The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-12-24
NO LONGER FEARS FLOODS.
Galveston, Profting BY Sad Experi-
cnce, is Making ITSELF Superior
to the Elements.

Three years ago last Tuesday an inn
mense tidal wave swept over the city OF
Galveston, Tex, flooding the city, WHIP
ing out hundreds of lives and destroy
ing property to the value of millions
of dollars. The disaster betrayed the
treacherous nature of the city's loca-
ton upon a sand spit scarcely higher
than the sea level, or emphasized the
fact which had been known, and while
the country generously responded to
the appeal for relief when the citizens
talked of rebuilding the city upon its
old site and Of continuing their strug-
gle for a commercial standing, wise
heads of the country warned against it
as the impossible and predicted dis
NAL failure in the effort to again at
tract capital to the risk that in their
minds existed there. Their gloomy
predictions are brought to mind by an
array of facts and figures in special
edition of the Galveston News at hand
affording demonstration that the inn
possible has been achieved, that Gal
weston mas done all that it aimed to
and more and has afforded an exam
pie of public spirit aAd courageous en-
terprise that might we'll be considered
by every community in the land.
The last year in the Galveston bust
ness world has been a record-breaker
and has enabled the city to pass Boston
in the total export business and to
stand third in the list of American
cities in its exports, while as port of
entry it has risen from twenty-third
place to the eighteenth. Foreign ex-
port values for the fiscal year amount
ed 10 $104, 121 ,087, an increase over the
values of the previous year of $685.
O97, and an increase over the previous
banner year of the port by $2,15S,2 95,
being the only port in the United States
passing her old high record. All rec
ords in custom-house receipts were
| broken, last years receipts being ex-
ceeded 116 per cent. The total value of
| freight handled in Galveston harbor
| for the year was SAL, $40, 707, an in
| crease of $201 .343, 461 over the previous
| year. The total value of freight hand
| led in the coastwise trade was $342,-
278,279, a sum more than double the
| value of freight handled in any previ-
GUS year in the history of the port. The
| total number of vessels entering and
clearing the port for the year was l.
! $40, with total tonnage of 1904, 903, as
against ,042 vessels with total ton
mage of 1922, 928 for the previous year.
And the city has not been forgetful of
its experience in 1900 in the midst of
all this prosperity, but has been steadi-
| ly working away to secure protection
for the vast commercial interests
which these figures represent.
| Believing that the kind of faith
which moves mountains, coupled with
engineering skill, could drive back and
| restrain seas, in 1902 work was COM
menced upon a gigantic sea wall, which
is to extend for three miles around the
| ocean front of the city and meet the
assault of the waves. When complete
this wall is to. be II ,593 feet long, 1e
feet wide at the base and II feet high
1t is built upon piling driven through
the sand bar to the clay foundation, a
concrete bed being first laid over the
piling, upon which the blocks of gran
lite concrete are laid, rising seventeen
feet above mean low water, or 1.3 feet
| above the high water mark of the tidal
wave of 1900 Back of the wall the city
| is to be filled, for, the present thor.
oughfare running along the entire from
being planned, and for the future the
extension of the work of filling bach
through the city until the entire city
has been lifted up to this level above
the sea- The federal government spent
during the past year $848, 020 at Calves.
ton. Of this amount $267 ,020 was spent
on the Notifications and $161 900 Oh
the jetties and channel. The amount
of government moNey available for
Notifications, channel, jetties and bay
improvements at the beginning of thu
new trade year is $2,135, 1928 Work 6.
we'll under way on the Galveston chaa
mel, which is to be made 80 feet deaI
and $50 feet wide the entire length D
the harbor. The completion of til:
channel work will cost $1.500,000. Ta,
present appropriation is 100000.
The News presents figures showi Is
that the total amount of money spea
at Galveston during the past year FL
improvements was $4,000 This in
cludes only private and municipal ex
penditures in the city. Including thu
government and sea wall expenditure
there was a total of $2,019,420 expended
at Galveston during the past year
while there is available for govern
men sea wall and private improvement
total of S., 800 for the year begin
| ming to-day.-Haverhil Gazette.