The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-09
GALVESTON hARBOR.


GALVESTON HARBOR.
| Wonderful Jetties to BE Constructed for
tho Purpose of Securing Deep Water.
| One of the greatest engineering feats
of modern times is the construction of
the wonderful jetties built to secure
| deep water for ocean steamers in the
bay at Galveston. Anyone who never
saw these jetties at Galveston has no
idea of the magnitude of this scheme
to get deep water From 1870 until
| four years ago the United States gov
eminent has been letting contracts in
termittently for this work. Each ap-
preparation would be something like
one hundred thousand dollars. When
that amount was expended there would
be long delay until another appro-
priation was made, and little good re-
suited from the work. In 1891 Uncle
Sam took the bit in his teeth and de-
termined to rush things. He entered
into a contract for six million, two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars OK
work. The contractors have already ex-
pended about four million dollars and
say they will require one million eight
hundred thousand dollars more.
There are two jetties, known as the
north and south jetty. The south
jetty begins at the north end of CAL
weston island and runs in a northeast
erly direction thirty-two thousand
right hundred feet, or six and two
Yenths miles. When it is completed
it will be seven miles long. The. north
jetty starts at Bolivar peninsula,
and is now built for four and one
two miles apart at the shore end,
gradually approach each other as they
run into the gulf, so that at the water
end there is but a narrow channel and
a sort OF funnel is formed. Within the
bay thus formed the water is suffi-
GENTLY deep for the safe anchorage OF
the largest ocean steamers, but near
the head, or small end, of the funnel
these jetties make sand bar. It has
been growing in recent years, and
there was great fear that big vessels
would be shut out of the harbor.
This is the simple duty the jetties
are supposed to perform: Whe the
tide comes up into the bay it comes
from deep water and brings little
sand. When it goes out through the
narrow channel formed by the jetties
the current is naturally stronger and
swifter, the water is more shallow,
and it carries the sand into the sea In
few words, this is the plan of the
ietty-makers. In addition the jetties
make safe harbcr within their
bounds The sea never runs high
there That portion OF the jetties
nearest the shore is made of ordinary
limestone; further out it is made of
granite taken from Granite mountain,
at Marble Falls, Tex These jetties at
the top win average about fifteen feet
in width, at the base about one hun
dred feet They are on an average
eighteen feet deep Try TO form
an idea of the amount of stone
that has gone into this work! The
quarries at Granite mountain have been
sending to the Galveston jetties twen-
ty carloads of thirty tons each twenty
six days in the month for the last four
yea-s-nearly seven hundred and fifty
thousand tons. and yet not more than
forty per cent OF the material used so
far has been granite A fve-ton block
of this granite is the minimum used
the waves would make playthings of
lighter weights. and a tcn-ton block
costs forty four dollars
Out over the jetties, on a trestle built
over the rocks runs a railroad track
II is standard gauge, but fussy lit
tie engine hauls the cars Nowhere Is
the railroad track more than four or
fve feet above the water. Four miles
ont At sea worms damaged the wood
work Of the trestle so much that the
track was abandoned and another
built alongside Of il. At the water end
Of the jetty a squad Of men are en-
gagged IN sending big pine poles forty
i've feet long into the sand The occr-
patton Is a most hazardous one The
gulf current j. very strong here and
once man loses his footing. precarious
al best, II Is all over As The piles are
driven aud the tres,ie formed the raI-
road track IS extended Carloads OF
granite are run out and unlosSed. There
Is no placing % this stone II + dumped
isto the water aud allowed 20 enc is
own resting place Car load after car
load 5 ernDtied into oue spo: without
showing above the surface and WITH
OFT Ds-eeptiole effect When the
winds Mow for days from one direction
AID tuc quiz rsns high tkBe danger sna
The discomfort OF tie Eerx inerSzss
greatly. The breakers strike the 5e-;y
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