Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-07

decreased height Of slope, the slopes
being more difficult Of maintenance
than surface which are practically
horizontal.
In respect to Harrington as a port
General Beach says:
Harlingen IL the most rapidly grow
ing tow of the district known as the
Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas.
which Is that part Of the state lying
adjacent TO the boundary river ana
extending to such a distance from lt
IS can be served BY the waters of
that stream for irrigation purposes.
The soil il all alluviaI land deposited
BY the Rio Grande in geological ages
past and like all soil laid down in
thin layers obtained from the top
soil Of other regions further up
stream, ~ particularly fertile. This
fertility combined within climate
which encourages plant growth the
year round permits two and even
three crops TO be raised upon the
same tract and owing to the fact
that its vegetables can De made ready
for market earlier than those OF any
other section Of the United States ex-
cept the very southern tip Of Florida,
rs products ought TO bring good
prices when distributed to northern
cities.
Harrington is at practically the
same latitude as Miami, Fla. and is
$50 miles south OF the imperial Val
ley Of California. It's people are
WIDE awake and progressive, losing
no opportunities TO extend their COM
mercial influence and TO add TO the
attractive features Of their locality.
A waterway. known as the Arroyo
Colorado, rans from above Har-
hngen TO the Laguna Medre some rs
miles northeast OF the city. IL Ia
claimed by some people to Be an old
bed OF the Rio Grance, while others
are equally positive that il is an ex-
tenslve geological fault. Whichever
its origin, IL now serves at time OF
unusually high floods in the Rio
Grande es an outlet for some of the
surplus waters Of that stream. It's
mouth In the Laguna Madre consists
Of several branches Of very shallow
depth, forming a small delta. Be
tween Harrington and this delta. the
Arroyo Colorado is a single stream, or
lake, without islands. with an average
width of about 200 feet and with .
depth throughout sufficient TO ac-
commodate pleasure crnff. The
present depth al some few places and
the sharp bends which occasionally
occur would prevent its use for COM
nerciai purposes until chPnges have
been made. but before much craft
can be brought into the stream il
will be necessary 10 provide a prope.
connection with the Gulf Of Mexico.
nAA .Nr4-- LMR~m A. -
Colorado and the Lagcna Madre Is a
low lying plain whose general eleva-
ton in passing westward from the
Laguna may be said TO rise at about
the rate OF a foot TO the mile. The
land is crossed By a few depression.
known as "resacas," probably old
river beds, which follow very irreg-
ular courses towards the Laguna, and
also by several sandy ridges, gen
orally running in a north and south
or northeast and southwest direction
which elevations varying between rs
and so feet above sea level.
Padre Island
Padre Island throughout its length
consists Of sand dunes and low flat
stretches only a few feet above sea
level. In some places the dunes
shift greatly with the wind, in other
parts Of the island they appear to be
fixed By the plant growth upon them.
The low places at several points on
the island extend entirely across IL
from the Gulf OF Mexico to the La
gana Madre; some Of these places
arc entirely covered by storm waves
and exceptionally high tides, but
there appears 70 be no tendency Of
the gulf 70 cut across. the island as
Tar as has been observed BY the few
people who are acquainted with the
localities.
The United States engineers office
"a Galveston recently made an exam
ination OF the Laguna Madre in con
n~ectioa with the report TO be made
by 1t concerning the sdvisabilitv az
extending the I~ntercoastal Canal
from Corpus Christi Bay to Point
Isabel and also a connection from the
canal 70 Harlingen BY way Of the
Arroyo Colorado. The officer who
made the field examination Of the
conditions which would probably be
encountered. reports that no rock
was found within 12 feet Of the
surface on either the main line Of
the canal south of the Arroyo or in
the latter waterway. Concerning the
character OF the material to be ex-
cavated in the Arroyo. he says. ~The
banks and bottom are generally a
eff red or yellow-red clay, some
Strata showing small lamps Of caIiche.
Bars and shoals showed depths Of
four 70 nine feet of soft gray mud.
sand or clay. The mounds in the
delta showed cross-bedded and mixed
sand. silt and clay, and flats being
sand and silt"