Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-07-17
'DREDCE COMING
TOPOINT ISABEL
One OF LARGEST


Ever Used on Gulf Coast.
Experienced Men in Charge
GALVESTON. Texas. July IT,
Work on the hydraulic dredge Velasco.
which il believed to be the first full
Diesel electric drive dredge in the coun-
try, II being rushed "a completion nc
the yards Of Captain John Jacobson i'm
Texas City. and il is expected that il
viii be completed within the next two
weeks.
The Velasco has been virtually rebuilt
by Captain Jacobson for use nj Point
Isabel. where a deep water channel il
to be dredged. As soon a. the Velasco
j. completed she will be towed to Point
Isabel and put 10 work on the inner
channel. When this work IL started at
tcnrion will BE- turned TO aquipping a
dredgc Of the hopper type which will be
used 10 dredge the channel over the bar.
This work also will be- done at Captain
Jacobson's plant at Texas City.
With all new machinery and rebuilt
from the water line up. the Velasco IL
expected 10 BE- one of the most modern
and economical dredges in this vicinity.
The main power unit IL a 300-horse-
power Worthington full Diesel engine Of
four sylinders. An idea Of the immense
size Of this unit can be gained from its
Ii is IL feet Z inches high,
20 meet in length from flywheel to end.
y feet / inch wide and weigh 6S,0O0
pounds.
Generator Installed.
The engine will be direct connected
70 12-inch Morris centrifugal pump
with G.,-inrh runner and connected to
the engine with Morse silent chain
drive with stub shaft will be a 80
kilowatt generator. The latter will fur
nish electricity for the electrically driven
cutter gearing and cross-deck ma
chinery.
The Velasco herself II 93 feet long,
% feet wide and has a depth of O feet
8 inches. She was acquired BY Captain
Jacobson in 1919 and was used by him
IN dredging the channel mt Gulf for the
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company. this pros
ject also including q turning basin 80
feet by 200 feet.
The economical cost OF operating
lblt>fl tH@intS d> tbfuNuEtu viii rtEElA
Is largely responsible for the powering
81 the Vclasco with full Diesel engine.
Semi Diesel engines have been tried in
lrcdges before. but this il the first time.
20 far as II known here, that d fun
Diesel motor has been put to this use.
Captain Is Experienced.
Captain Gus Martinson win be in COM
rand of the dredge. He has been with
Captain Jacobson since 1917 and has
been engaged most OF the time on the
sugarland reclamation project, one of
he larger jobs handled BY Captain
Jacobson in this territory. More than
| million yards<were excavated i'm this
contract. which has extended over
period Of five years. for the purpose OF
training. irrigating and reclaiming n vast
mount Of land which had been lying
waste.
Ira Ben. for several years connected
with the Pierce Navigation Company.
will be chief engineer of the velasco.
During his time with the Pierce cor
,oration Ne was chief engineer on the
notorship Pcnnant. an oil tanker, and
previous To that time had also served on
,iher Diesel-propelled vessels.
The exact date for starting the Point
Isabel project has not been definitely
liked. but il is believed that work will be
inder way within month. allowing two
weeks for the completion Of the dredge.
She will carry crew of thirty men,
The Point Isabel project calls for
IG- foot channel across Point Isabel Bay
rom Brazos De Santiago 10 the port.
With N 16-foot turning basin 500 BY 500
'eet wide at Point Isabel proper. The
,uter channel over the bar viii be drfdg-
N to depth of eighteen feet. The con-
ract calls for the removal Of approx
nately 100000 yards OF material from
he turning basin and chnancl. The pro-
ect il expected 10 be completed within
six or eight months.
List OF Projects.
Captain Jacobson il well known
throughout the country as N dredging
engineer. lie came to Texas shortly
after the 1900 storm as Southern man.
,ger for the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific
Dredging Company. 'and in 1911 severed
his connection and went into business
Tor himself Among the numerous jobs
IN this section which he has done In the
fNUNiTutNibH Dtft WIS tHF 1lFAhtuh
forlenm and the Gulf Refining Company
terminals in the east end. including
dredging. wharves. tank foundations and
loading racks. the wharves for the GAL
weston Dry Dock and Construction
plant on Pelican Spit. in
rluding dredging and bulkheais; wharf
ing and protection work Mt the United
States quarantine station: terminals for
the Crown Oil and Refining Company mt
Pasadena. on the Houston ship channel:
harbor terminal for the Sinclair Refining
Company nj Since. on the ship channel:
dredging for the Humble OH and Refin-
ing Company and the Texas City Ter
minal Company mt Texas City; the deep
water canal for the Texas Gulf Sulphur
Company at Gulf: erection of protec-
tion levee around the city of Freeport;
wharves. bulkhsad and dredging work
for the beaumont Dry Dock and Ship
building Company's plant at beaumont,
and the raising Of the islai-i occupied BY
the Pennsylvania Car Company at Beau
mont ~ height ~ fifteen feet and
erecting bulk head around II. The
ta,tar ,oh IL inst heine e0mnleted.