Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-03
LOCAL C.

tnS htht AAHCub aEFAg &c fASStHb
maintenance fund TO the maintenance
OF both channels. Congress, OF
course. can apply this money in any
way it sees fit, hut my Impression
is that the Board of Engineers
would not favor the maintenance of
two channels and harbors, as stated
above.
Third: The abandonment Of the
present channel from BraZcs to
Point Isabel b. having a SURVEY
made from Brazos Santiago to
Brownsville by the government and
having this channel substituted for
the Brazos-Point Isabel channel: any
additional cost above the present
project u be borne by Brownsville
and the territory tributary to said
city.
The chamber OF commerce adopt
cd the third proposition and appoint
ed your committee, with instructions
to procure the accomplishment OF
the third proposition.
Our first step was to secure the
opinions of competent engineers as
10 whether the proposed inland
channel was feasible and practicable.
We found that M. A. Tamm Of Har-
lingen, and Mr.. A. 4. Anderson Of
this city had made q survey some
fifteen years ago, of the very pro-
posed route, and had found same to
be feasible and practicable. They
estimated the cost Of the entire
channel from a sixteen foot depth
in Brazos Santiago Pass to within
five miles OF the city limits OF
Brownsville, the bottom to be 10
feet below sea level, 100 feet wide
and with appropriate width at the
top, with 1o00xl000 turning basin at
$4,000. We verified these figures
from construction engineers now do
ing work in the Valley. We also
had the engineers make an estimate
of the cost Of such docking and
terminal facilities to Re municipality
owned a. Ii was estimated we might
need, and or the cost Of rights-of-
way FOR the inland channel and turn
ing basin. which resulted in q to-
tel estimated figure Of S550,O0O.
This left 100000 with which to meer
tho government requirements OF
$500. 600 cash and certain land areas
required By the government, which
latter will not cost 100000.
With these figures VI Immediately
sought a resolution of the commit
tee Of tbs House Of Representatives
on Rivers and HaTbors, first consult
Ing with Mr.. Garner, ~ congress-
man. lie emphasized the fact that
he was for a deep water port for
tht 10 raf Rio Gran le Valley in me
quic..es- rp,sih'c way, and III l. he
would not delay the passage Of the
present bill. ard added that the y
Nay We could have OR project look
od upon with favor would be 70
show c%onvincingly that it furnished
the quickest and surest way Of get
ting a deep water port for the Lower
Rio Grande Valley.
On the 18th Of Octo5er the COM
mittee on rivers and harSorS passed
its resolution authorizing and d.
rcctinE the engineers to review and
make a survey OF the BRACES island
hrrhoT project, with 4 view 10
changing the canal and terminal
toward and near Brownsville. This
was done under our assurance that
We would take legal steps 10 meet
the government requirements az
BRACES Santiago Pass in the event
such modification was recommended.
on the 18th of October ~e filed 2
petition signed by ninety-siN prop
erty tax paying voters Of the pro-
posed district, asking the commits
SiouerS court to set said petltloh
down for a hearing TO determine
whether ar election should be held
to organize such proposed naviga-
ton district. including Brownsville
and adjacent territory, and TO vote
100000 of bonds TO meet the gov
eminent requirements at BraZos-San-
tiago pass. and to construct our
channel, basin and terminal facili-
ties. A favorable hearing was had
on this petition on November 18th,
and an election ordered in said dis
trict for December p.
In the meantime Msjor Milo r.
Fox, district engineer Of the United
States army in charge Of rivers and
harbors along the Texas coast held
a hearing in the federal court room
in Brownsville on November 2ist on
our proposition, at which time we
submitted written statements and
oral testimony covering some a
typewriter pages. The only oppo-
sition to our project in response to
Major Fox's statement that any ons
who desired 70 he heard in opposi-
ton 10 the same might speak, came
from Major Rufus ". Putnam, who
stated that he represented the
Point Isabel-San Benito navigation
district. Apparently what he sought
was To divert the Brownsville chan
mel BY way OF Point Isabel instead
OF having said channel run directly
toward Brownsville from the pass.
This caused US TO seek the view OF
the people of the proposed Browns
Vile navigation district more fully
than we had hitherto done on tho
proposition of n purely Brownsville
port. or whether they would be will
ing 10 tie on to a port at Point 1sa-
bel. and furnish the money or major
part Of the money 10 develop the
Point Isabel port. ard let u chan
mel connect with the Point Isabel
turning basin. Ex-epr in the Fres-
nos community the response was al
most unanimous that the property
tax paying voters were willing 70
vote q 100000 bond issue for =
Brownsville port, but that they did
not desire Brownsville's money TO be
diverted for aid in constructing the
Point Isabel port, but desired that il
be expended on the direct channel
from the pass TO Brownsville, and
such government aid 80 was re-
quired.
Previous to filing our petition
with the commissioners court ask
ing for a hearing on the proposed
navigation district, we called IN
renresnniafives % the Point isabel