The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-16
WILL BE REBUILT
econtiured from Fourth Page,

I had been In Wichita before going 20
Galveston and the thing that struck me
as familiar was that at that time there
was line of high sand hills several
hundred feet from the water along the
gulf shore. These hills were exactly in
general like those I had seen on the
Arkansas and her branches. The hills
were then being carried away TO I'LL the
little hayous that drained the island OF
accumulated waters and other low places
By 1875 nearly all that portion OF the
city from Fort Point to McKinnes
bayou had been filed UP with these
sand hills and the island was highest on
towards the bay.
The hills were nearly all gone By this
time and much discussion took place as
to their value as a break water. I had
always considered the hills valuable; the
wind constantly heightened and broaden
ed them. But when / afterwards stood
up to my shoulders IN water and saw
the waves OF the gull short half mile
away breaking up a large hotel and
smashing cottages on September Is. 1875.
had no doubt but a criminal negligence
was osTargeable TO the persons who de-
stroyed the hills. And 50 long as the
wind was southeast and south the waves
kept battering away line after line Of
houses and rolling In greater volume
across the island. 7 afterwards saw the
away, out by the fair grounds The
smooth escarpment from the top down
10 the water. But no destructive break
ers passed over them, from what 1 could
learn, and from every proof could get
I publicly advocated building a broad
walled dixie filed with harbor dredgtngs
to replace the sand hills Immediately af-
ter the storm. The Galveston News in
dorsed rs consideration. Ny idea was
to condemn all private property TO with
in the required distance OF the gulf and
build a solid sub-structure. plant salt
cedars on 1t TO catch the drifting sand;
to catch all over leapiug storm waves
against another dixie and lead the drain
age down the streets TO the bay.
Up to and including the storm OF 1915
I think that the probabilities that the
gulf waves would be liable to break over
a dixie OF the height OF several feet
above mean tide to the destruction OF life
and property, was or ought to have been
established; and that there was no
probability that any wind from the bay
side would drive water over dixie of
the height Of several feet above ordinary
high tide. But experience along the line
of Galveston's greatest danger seems
not to have been valued or acted on.
Galveston Island has q general direction
from northeast 10 southwest. II IS TWEEN
ty-eight miles long The city is at the
extreme northeast end and there the
width varies from three-fourths OF a
mile near Fort Point to one and half
at fremont or Twenty-thtrd street
which Is the center of the city. The
island widens above this street TIL at
the old cemetery it must be three miies
wide Here, however. IS the tortuous
bayous, nearly crossing the
island. This bayou Is the inlet that
foods the city in the west IN storm.
The sales.--future of the island for sew
eral hundred feet down is very hard
clay, as proven by boring ertesian wells,
OF which there are many flowing a large
volume of water. Upon this clay is
Imposed several feet of sand mixed
with alluvium from the great streams
flowing into the gulf. Except in the csse
Of the bayous. low deoressions and weber
sand is recently disturbed there is no
erosion liable from storm wafer as the !
sand settles down hard and fat afford |
Ing a floor so hard that the waves do not |
cut it.
consider that system OF bikes prop !
erly constructed ten feet above mean /
tide far enough back from the shore |
would have insured the city against harm /
rom water e;ther in 1875 OF 1900
OF all cities Galveston is one where IN
-elenting law should say what places
may not be built upon. Outside OF the
'orttficati0n against water nothing |
should be allowed as a residence. TIE
neglect Of those precautions which a full
experience OF over fifty years should
rave insured against has cost Galveston
heavily and sorefy. The city has too
irm a hold as a commercial and politi-
al unit 70 disappear. Resurgam viii 20
he motto. She has q vast experience.
fine position as sea port and one
Which ordinary engineering can make as
'afe at comparatively small cost as any
,ther on the gulf OF Mexico. and should |
lave done SO twenty-dSe years ago.
n L yIr-rTruTCaG