New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-11
VAST WORK ON THE HARBOR.
HAS SPENT ABOUT
100000 ON THE JETTIES-MORE
IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED.

The United States Government has spent in round
figures about 100000 the harbor OF Galveston.
Galveston Is the eastern end of a narrow ISL
and or reef of sand North OF the island IS bay,
which connects with the Gulf of Mexico through
On Inlet, short distance from the eastern end of
the city The wharves lie along the north side Of
the city and front the bay. Vessels reach the
wharves through the inlet and a. channel along
the north shore OF the island. Owing to the sandy
character of the bottom the inlet before any i'm
provements were made was shallow bar OBJ
structed either end. The Government planned a
system OF tetties. which should not only prevent
the channel in the inlet from filling up, but have
a positive action in deepening it, The plan or the
Government which required six years for Its execu-
ton, entirely successful and the channel mas
been becoming deeper year by year. It Is now
twenty-six feet deep.
Two tettles whose combined length is twelve
miles were built. along each side of the chan
mel The one on the south side OF the channel
sweeps around from the city bending eastward at
Fort Point and out into the Gulf three or
four miles. The on the north side begins at
Bolivar Point and east parallel to the south
jetty, reaching out into the Gulf one thousand
or two thousand feet beyond.
The work Of improving the inlet to Galveston
Harbor began in 1881 and continued until 1898.
The jetties are composed of rprap, covered with
granite blocks and are carried to an elevation OF
five feet above mean low water. The granite blocks
at the sea ends OF the jettes are of great weight
No powders Of less weight than fifteen tons were
placed there. The south jetty is $500 feet long
of which sos feet is riprap apron. and the north
jetty . s07 feet long, OF which SOf feet Is rip
rap apron. The report OF the Chief of Engineers
for 1887 describes Galveston Harbor rs follows:
Galveston Harbor embraces an anchorage area OF
over 1850 acres, of which l,500 acres has a depth
of more than twenty feet, and 100 acres OF thirty
The entrance to this harbor was originally OBJ
structed by two bars known as the inner ana me
outer. The natural depth on the inner oar was
about nine and one-haf feet and on the outer par
all but the highest draught vessels from ESLns me
harbor, and necessitated the lghteraGe OF calgoes
beyond the bar This expenditure l6gl0 l9S A.
with an additional sum of 100000 subscribed oy the
twenty-five feet at mean low tide on the outer bar
an increase of ten feet since w2rk hes'r ana Io
o1e-alarter feet during the same period. This in
depth of water enabled most vessels to load
their fun capacity at The GaiNestoh " Nt9,
thereby making the lighterage of cargoes no longer
Three lighthouses guide the mariner at night and
three forts protect the harbor and city These
forts are Fort Crockett. south Of the city on the
Gulf side Fort San Jacint9 on For Pont on t me
Bolivar Point opposite Fort san Jacinto. The ord
m a % 5e so 9R9 a Agmy t6a 6r d The
ter.es as their foundation Is mostly sahd o,.or
who was at the Army Building yesterday. SAID
that this storm was the storm that Galveston mas
weston at the time the Government work was be
During the last season new record for deep
draueht steamers was made by the steamer lrada.
She went out OF the port drawing q feet an IN
crease of half a foot over the previous record.
Colonel Robert. Of the United States Engineer
Corps of the Army. has offered suggestions for the
development Of the harhor. These suggestions con
templated the making of channel 30 feet deep and
go feet wide from the railroad bridges. west of
the city through jettes and the Joining by an art-
fetal peninsula of Pelican Island and the fats OF
the mainland. This would make the harbor great
basin. capable OF furnishing docEage for hundreds
Of big steamers and anchorage for as many more.
joint resolution passed AT the last session
of Congress calling on the Government engineers
10 make a survey of the inner channel Of Galveston
harbor and report upon the feasibility and CONNER
cial value OF widening and deepening the channel.
and asking them TO estimate the cost Of the i'm
provements.