The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-25
ISLAND CITY NEWSITEMS
Beach Erosion Problem Is Again Causing
PerplexIty.
TROLLEY LINE ON THE JtTrlEs
IL said to he Hindcrcd by the Conn
cii--rhc First Bale Is Expected
Very Soon.

Galveston, Texas. July c4.--The erosion.
which has caused such serious damage to
property at the east end OF the island, has
4 ceased, But II must not be uhdsrstood
I from this that the gulf has ceased to cut
into the island. II has merely changed
Its base Of operations and now, instead
OF eating away the shore limo In the east
end 1t Is restoring what 1t formerly de-
| stroyed and is cutting into the beach from
Sixteenth street west. How serious this
new move of the gulf currents viii prove
Is necessarily matter for conjecture
merely. But that the work is going stead
lily forward is true beyond doubt, as
shown by reliable information In tho Of
fee of Captain Richie United States en-
gineer officer In charge OF the Galveston
harbor work This question Of causes OF
erosion Is most complicated one, The
burden OF proof as 10 the cause lies nat
urally with those who complain OF IT, The
United States engineers claim tina, the
history OF all Texas coast outlets shows
strong tendency toward the wearing
away OF eastern points OF outlet and &C.
erection OF the western points. IL this be
true the theory would be that Bolivar
Point would have naturally been added To
while the western end of Galveston island
would have heon cut away, BE this true
or false, as theory, the fact remains
that where the erosion was formerly made
accretions arc now observable
Captain Richie said today that he was
reasonably sure thar rock groynes, such
rs nave been built on tho beach would
stop the erosion, His Idea is that those
which have been built would have stopped
the erosion in the east end had they not
been placed too far apart. Now that ero-
sion in the east has stopped of it's own
accord, and accretlon is following in It's
wake. the groynes there VIII be OF no
further service, But II seems sure that
they did good work. Asked how the
threatened erosion in front OF the city Is
to be stopped Captain Richie declared that
the groyne system was correct In theory
ana that II they are built, say ut the foos I
of each street, they viii prevent any cut. I
ting away of the beach. At rough esti-
mate, Captain Richie estimates that $780, !
600 will be required to build these /
groynes.
Asked how much cutting would result 1
II no artificial means are employed to
cheek II, Captain Richie declined TO venture |
a prediction, but evidently was under the /
Impression that while the damage would |
be temporary, II would be serious.
You must understand said he III AT /
while the erosion progresses to the west
ward. accretion will be building up the
beach to the eastward. For example, J /
think that the bathing pavlllons, II ma
ture is permitted to so on unmolested. will
be suitable for bathing places not more
than u year or two, whereas similar pavll-
ions built at the edge of the water in the
east end would be practically out OF bust /,
ness in the same time as they would be
too far from the water"
The engineer department has assumed
that this question of erosion Is local
one, hence help from congress seems hard
to get But the fact that Galveston con
trlbuted 100000 toward the present sys-
tenn of jetties would give Galveston good
grounds to ask the return of this money
10 be used to prevent the erosion, whien
now threatens as I'm alleged result OF tho
jetties This Is the line advised by en-
sneer officers and from what they say
some energetic action is necessary II seri
,us destruction of beach property is 10 be-
wooded.