The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1904-05-24
REPORT ON BRAZOS SANTIAGO
Memorial to New Orleans Board of Trade
On Necessity for improving the Pass.

I Following is the report of the
committee appointed by the Browns
vile Board of Trade recently to
draft a memorial to the New Or
leans Board of Trade for the pur-
pose of enlisting the latter organ
ization in behalf of the project to
secure a government apprepria-
ton to improve the pass and chan
mel of Brazos Santiago:
Brownsville, Tex, May 23d., 'O4
+. Hon. E. c. Forto, President
Brownsville Board of Trade.
! Sir: Your special committee to
whom was referred the preparation
of memorial to the New Orleans
Board of Trade respectfully report
as follows:
Whereas, the shoaling of the har-
Dor at Brazos de Santiago, owing
to many years OF governmental
neglect, has become a serious nier-
ace to maritime commerce III these
waters, causing the threatened with
drawal of steam and sailing vessels
long accustomed to sail fort his port
of entry, and
Whereas, the United States gov
eminent, in recognition of the
pressing needs in the premises, has
recently sent an expert engineer,
Captain Edgar Jadwin, to report
on the true condition of the harbor,
Whereas, the engineer has re-
ported recommending to the gov
eminent the employment of steam
dredge for the purpose of opening
the channel and maintaining nine
or ten feet water from Point Isabel
(the government light house, to
Brazos island across the bay and on
the outer harbor, and while this
relief is very grateful to the mer-
chants of Brownsville, coming as it
does entirely unsolicited on their
part, they are constrained to be-
lleve that no permanent good can
come of merely makeshift expe-
dients and they ask of the govern
ment to extend to them and the
great country of Texas and Mexico
tributary to Brownsville, the like
relief given to the other ports on
the Gulf coast which do not afford
the natural facilities of deep water
harborage as at Brazos de Santiago
BY this they mean, that it is neces
Sary for the present needs and pros
pective development of the COM
merce of the lower Rio Grande
valley, that a dam be made along
the west shore line of the bay to-
prevent the waters of the LagUna
Madre from OVERLOOKING TIE low
lands and sweeping the silt and
sands back again to fill up the bay
and thus by confirming the current
of the lagoon to the main channel
the action of its waters and the
Gulf tides would tend to scour the
bar channel and so by natural
means restore the channel to its
old time depth of ten to twelve feet.
The cost of this great and lasting
Improvement it has been estimated !
by competent authority, would not |
exceed four hundred thousand dol
lars, very light expenditure when |
the millions that have been spent /
Oil other Gulf ports are considered
Whereas, New Orleans mer-
chants, holding the initiative of
commercial traffic by reason of |
freight diferentials due to their
low water rates, have sustained a
vast trade with Brownsville and I
for a half a century and |
the mutual and allied interests of
these markets should encourage the
continuance of the profitable rela I,
tons which will remain unimpair- /
ed by proper governmental relief, |
be it
Resolved. by the Brownsville /
Board OF Trade, that the New Or
leans Board of Trade be memorial I