The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-10-13
Senator Mallory Speaks to
Chamber of Commerce
Regarding Matter.
BARRIER is INTACT
And Channels Are Rapidly
Being Filled Up.
CAPTAIN TURTLES LETTER
VERY GRATIFYING TO ALL cITI-
zENs-sREAKs ARE NOW PRAc-
TIcALLY CLOSED AND NO DAN
GER Is APPREHENDED THERE
FRoM-REPoRT IN FULL.

The report of Senator Mallory and
Collector ]. E. Stillman at the special
meeting of the Chamber of Commerce.
yesterday on the breaks in Santa Rosa,
island caused by the recent storm,
was very gratifying one
Senator Mallory presented the re-s
port, stating that the committee had
visited the places and had been for.
tunate in getting Capt J. E. Turtle, W
S. assistant engineer at this port, to
accompany them and had found condt
tons on the island greatly improved
The two cuts had practically closed
up, it being impossible to get through
either of them with boat, and no Inn
mediate danger was apparent. As a.
part of his report Senator Mallory
submitted the following letter from
Capt Turtle:
Capt. Turtles Letter.
u. s. Engineer ONCE, Warrington,
Fla, Oct. 8, 1906.
Hon. s. R. Mallory, Pensacola, Fla.
Sir:-Complying with your verbal
request of the 9Th. inst, I have the
honor to submit the following reporb
and opinion regarding the two
breaches in Santa Rosa Island be.
tween the Quarantine and Life Saving
Stations.
A breach in the ordinary acceptance
of its meaning would convey the int
preston that the mound OF Sand
which separates the waters of thu
Gulf and bay in normal condition n
tides, had been carried away, leaving
what might be strictly termed an
opening. This however, from our en-
animation made on the Sth inst, n
not the case. A very abnormal tidA
more than ten feet above mean log
water, driven from the gulf, by equ4
ly abnormal wave action has lowed, q
the two localities referred to. the land
separating the two bodies OF wat1
until the present crest Is somewhA
below the level Of our normal higE
tides. leaving still intact the barrier
which separates the bay and gull
waters below ordinary low tide1
Therefore the places lowered by TN
recent storm will be exposed at lof
tides and submerged, for the presenE
by high tides.
The sand movement across then
low places, in their present condition.
can only occur under the influence az
tides alone. The action Of food tide{
will be much more marked than thai
of ebb, since the former will be &C,
CELEBRATED by the result of wave action
from the gulf. On our outside
beaches there is almost always soma.
wave action, even when the tide is
abbing, this wave action will be on
posed TO any tendency 10 wash, due
to ebb currents flowing out and over
these low places. while the tide Is fall
ng from high, TO say half low. ana
he fill or raising OF the crest whicH
has been acquired by the food will
not be permitted to be washed back
70 the outside beach This condition
will be emphasized by the fact of tho
very shallow depths found in the
places which nave been lowered. since
he wave action will be always inward
and since they will always be great
enough TO attack the sand In connec-
lion with this principle, with us. Is to
be considered the fact that the sand
and wave movement In the localitY
to, is from the eastward. the
volume Of the former being astonishs
ingly great This shore movement
causes sand to seek shelter In every
pocket and low place, and is the aG
ton, immaterial as II may seem. that
retains this barrier Of soft sand bes
tween our harbOr and the gulf.
From a careful study OF the matter,
my experience and observation Of
sand movements in and adjacent I'd
our harbor entrance, and from the
general laws named above, l respects
fully state.
THAT the real barrier between
the waters of the batSfnd gulf is stiiE
2.-That this barrier Is still sun,
cient to resist without injury to the
channel of commercial interests of the
harbor, the action OF our ordinary
storms.
3-That the natural forces existing
will RAPIDLY rebuild these lowered
places somewhat above the plane %
Dur highest tides.
4.-That moderate storms wfE
greatly assist in the restoration o.
Lhese portions of the island
5.-That similar openings have oo.
CURED on the McRae beach and were
by the natural forces, rapidly restored
md were not reopened by the recene
storm.
6.-That IL no abnormal storm oe-
surs within the next few months thu
work Of rebuilding win be so far aG
AcontInpsd= on=Rsos Thrse,Y >