Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-09-20

Galveston disaster. thank You most
earnestly. William ,iclNin!cy'
TO MAKE GALVESTON SECURE.
81. Louis Civil Engineer Tells How
Ii Can BE Bonc.
ST Louis. Sept ia--Rabart Burgess n
| civil engineer now IN ST Louis. who has
been Identified with large engineering
! projects in Texas and is familiar with
| interesting ideas about the citys fu;ure
! and how TO make 4, srcure against storm
! sd sea When seen Yesterday he said;
i file first question 10 be decided is:
/ Shah the city be removed. or shall II he
/ fensilt whore IL is? | have no hesitation
Il SAYING il will stay right, where II Is:
! Galveston themselves. They have too
4 naMsh 1t stake there TO give 1t ul9
-, This decided, the Next question is.
/ aaiasiloihe like the horrible olie lust
passed. 10 go ahead. aud reluls, the
i same as before would he fon.harciv .An-
4 other storm may Come in year, ar it
4 !lifX not come for century, That an
/ other will come some time there is no
/ reason 10 doubt. and it may find a city
! zen Zines the size of the one lust de-
! streNeii What then. can be done? There
are Two things chat can be done and at
1 a reasonable expense.
/ s'irst. the grade. or height of The city
| can be raised ten feet or more, sufficient
! 10 Place the residence portion above the
height, of the recent, food. This can be
/ done by tn" method of the hvdraulis
4 t'ledge. taking the material from the bot
! tom al the bay OF gulf, and pumping it
| ashore with water through long pipes
\ The water flows off and the sand remains.
siadNaIiN raising the surface 10 amy de-
sirabie height This work has been and
Y eln he Cone at ~ eNpense. varying, from
i the conditions which snrrounG the proo
/ lsnis At Galveston the caGl!tians are ia
/ N9"abls. u is surrounded by water on an
4 sides. from which an ineNhaustible sup
ply OF material can be obtained
] f9 cover square mile 10 an average
/ height of ten feet would require lD,335.93s
i-ouhlc yards Of material. | am confident
/ TINS material could be put there for >
1 cents per cubic yard, but suppose it to.
cost 10 cents. the cost would be 81 t;522.i,G33,
/ q. approXilaaely Sl5G}3,e3o peg square
/ mile. Surprising four square miles which
/ + about the present area of Galveston
/ ,hat would require this treatment, we
grade.
Next to protect the sea shore fis,m the
acton OF waves. IF this should I've thought
4 necessary, wall of solid concrete. max
NJ practically single stone or nlonolith
tould be constructed along the beach we'll
paeh from the edge of tho water. This
the fcrce of the waves would be mostly
sXpa'i'led in throwing the water lii the sir
Il, ~ 1he Torn ,,, q SURF or spray The founda
! t"et below u he surface. the top extending
isn feet above. Being practically a single,
stone. IT would securely rest upon !. sand
/ lpuhGauon, ana II II sank II roG,i be cas-
! ~ raised ny the addition Of more concrete
i On me Top cracks or damages could he
i Vep3lTef IN the same way. To build n
| Watl having 4 base OF ten feet in width,
| our leee Wile ontopand twenty feet tot al
4 ,,:elBht' and g long mite would require 20
~ cubic Yards OF concrete. As these large
4 ienifiiets would be let AT bottom prices
4 we may assume that the concrete could
be lh2de it y per cubic yard. making the
.os' e milo Of wall Sl3Gs9D. THO miles
i would protect the gulf shore il present.
M u z protection on the bay side would
9si Snp,iSht neeessary two miles more
t M l'e ,e'it,5,d or four miles in all.
hers hali q million. For $4.5qoo)o then.
/ VIC nave ne city, protected against food.
~ may be said that any site along tho
sl'it coast w.onsl be equally rs exposed to
| he danger from 4 hurricane ~, the Pres
Hnt location Tho nnly ren:&giy is To build
4 i'foil&er houses, With broad bases and not
/ TOO ili&h. ihe eSperieEr" of the recent
/ s9ln show, chat the solillY bliit si1'ilc-
| t'nes Of stcn. and brick wiIhstuod tho
( tale whtle the residences. many of Them
/ n Galveston OF wood and tlimsiiy built,
/ were carried ;way.s'
What additional expense now is in
'e!Ned n The above position"
Leaving out minor details the two
| Iilncipai items Would he the raising of
buildings now existing 10 the height of
1 he new grade and tho rcpayng of the
! streets.
i = he latter tcfi is MOI serious ono IN
ialNest9n. as only a few of the streets
\ are Wei paved. and most of them not at
! All. As To raising buildings. IL Is mostly
matter Of Jaek.ng them up to the new
! weight and building a higher foundation
| Wall ltnoil thf old. In some eases II may
re better TO let the building remain max
ing ceilm or basement ont OF the first
tor! ard rearranging the second story
| 10 ans"cd the requirements of the new
Grade. As for new buildings, they would
aaAidiE require amy additional expense.
hey would b" buiit AZ once TO suit the
Lev grade as established by the city aus
eoritiea.
The steam railways only oagupv the
',aN shore and wharves and could il. al
1 owed 10 remain al their present grade
\ Ne same might be true of the W!lolnsal e
business streets adjoining the wharves
T!stN might be allowed % remain al their
ttssent Grade. But the res!ienne po, tion
u ne city. wilete the people are Obliged
% LIS, there is Only the remedy ! have
9a9s9sed 10 put them above the highest
God ~ for the street railways they
.oltd De raised aud blocked M az .lar
iIiiisS Progressed. or they could be taken
Up altogether and relail after The filing
4 N'tlS completed.
'rilis iiing m would rrcab!- be car
sled out ia sections An area of four or
ave hioGkk5 = width and length coI!d be
temporarily abandoned by the Inhabitants
While the raising was ben;, done al.d OF,
l'le completion of the Soc:ion, they could
return 70 heir houses. The cost of rils-
lag the ipildii;is ard paving the streets
u nald TO estimate. without more data
than | have ~ hand. but should Judge
iat i would not be more than the cost
ii tiiiiAg 10 new grade and building the
sea walls.
1 ", V - then. at a cos. ,roDahiy not
y. e.-,iing 4iotGJottn a ne,v Galveslon On
5.sfei GROUND with the added advantage
thai :. cciApe,e sever system could be
eta9siflt",ed: 'raereas ut present 1t is Inn
possible to construct practicable sewers
- they have 50 little fall that they will
loi empty themselves. and are Ill near
lie surface
THIS cost is entirely within the ca
oacity Of the wealthy city of Galveston n
handle and probably some all could be
tad from the sta,e and nation.
" Sico's Generosity.
] Mexico City. Mex. Sept. ia bill
las been introduced in the Mexican
congress providing for an appropra-
to-. of $4,000 for Galveston sufferers.
Express Company Pays Loss.
burlington, Ia, Sept. 19.-In pursu-
nnce with their practice in the past
he ttams l,ynrcsS coml,nny will IN.