
in Europe have notified ship
brokers on the gulf coast that they
must never again lighter any portion
of a cargo of grain, which effectually
bars every port on the Texas coast ex-
cept Velasco and seriously interferes
with grain shipments at New Orleans.
The reason for these instructions from
European grain buyers is obvious. In
Tightening grain to vessel anchored
at sea, it is liable to, and often does,
become badly damaged by water,
and consequently is in very bad con-
dition when it reaches its destination.
Take Galveston for instance, as q
: grain shipping port on the Texas coast
1t is a we'll known fact that vessel
, can be loaded at the elevator in that
city to depth of only IA feet 6 inches
and then proceed across the bar; as
the government engineer in charge OF
the lefty work there reports that there
was no increase in the depth of water
across the bar during the last year,
! remrining still at 10 IA feet at mean
low tide, at which figure it has been
!. for the past three years. A vessel
loaded to IA feet inches has not full
cargo. 1t is absolutely necessary to
lighter the balance of the cargo, and
, as they cannot lighter grain, it be-
, comes necessary to complete the cargo
with cotton. That becomes expensive
1t requires about $500 bales to com.
plete such cargo. The wharf charges
at Galveston of 10 cents per bale makes
r $3.50, and added to the lighterage
charges'of so cents per bale, $3.50
, making total of $500, to say moth.
ing of the 800 per day charges fol-
over time for the vessel, occasioned by
rough weather, making it impossible
to carry lighter cargo 10 sea. How
many ship brokers are there who
would hesitate to pay $l0O Tor the eX
ira days time for that vessel to pro
coed from Galveston to Velasco and
complete it's cargo at the Velascc
wharf, where the wharf charges are
3 SO per cent less, and no lighterage
a making the total cost of finishing the
, cargo 1925, thereby saving $1275!
There are not many of them, even in
. Galveston, where local patriotism i;
l strong enough to cause them to glad
f ly pay $1275 on each vessel for the
: privilege of having it finish it's cargo
f from that city. Sentiment seldom
: enters into dollar and cents transac
) ton.
/ How long, then, will it be before t
: grain elevator is erected here, the
r only place on the Texas coast where 8
3 vessel can load with grain to it's full
+ capacity, without tightening, or where
' they can finish cargo of any produce
3 at one-sixth the cost of any other por
on this coast?
Aside from these positive and de
cided advantages, Velasco possesses
another which every freight steamer
| which enters the gulf trade will con
slider as paramount to all others. II
q, +ho 0root rtaa m onal alauotnr mbart