Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-08-18
CAPT. JACOBSON
TO MEET DREDCE
AT POINT ISABEL
Veteran Dredger Of Gulf
Coast Arrives in Browns
vile This Morning, Dredge
Expected at Point Today.

Captain John acobson. owner of the
dredge Velasco. which is due at Point
Isabel this afternoon or tonight, arriv-
ed in Brownsville AZ noon today. and
in company with ID. A. O'Brien left for
Point Isabel to be present when the
dredge arrives. Captain Jacobson ex-
poets 10 remain in Brownsville and
Point Isabel several days. leaving the
latter part Of the month for New York
City. The dredging will be in charge
Of Gus Martinson. an experienced dredg
-er. who has worked with Captain Jac-
OLSON several years.
The dredge. accompanied by its sup
ply boat carrying pontoons, piping and
other equipment, left Texas City
Thursday morning. in tow Of d tug.
Such tows generally make an average
speed Of five miles per hour, and IL
no difficult winds are encountered the
dredge should be at Point Isabel some
time this afternoon. The trip was
made down the Gulf. the intercoastal
canal not having sufficient width 20
permit passage Of the dredge.
Work Will Soon Start
Actual dredging operations are ex-
pected to start in ten days or two
weeks. Captain Jacobson stated. Some
time will be required in placing pom
toons and piping. and in making other
necessary preparations for the work.
The Velasco il hydraulic type dredge.
and will work principally on the inner
channel and another dredge Of the hop
per type will arrive in two or three
months TO excavate the outer channel
across the bar. which will be only
about 1000 feet.
The Velasco has been re-equipped
with a Deisel engine Of the latest type.
and the hopper dredge. which will be
used on the outer channel will also
be equipped with an engine Of this
type. Orders for these engines were
placed early in April with a San Fran
cisco firm, but the one designed for
the hopper type dredge has not yet
been installed. owing to delay in ship
ment. The Velasco II equipped with
an electric generating plant. which sup
plies current for lights. ice machine
and other fixtures. as well as operating
the cutters. IL Is the only dredge on
the Gulf coast thus equipped.
An Experienced Dredger
Captain Jacobson has operated hy-
draulic dredges more years than any
other man in the United States, and
the army engineers who have super
vised dozens Of contracts on which he
has been engaged. recommended his
work very highly. He has been work
ing on the Gulf coast since 1895. and
has worked on every coastal improve
mcnt project on the Gulf coast.
Captain Jacobson began his career
as dredger on the Pacific coast in
1888. and a few years later went TO
the Atlantic seaboard. operating dred-
gcs on many Of the important harbor
projects. He first worked on the Tex
as coast in 1895, on the Galveston
channel He dredged the first channel
to Texas City in 1897, and also worked
on the Port Arthur and Port Bolivar
projects. The first turning basin Of
the Houston ship channel was dredged
by Captain Jacobson. and it was his
dredges which excavated the inter-
coastal canal from the Brazos river to
Matagorda. He has dredged on the
east Gulf coast at Tampa and Daytona.
Florida, and has also had numerous
contracts on the Louisiana coast.
At the present time he has three
contracts for dredging on the Texas
coast-the Point Isabel contract, one
at Aransas Pass and another at Texas
City. his dredge at Texas City starting
work today on that contract.
At the time the contract for the
Point Isabel project was awarded Cap
tain Jacobson. the statement was made
by engineers who had been intimately
acquainted with his work. that the fact
he secured the contract was In itself
assurance that the work on the Point
Isabel project would be well done. The
delay which followed while the dredge
was being equipped for the work was
due entirely to the failure Of ship
ments OF machinery to arrive. The
opinion has been expressed that with
the new equipment the work will be