The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-06-12
Brewer and Jones of Birm-
ingham Awarded the
Contract.
THE PROPOSAL HAS BEEN &C.
cEPTED BY THE ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENTAL WILL GET
S23s,ooo FOR CONSTRUCTING
THE WALL, AND WILL COM
MENcE WORK AT ONCE.

The contract for the immense sea
wall which is to almost surround Fort
Pickens has been awarded to the
firm of Brewer & Jones, of Birming-
ham, for S236,9eo, and work will
probably commence within the next
few weeks. There were local bid
ders for the work. Nearly a month
has elapsed since the bids were re-
ceived, and sharp competition was
noted at once. The offers varied
siderably, several firms which
submitted bids having estimated the
work as many thousands of --',nrs
more than the amount at which the
contract was finally awarded.
With tho beginning of the work on
the big sea wall, local interest will
Immediately become conferred in the
project, as the large Improvement IS
one which will serve Pensacola well
in the event of a second storm like
that OF 1906. The Montgomery Ad-
vertiser Of a recent date contains the
following regarding the new sea wall
and contract:
THE announcement yesterday from
the Office of the United States en-
gineer at this point that the contract
had been awarded for the conStrlrc-
ton of the great sea wall near Pen
the next few days, means much to
the great harbor and shipping in
terest OF that port. The successful
bidders were Brewer and Jones ~
Birmingham. The price is 1926, 900.
THE bids were received in the To-
cal engineers Office about a month
ago, and there was sharp competition
for the job. Expert opinion says that
the contract price comes very near
the actual cost of building the sea
wall, according to the specifications.
There was a wide divergence between
the dozen or more bidders for the
work, some even putting their figure 5
near the 100000 mark.
the erection of the sea wall will
mark a new epoch in Pensacola's his
tory. Alabamians, indeed. the people
Of the entire world, remember vivid
ly the narrowing scenes of the storm
of 1906 around Fort Pickens, Fla.
That storm taught the scientists and
harbor experts a lesson which they
will not forget and which the noble
citizens Of Galveston did not forget.
Just what was done for Galveston
after that mighty storm in the way
of protection against future ravageS
will be done for Santa Rosa Island.
The sea wall, to be built of concrete,
will rise above high tide and is de
signed to prevent the recurrence OF
such another disaster as swept the
coast in the fall of 1906.
Eli storians will chronicle the heroic
struggle of those lone soldiers who
stood bravely facing the furious
waves until they rose gradually TO
the highest rampant of the historic
cid fort Without hope of rescue
from the rear in that terrific hurri-
cane, which eclipsed even that Of Gal
weston in its actual fury. these men
swung grimly to the last heights Of
Fort Pickens, their bodies wrapped
around the guns. One or two me'
their death while this battle was on,
and three of those who survived be-
came insane from the rigors OF their
experience.
Future generations, when they be
hold the doughty wall now about TO
be built as a breakwater lining Santa
Rosa Island, must always have Wis
ion of those desperate soldiers cling
ing to their guns
The calculation of the engineers
is to prevent any damage in fu-
ture from a storm of equal fury to
taat of less than two years ago. II
is possible that in less than two
years the sea wall will have been
completed II will be about a quar-
ter of a mile long"