Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-11-14

site and project the city from the In
roads of the sea by building an I'm.
mense sea wall. The question OF the
great expense entailed was a serious
one. and here Ii where the pluck and
determination Of the people rose e
the emergency. IL was decided %
issue bonds to build the proposed wall
which would cost something over
$4,000 900, and the amount was nj
most entirely subscribed BY the citi-
Gems. not only the capitalists and
business men subscribing, but clerks
and laboring men all bearing their
shars of the burden. aht;h averaged
al,ent 800 10 each %ilhabitant This
ii "a addition TO the isnmense expense
Of rebuilding the destroyed portions
Of the city. which IL estimated At $50
100000. The following interesting de-
scription of the wall Ii taken from the
current number of The Review Of Re
fN ESA E@#
views.
"Thc structure Is available not only
as q protection. but In other ways
II Is over three miles In length, Or
nearly $1,000 feet, sklrtIng The shore
Of the island In front of the most ex.
posed portion 81 The city, Its top is
three feet above the highest point
reached by the water In the storm Of
1900, Here the wall Is five feet In
width, gradually extending 70 sixteen
feet ON the bottom. II Is cbneaycd on
tho side exposed u ihe Gull, III order
TO minimize the force on the waves.
but m additional barrier Is provided
IN what III called 'rlprap' work. com,
posed Of blocks Of granite laid along
the water face Of the wall. This for
nation ii twcntyseven feet Iii width,
and the stone II piled to 4 height
ranging from three 10 five feet above
the surface Of the water. When II Il
stated that some of the single blocks
weigh a ton apiece. M idea III the
massivcness 81 this protection can &c
gained. while. special care has been
taken TO prevent The wall from being
undermined, since the island la rom,
posed 40 largely Of sand. Before Il
was laid a foundation was made by
driving wooden piles through ne
sand into the clay formation 9b es.
lists below IL To the piilng was
fastened planks also driven 70 the
clay. A trench three feet deep was
excasated back Of the planling, which
was filled with concrete. pnd upon this
blocks of The same material laid 10
form tho wall proper the materinl
being manufactured by speelnl mo.
ohinery on the spot nna moulded lntN
iha proper size md sliape
~ further effsngdhcn Ola VAL,
ho ahar haeA beirE fli
aith earth ana store u dsptli "
t9 bgndgel aaeb Thoae II O.
ne improvements hpgo an adyaI4
of hls ~ fqild g snanta
tprd Which wll
aduhctfaas of I'll ei
thc syali proper @lil be i 4 VIZ
tack " whites
n width van M nfe ath
otie ail Fp9 an
aalh
ance q &c apaee m
Thls portion alli pArted ltt
tres ana shrubs As ven u lQesW II
inpacted as 70 mako Il i decorative
feature eo that instead rs All mA
Fl structure along Tie beach front he
wall wili fofri a. attractive alaaa
with Tie features II ! ~hoe!esaea nl
promenade
The courage which the people ~
G~alycsion have shown Iii facing sna
solving tbs problems which cQnirupifI
hem and M rising above The heavy
discouragements of their calamity 4
noteworthy. Il will stand ont Ii Nhe
history Of American municipalities ny
a remarkable ayample By whit nnitsl
Mad determined effort can accomplish