The National tribune., 1905-10-26
GALvEsTON's GREAT sEA-WALL.
4 Magnificent, Monument Of Modern
Engineering.

To prevent repetition OF the disaster
of five years ago, when the ocean swept
over the low island on which the city
Of Galveston. Tex, stands. Overwhelm-
ing it's buildings and drowning men.
women, and children by scores, q great
wall of concrete and granite has been
built. partly by the city and partly by
the Federal Government. to keep out
the waves. As'stated ny the projectors.
the objects of this wall are as follows:
ITO protect the city from the force of
the waves and currents in the severest
storms known to occur in the Gulf: to
protect the city entirely from the water
of the bay and Gulf in all such storms
as occurred during SO years preceding
1&"e: 10 prevent the water in the sever
rims. such as the one of 1900,
t. ever reaching a depth in t..e city
dangerous to life or property.
While providing for the above, to
arrange a filling so as to secure suffi-
Gent elevation for drainage and sew
GRACE"
The part of the wall constructed by
tn" municipality was begun Oct. q,
1909, and completed July 90, 1904.
three months earlier than the contract
time. An extension of one mile has
been constructed by the United States
Government along the beach in front Of
Fort Crockett and the Federal reserve
adjoining the city on the west. The
half miles. The wall is Is feet wide at
base. curving to five feet at the top.
| 1t is II feet above the mean low tide
and one foot higher than the highest
water of the 1900 storm. Says the
| writer:
1.-THE sea-wall rests upon founda-
ton of four parallel rows of round pill
| ing placed at four-foot intervals and
driven to a depth of 40 feet through the
sand and piercing into the clay beneath.
In addition to this piling there is be-
tween the first and second rows solid
continuous sheet piling 80 formed as to
| make a tight wall IL inches thick. ex-
tending "a feet below the surface,
which is designed to prevent any I'M
dermining action which might in time
be subjected to the wall on account Of
waves and currents of the ocean. Cast
| over the tops of these five rows of
piles is a continuous concrete base into
which are inserted steel reinforcing
rods which extend upward, and around
which the wall Is formed. In addition
to these rods, the foundation is NJ
| with three key formations four incan.
| i'm depth. These key slots run longi-
| tudinally throughout the entire length
| of the construction Extending gulf
| ward from the foundation is an apron
riprap Of granite q feet wide and three
| feet in depth.
Upon the completed foundation the
| sea-wall is cast in solid sections.
Molds are placed and the mixture of
cement and crushed granite is poured
| into them. and when the mass has set
| the molds are removed. So the work
| is carried on. each part of the sea-wall
| being keyed and cast into solid con-
| tact with the next SO that the wall,
foundation and entire construction Is
made into one coherent mass Of rock
formation which hardenS with age
| and gradually becomes indestructible.
| Within the WALL at two-feet intervals
| are steel reinforcing rods one and a
| half inches by,h10 feet long, having at
either end a fbur-inch washer. These
| rods are placed'in such a way as spec
tally to strengthen the wall by binding
the upper and narrower portion to the
broad construction at the base.
"In raising the grade Of the city,
which work is now being so successful
| ly carried out the level is put up to
the top Of the S a-wall. and along the
space directly back of the sea-wall will
| be built a broad walk, to be Enclosed
| on the Gulf side by a railing extending
along the edge Of the sea-wall. Next,
there will be a wide boulevard drive
way, bordered by a parking Of grass
| with flowers, palms, and trees The
| walk, driveway. and park will present
an unobstructed view OF the ocean,
from which comes the balmy health
giving saltwater air. Residences will
be erected along the boulevard high
above the beautiful sea, thus present
| ing a charming view for miles"
| The granite used in the construction
OF the wall and of the jetties at the en-
trance to the harbor is from Granite
| Mountain. one Of the largest solid
granite masses in the United States,
covering about $50 acres. AS much as
500, 000 tons have been taken from this
quarry in the past 10 years. In the
three and half miles of sea-wall con-
structed by the city, there have been
used $500 carloads Of piling, $500 car
loads of concrete, 5000 cars Of gran
| lite rock. carloads of reinforcing rods;
in all 20.106 carloads of material. To
| handle this vast amount of material
would require 1905 trains of 20 cars
each, one string OF cars 156 miles
long, each car loaded to full capacity.
The weight of the sea-wall per lineal
| foot is 10000 pounds.