The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-04
AnAxsss u.nBon COMPANY.
Further Time 10 Purchase Harbor
Island IL wanted.

Austin Texas March @.--Ihe senate !u-
dicial committee No. yesterday ooncurrcd
with the house committee In their fdyora-
bic report on the bill extending the time for
tho purchase Of Harbor Island. off the coas,
at Arkansas Pass. by the Arnnsas Pass Hnr-
Dor company until the year 1899. That 1t
will pass both house and senate, with an
amendment. is highly probable.
The Arkansas Pass uarbor company is in
coruorated under the laws Of this State,
and last session secured the passage OF a
bill giving them the privilege OF purcaas
ing the Island at s. per acre, upon eond-
tion that the company would secure fifteen
feet OF water in Arkansas Pass. between
Mustang and Josephe Islands. by April -.
1895. ard twenty feet By Nos enber % Of
last year The twenty feet was to be main
tanned for two years consecuuvciy. In
drafting the bill ex-Lieutenant Governor
Wheeler. who is secretary o. the haihor
company and the AransNs Pass Terminal
road. placed the time too short. hence The
present legislation for an extension untn
1899.
narhor Island lies west Of Josephs
Island and aside from the SPOT cootaI1'ng
about 800 acres retained In use hy the State
for their quarantine station, the land s 100
low to be oi much value Mr.. Wheeler.
who Is in Austin. said yesterday that the
company. In which wealthy Baltimore peo-
pie are largely interested, intended TO r,ake
a ''nli 81 from ave 60 seven feet Ia order
10 xss a foundation for railroad yards and
terminal dock ground Two hundred acres
VIII be neessSary for the terminal fact
.,is4.
Under special legislation In 1887 The Wal
lace surrey was made on Hsrhor and Gal
weston islands. Subsequent improvements
By the harbor company al Hafbor Island
on the work begun by she survey was stop
y$S b. the projectors pending a clearing OF
the title 20 the land. The point was raised
hy Governor Culberson. who WAS then at
torrPy general. and tho company refused to
proceed further until the controversy was
settled. aud they had absolute ASSURANCE
that their Investment was legal and eiiec-
tual. Along the Wallace survey. about four
miles = Are hathor exists Mr. Wheeler
says they enjoy a depth Of water from TWEEN
ty TO thirty six feet In a channel half n
mile wide. The bottom Of this channel Is
hard clay afording anchorage for the larg-
est vessels arnat
In the pass proper. eight miles from the
mainland there IL now a depth NJ from
ten to twelve feet. which the company pro-
poses to make thirty feet by clearing out
the bar and adding 10 the improvements
made by the government as we'll as to main
tain 1etiy system. By the wash of tho
current the pass was changed two miles
southwest. adding that much land to Joseph
Island. and cutting gradually away the area
OF Mustang Island III 1878 the government
riprapped the east shore Of Mustang. which
rave swifter current and deopened the
channel In the pass proper.
The harbor company have so far axpondcd
100000 and are ready. so Mr. Wheeler says
TO spend $500 900 more. II now seems TO be
ohlv matter OF extension OF time to main
tain the fifteen feet Of water over the bar
which Mr.. Wheeler ventures has to he oh.
tained before the company may apply TO
purchase. and when twenty feet IL secured
the company must continuously maintain
~ Tor two wears, the depth tn be ascertatned
by engineers appointed by the State and
tho companvwho shall supervise the sound.
tnss or the pass every six months and
records OF the same to be kept by the State
Of Texas.
In addition to the dock and island I'M
proyements the terminal road will be ex-
tended onto the island and have for its
terminus extensive yard facilities At rres
emit the road Is built only 10 the Corpus
Christi channel. three miles from tie main
land. Across the channel the componv In.
tend putting In a drawbridge. which. Mr.
Wheeler says. they will be working nj hv
Nav /. The railroad commission OF Texas
has given them authority to bond their
line at $4,000 per mile. and there seep,s
To be nothing to prevent the reads com.
pletion.
While there seems to no no objection IA
the extension asked for, there is n s,n,l~
ment favoring tho retention of tho 9ao
acree In use bN the quarantine station and