The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-08-24
DoNALDsoNvILIE. LA, SATURDAY, AUGUST p. 1917
GLLVEsT0N 0Ns EXAMPLE,.

SH@ AS via EhHHEs LIZ
Amazing Progress OF the Texas Cit,
After Being Overwhelmed by A
Appalling Disaster, a Practice
Demonstration of the Possible
ties of Commission Government
| #. G. in Shreveport Caucasian.
i AS SO many Shreveport peopl
are spending their vacation in Gal
Vestion, it may be interesting to stat
a few facts regarding the famous
| Galveston causaRay, built at cos
of $2,500,o00. This great engineer
ing feat represents the climax of thu
ten-year struggle of Galveston tt
make herself inlpregnable to rep
etition of the disaster of 1900, whe1
the gulf swept over the city, leaving
5000 dead in It's wake and driyins
from their homes nearly 1000 sur
vivors. In the course of these tel
years Galveston.a city of 10000 peo
/ pie, has completed a great trinity o1
protective engaeering works cost
ling nearly $10,O00,O00.
Galveston hassalready built a sea:
wall of solid concrete, IL feet high
and over four miles long, forming a
solid rampant between the waters of
the gulf and theeity. They did not
stop at the building of the @seawall.
but raised the CITY grade IT feet by
pumping from HE bed of the gulf
100000 cubic yards of sand. At
ter all this hadNbeen done the peo-
pie went ahead and united in one last
effort, and Joined their city to the
mainland by link of steeI-reinforced
concrete that bears upon its top three
railroad tracks, two interurban car
tracks, promenade and a wide
speedway for automobiles and other
vehicles.
After the terrible storm of 1900
sthere was a doubling element 0that
predicted that Galveston could not
come back" but twelve years later
proves that Galveston has come
back and in the coming has given to
the world the commission form of
government and three great exam
pies of protective engineering that
rank with the best efforts of the
world along. these lines.
The work on the causeway, com
menced July q, 1909, was completed
in May, 1912 The structure is 10,-
462 feet in lengtn--in excess of two
miles. The roadway from the shore.
OF the mainland ITO the shore of Cal.
weston Island, consists OF a speed
way banked by 81 sone5at ess
paved with eAtrfffied BRICK, g long
arch bridge, and a steel roller lift.
bridge. This bridge will give a
clear waterway Of 100 feet, enabling
ocean liners to- pass up the channel
beyond the causeWay. The bridge
itself cost S97 sc &.
Galveston has a right to be proud
Of the example it has set the whole
world, an example of what courage,
persistence, faith and the grit to bait
tie against odds can do for a people
who are strong enough to rise from
an unparalleled disaster, and to
build from the ruins of their city a
municipality greater and more beau
tiful than ever before. Galveston is
now the mistress of the Gulf OF
And all this has been accomplished
through the system of government
by commission, Instituted when the
city was in bankruptcy from the re
suits of political mismanageme
and overwhelmed by an appalling
disaster. In this amazing progress
Of Galveston is the practical demon
stration of the possibilities Of the
system of government by. commission
when it is made to conform to- BUSH
ness principles and regardless Of
political considerations.