The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-14
,rponr OF ENGINErRs.

,oyerument. OF God and humanity, Jet 1t
% made Now!
REPORT OF ENGINEERS.
After the adjournment Of the Twenty
,eyenth legislature, the commissioners OF
he city employed three distinguished civil |
engineers to make plans and estimates for |
The protection Of the city. This board con.
slated OF General Henry NJ. Robert. late |
chief OF engineers, U. s. A.; Colonel Alfred |
N. Noble of New York. a member Of the
Isthm.nn canal commission. and Captain
II. q. Ripley, formerly of Galveston, and a
gentleman of recognised high professional
on the 25th OF January last
the board reported, unanimously, recon-.
high and 81. miles long, With A retaining
OF same height and 200
feet deep; and the raising aud iilliug of
Tho city beginning on the gulf eide AT the
height OF the scawall and slipping back to
the BAY at an elevation OF feet The
estimated cost is, for
Sea wall ......... 's..'..'.'.' ~, w, 800
Total .................. SIS. sos, oio
These plans and estimates have beer
adopted aud Inspire universal confidence.
galveston county has undertaken the con.
struction of the sea wall part Of this pro.
ioct. Acting pursuant to the hrcakwater
or sea wall act, passed at The called seSalii
of the legislature, The question Of the Is
suancc Of S1,5oo,0Oo of bonds for this pui-
pose was submitted by the county COM
mlssioners to the qualified voters and
The bonds are being printed; competent
engineer Of construction has been employed
and preliminary work is now being done,
bids asked for, wnich VIII be opened and
the contract let oil August II next.
The plan OF the engineers is an entirety,
with all Of its parts related to aud depend
ent on the other.
GALVESTON.
On the morning OF September S 1900, the
population Of the city WAS 10000; its as.
sessed values for taxation. S2s,0oO.0oo The
loss Of life IN the storm was COCO. and loss
since, by removal, about the same. leaving
n present population of, approximately, rs.
GOO. Taxable values have been reduced TO
Sls,ooo.ooo. though all values are really con.
jectural OF course. the actual pccuniary
loss largely exceeds that shown by the
comparison Of assets.
The rate OF city taxation is $40 per
500; OF the county, inclusive of sea wall
tax. 81 10; Of the state, "a % centS
To raise the grade In conformity with the
plans of the engineers, the city, In add
ton to use of State taxes seught, viii have
to levy the limit allowed by The commission
charter of 40 cents III the Sluu VIII ch
brings city taxation within 40 cents on the
S1oo Of the constitutional limit of 81 per
cent
The gross bonded debt Of the city Is ST.
10000, but there is nearly $1,000 1000 In me
sinking fund. while the water works and
sewerage service can care for the $1,000,
600 of Indebtedness incurred for these puf.
poses, reducing the bonded debt to be cared
| for by taxation, substantially, to 5000 600.
| With concessions that are In course Of
| friendly arrangement with the bondholders,
| the city expects to be able to care for It's
| ri "a n & IL an
istration GU cash basis and with the
| special tax of 10 cents ON the 500 and
| The use of Its State taxes, as asked, u
| take care of the contemplated bond issuc
of 81 10000 for raising anu flling
The State taxes received by the city
under the two years BILL mp to this date
amount to $650oO, and are expected t,
reach total for the first year, endins
September /, 1907, of $4,000 For III,
year ending September !, 1903, the esti
mated amount is $4,000. On this basis
with a : per cent sinking fund kept fairly
well invested, the debt, benriug per cen
interest, of $7Oo,OOo leaving the city, II
| the manner stated, to provide for the re
naming SeOooOO of grade raising bonds
This is still $4,000 short of the amour
required by the engineers report As t,
this, II can only be said. the city will, 70
the time being at least, have reached al
impasse. BY great economy In expenditure
however. It Is believed that from these =,
sources the work can be substantially com
impairment of its efficiency.
But rs the special tax TO be levied b.
the city would only support n bond issu
OF SSoOOOO 1t will be seen, without the AT
of the state. the project of raising IN
city becomes lmpracticable; and as tn
plans Of the engineers, both sen wall an
filling, are, as expressly stated by then
to be taken as n whole whose parts are II
diyisabe the entire scheme fails or the CIT
becomes the victim of a half finished wor
that may prove its utter undoing.
Stricken by the greatest calamity th'
has visited the continent in recorded time
with the thousands of their dead abo'
them, and other thousands homeies
wounded sick and suffering from wan
the people of Galveston arising from u
midst of their own great personal loss, i
devoted personal service In the cause
humanity; by generous contribution frol
their own impaired store; by The iaithfl
administration Ot funds conhded To ~
to mitigate the horrors OF the imnedlal
situation by the generous hearted through
out the world by their energy aud cou
| age in carrying on the great work OF re
4 tcrntion until the last vestige of wrecke
city has been removed by their taltn III !
{ establishing their own private business I
rebuilding a great system Of docks TO a
commodate the shipping OF the world, 1
+ subscribing a million Of dollars 10 bulld
+ sra wall; by their voluntary apulcatloh
o self government In favor or system
0 greater energy simplicity and econJm
j. nv their sacrifices to malptain their city
: credit abroad and to pay cash AT nom
/ they. survivors of the great storm, ma,
: shown themselves not uh""tthy Va -
u name of Texans,
:, The government Of the United stat
= has made this one Of the nrst potts Oh u
; world by the expenditure on -the port
;, s1O,OOO.OOo for the restoration OF the Tori
n aud adopted plans involving the eIpeI ,t
" tnre of S1.5OO,OU0 for the repair OF Ihe y
>, tIcs and 81, $4,000 for widening anu zee
e ening the harber. ,d =, 90,
/, Is Texas. with its vast wealth ana btlh
less resources unable or unwiliaing IN ~ ~
T. emergency when private benenctince ~
g with bounteous hand nobly done IT'S par
when the citizenship Of the city a 20 Ue,
= S,lp,o1,s MON II. when every other COVER
e mental agency has fully and freely dor
4 ali Within It's jurisdiction When c 10 saos
y Is Texas unable or unwilling to Ill the 81
that still remains 70 insure ssGur tbe al n
le OF Galvcston's own state taxcsI !,
J. t7nwIIling We do not believe or We nj