Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-13

been, on the contrary, nest diff
cult. Only mistaken faith IN this
project. the capacity 10 grasp Ito
possibilities and loyal cooperation or
many communities and individuals
could have advanced the intracoast-
al canal to its present stage.
Part Of National System
Everyone who has contributed 10
bring the canal close 10 realization
should DO proud Of having had =
part in one Of the great waterway
projects Of the nation. an undertake
ing approved by the soundest engi-
n~eering authority and certain to 10
Of incaiculable benefit, not only 20
Texas and Louisiana, but to the en-
tire nation. The i~ntracoastal canal
forms a part Of the waterway de-
velopment based on the Mississippi
river and its tributaries and tbs
Great Lakes region which will pro-
vide n large part OF the United
States east or the Rockies with
cheap waterway transportation from
inland producing centers to the At
lantic seaboard and the Gulf Of Mex
leo.
The Intracoastal Canal association
was organized In Victoria. Texas. In
1905. The first convention was cali
Cd by the president OF the ~associa-
ton. q. $. r.. Holland. ~Inadequats
recognition finally came from con-
gress. which authorized ami made
appropriations for n canal five feet
Mississippi 10 the Sabine. on the
Tnwmw k-mIM~ TLsm ~mwm = -
able Of meeting the requirements OF
coastal mer
Surveys Started In 1928
On March 3, 1928, congress order
cd q survey made Of the canal pro-
ject from the Mississippi river nj
ar near New Orleans TO Corpus
Christi, Texas" Almost to n day
in the following year reports of fed
eral engineers who recommended
the construction Of a canal nins
feet deep and 100 feet wide were
submitted TO congress. The esti.
mated cost was SIG, 00O, 600.
The rivers and harbors COMMITTEES
of congress approved the project by
unanimous vote and ordered it
placed in the rivers and harbors bill.
subsequently, at the request of the
president, the appropriation was re-
duced Il ~, 900, 900 and authority for
construction work was limited to the
section extending from ~Piaque-mins
locks on the Mississippi via Nor
gan City, La. to Galveston bay. In
1927 the entire project, ms nnprcv-
I'd by army engineers, was adopted
and construction authorized.
Secure Rights OF Way
Since that time the canal assoeis-
ton has been engaged in obtaining
rights Of way, perhaps the most diff
fiCult and arduous part Of its work.
Congress required local interest 10
provide all rights Of way free OK
cost to the federal government. OBJ
viously. it would not be easy 10 per-
suade property wne TO donate
land for this purpose, although ey-
cry property owner along the canal
route will benefit By its construc-
ton.
MIR. Miller says that after loca-
ton surveys were made committees
of the canal association spent many
months in obtaining rights of way
from property owners in Louisiana
and Texas. Nest of the property
owner cooperated willingly with tho
committees, but others had 20 be-
persuaded to grant rights Of way.
The construction and rebuilding of
highway bridges and the disposal Of
dredging soil were other problems
that had 10 be solved by conference
and negotiation with property own
ers and public officials.
All these troubles. however. now
belong 10 the past. Mr.. Miller says
all rights of way eoneeyanscs for
the ~Plaquemine route via Morgan
City 10 the Texas boundary have
been obtained. Between the Sabine
and Galveston bay in Texas all
rights of way have been obtained,
with the exception Of those in Cal
weston county, where good progress
is reported. Approximately $1,000
GOO il available for construction
work in Louisiana. while $1,000, 900
has been allotted 10 Texas.
See Completion i'm 4 Years
The location survey on the Harvey
route, between New Orleans and
Morgan City, has been completed
and some rights OF way have been
secured. As soon as the necessary
information II compiled rights OF
way for the section between Calves
ton and Corpus Christi will be Sc
cured. IL is believed that within
the mex three or four years a land
locked. inland waterway from New
Orleans 10 Corpus Christi will be
completed.
II Is stated that war department
approval for the section between
Corpus Christi and Psynt Isabel has
not yet bern given, but efforts will
be made by the canal association to
convince Washington that the rom
struction Of this section Is neces-
sarv.
General Harry Taylor. former
chief of army engineers, who agreed
to complete the survey begun by
General Goethals and interrupted Nv
General Cocktails death, strongly
recommends authorization Of the ex-
tension or the intracoastsl canal
! from Corpus Christi to the Rio
Grande Valley.
This. then. 10 the present status
Of an enterprise that will add untold
millions 10 the wealth OF Texas and
Louisiana and forms part or n ma
tion-wide waterway development
program. The prospect that the in
~traeoastsl canal will be completed
between the Mississippi and Corpus
Christi within n few years is heart
eninr t. waterway advocates every
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