Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-05
TO SAVE THE CITY
Building a Great Wall Around
Galveston.
RAISING THE STREETS
SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
FOR PROTECTION.
Taking Precautions Against Repeti-
ton of the Experience of the
Great Flood of 1900.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

| GAlN 1oN, ioVo
| The city of Galveston, which was so
| nearly destroyed by flood in September,
1900, is gradually recovering from the dis
| aster, although the population is not yet
as large. real estate values are still below
normal, and the business of the city has
| not yet been fully restored. The storm cost
| Galveston 5000 lives and SO, 900 600 in prop
| erty which can never be recovered: 4, 131
| buildings were destroyed. The people were
| so frightened that at least 5000 moved
| away-abGut as many as were drowned-and
| the population was reduced altogether about
| 10000 out of a total of 10000. A good many
! of those who left are now coming back, and
| there are many newcomers. The population
| is estimated today all the way from 10000
| to $4,000. The receipts of the street car COM
| panies and the business of the post Office,
which are accurate thermometers, have in
| creased gradually year by year until they
| are about as large as they were before the
| flood, and those best qualified to judge es-
| innate that the volume of the mercantile
! trade both jobbing and retail, is within 10
per cent of high-water mark in former
| times, while the export trade is very much
| larger than 1t ever was before.
| The people of the city are still engaged
| in the work of rebuilding. The business
| portion was not seriously affected by the
| flood, nor We're the larger and more sub
was the cheap and unsubstantial class of
| dwellings occupied by the poorer classes
| that We're swept away, and they are being
| rapidly rebuilt in a more sold manner.
To Protect the City.
| Seven millions of dollars are being spent
| to protect the city against another food 1t
has been pretty well determined that the
disaster was rot due to any subterranean
CONFUSION tidal wave or other freak of
nature. but that the great rising of the
waters by which the city was submerged
was caused by an ordinary hurricane such
as sweeps over the West Indies two or
three times every year. This particular
storm originated in the vicinity of Mar
Unique, five or six days before it struck
Galveston; and the weather bureau at
Washington has record of its progress
and the meteorological disturbances which
attended 1t within the gulf area The wind
attained velocity of 12O miles an hour in
direct line toward Galveston and rolled
up before 1t the waters of the gulf until
they were eight or nine feet higher along
the coast than was ever known before. A
similar storm blowing across Lake Mich
lgar would have destroyed Chicago or If
1t had struck New York would have SUBJ
merged that city.
While the chances are that Galveston
VIII never be attacked by such storm
again. the situation of the city upon an
Island OF sand only few feet above the
ieVel or the sea, makes 1t necessary to
provide permanent protection. Galveston
is entirely cut off from the mainland The
only communication is by boat or by sim
| gle railroad bridge owned by the Gulf
Colorado and Santa Fe road which is now
used by all the railways entering the city.
Previous to the flood there were several
| trestles for railways and one for wagons
but now there is no way for wagon or
| carriage to reach Galveston from the
mainland unless 1t is brought on a railway
| train or a boat. 1t is proposed to build a
| causeway across the bay for ordinary traf-
| fic, but that is not really necessary. be-
| cause upon the mainland is a strtp Of
| swamp and sand about fourteen miles
| wide which Is practically uninha bitable
| and there is very little demand for team
| ing.
| Building Great Sea Wall.
AS soon as the citizens had recovered
their tranquility after the flood a board of
| engineers, consisting of Gen. Roberts of
the United States army, Alfred Noble Of
Chicago and H. C. Ripley. was appointed
| to submit a plan for the permanent pro-
| lection of Galveston. and in accordance
| with it's recommendations the island is
| now being surrounded by a sea wall and
the grade of the entire city is being raised
| from six to eighteen feet, both streets and
| houses, above its former level
The sea wall is a little over three and a
| half miles long, sixteen feet wide at the
| base. five feet wide at the top and seven
| teen feet above mean low tide. The foun-
| dations rest upon four rows of round pill
| ing twelve inches In diameter and driven
four feet apart into the ground to depth
| of forty-four feet through the sand into
| the clay subsoil There is also a row of
| sheet pi1ing outside of the wall, driven
twenty-six feet into the ground below
| mean low tide, to prevent the water from
| undermining the wall; which is still fur
| Their protected by an apron of riprappng
| and solid granite blocks twenty-seven feet
| wide and four feet deep along the beach at
| the base of the wall. The wall proper is
| made of solid concrete composed of
| crushed granite. sand and cement, mixed
| by immense machinery designed and con-
! structed especially for this purpose) and
| laid in sections. The concrete is rein
| forced by a steel framework nine feet
| high, placed within the wall.
| The government of the United States
| pays for one mile of the wall and the city
| and county of Galveston pay for two and
| one-half miles. The entire cost of the
work will be about 100000. The funds
| were raised by an issue of bonds author
| lied by special act of legislature which
have all been subscribed FOR at home and
| are issued as money is needed to carry on
| the work. Congress has already appr0-
priated 1891 600 to pay the governmental
share of the expense
The grade of the city is being raised nj
a cost of about si.O00.0O0, one-half of which
is paid by individuals and the remainder by
an issue of bonds authorized by the legls-
| lature. The state of Texas has been lib
oral, II not generous, to Galveston in her
| trouble, and has not only authorized the
loans necessary. but has RENTED the state
| taxes for eighteen years In other WORDS
while the same assessments are TO ne
made as heretofore. and the taxes are &c
be collected as usual. the share which for
| mcriy went to the state government now
goes into fund to pay the interest ane
| provide sinking fund for the redemption
of the bonds they mature.
The work of raising the grade is being
done under the supervision of a commission
| appointed by the governor, who as
sisted by Capt Richie OF the United State:
army and II. T. Wilson,. local engineer
| The scheme is unprecedented. All of thu
houses and other buildings In certain
part of the city are being elevated from 81,
to eighteen feet, according to their loca
ton. Those in the most exposed portion o
the city are lifted eighteen feet. The aver
age elevation is nine feet. The elevation
of the streets and public buildings ant
grounds is being done by a firm of New
York contractors upon a basis of 1914 cent
per cubic yard of earth. the total price De
ing 81 93s175. The property owners are a
liberty to use their own method of eleva
t.. ,f