Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-24

six thousand feet in length, down the river
and out over the bars. Part of the time we
were at places inside those jetties where
the water was from twenty-five to forty
feet deep. and l saw it measured AS
some of the gentlemen, members of this
convention saw, I with this right hand
threw down the line, for l did not know
but what in these days of schemes and
schemers there might not be quite so much
water there as was doomed. Laughter
At one place, where ten years ago, know
to my own personal knowledge, between
the ietties there was not more than five
feet of water, it measured twenty-Six and 4
half feet of water. To make it absolutely
sure, l had an expert engineer to throw
the line, because my measuring might
not pass MUSTER before a board
of United States hydraulic engineers.
Sometimes even they make mistakes.
not only in fact but in prophesy. The
point which want to impress upon you is
that the government has recogniZed-not
its engineers-the fact that deep water
might possibly be obtained ut the mouth of
the Brazos river. 1 have the law here upon
this subject recognizing the fact, and Civ
ing by an act of congress certain privileges
and immunities that belong to deep sea
harbors; providing, when they get to
twelve feet, certain privileges, and when
they get eighteen feet of water and the
ietties are constructed according to the
ment will pay back every cent of the money
that has been expended and take charge Of
the work. But the government, of course,
never will take charge Of it until its engi-
neers go upon that water with sound and
lead and know that they have the water.
1t is there now, seventeen and half feet
over the bars.
Something has been said about the char
acter of the jetties. l am not here to de-
fend Velasco any more than Arkansas or Sa-
bine Pass. Now want to say to you, gem
tlemen, as TO those jetties, that the man
who built tkem was the right hand coun-
Sellor OF Eads, that great engineer, whose
friendship 1 shall never forget while life
lasts; man whose work will not be for
gotten or soon pass away from the memory
of man. This man, Corthell, was his
trusted and favorite engineer. You men of
New Orleans, listen to me now, and you
will corroborate the statement that it was
Corthell who had charge of the construc-
sion of the jetties at the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi river, and he is the engineer who
made these specifications and under whose
charge these jettieS were constructed at
the mouth of the Brazos river. They are
made upon exactly similar plans and speci-
hcations, only wider and deeper-Velasco
calls the whole world to go there and see
for themselves. Steamer after steamer,
day after day, from Galveston and down
the river, is going there and seeing il for
themselves. Those jetties are superior, il
anything, in construction to those at the
mouth of the Mississippi river; they ara
made exactly after its Plan, only wider at
the base. Anyhow, they produce deep
water
The Brazos river channel and dock COM
pany commenced work on the jetties March
%, 1889, and specifications prepared by Mr.,
e. G. Corthell, G. E.
These plans contemplated twenty three
feet of water when jetties should be COM
pleJed.
Length of ietties, $500 feet, width be-
tween ietties, $50 feet.
Water. on the bar March %, 1883, AZ feet
deep; March l, 1889, 10 feet; December /,
1890, Is feet; March l, 1891, Is feet; July l.
1891, 49, feet; September 1, 1891, II feet;
October 1, 1891, 175< feet.
First vessel, brig Atlanta, sailed through
the ietties July 9, 1891, drawing fifteen feet
of water.
The city of velasco was laid out July
l, 1891.
September l. 1891.
Let me say another thing. The statement
has been made that this channel will be
filed up 1t is no concern to congress: the
government has not paid cent. 1t is no
drain upon you, the Taxpayers. 1t has
been done by private enterprise, by the
pluck and push of Western men, the Far
wells and Taylor's, who came down and
built SC, eco, 600 capitol for Texas, and who
were paid in lands 5000, coo acres) that the
state owned. And they went down 20 the
mouth of the Brazos, and this great engi-
neer under Eads said the plans and specifca-
tons of Eads would succeed there. And
they adopted them and placed 81, 500 900 in
the work They tell me that with these
plans and specifications this deep water has
been obtained. Their estimate is, when
FULLY completed, within six months from
this date, twenty-three feet of water will
be obtained. That is the prediction Of
Corthen and his associates, who were the
right-hand councillors Of the great Eads,
who like gallant knight has crossed the
river of death and is on the other and better
shore.