138 HAUPT — KEACTION BREAKWATER AT ARANSAS PASS. [Oct. 6, 



two jetties at a cost of ^759,185, and work was actually commenced 

 on this project by the partial construction of the westerly jetty in 

 1S80. The head of Mustang Island was revetted, sand fences built 

 and other work done during the following decade until operations 

 were suspended in May, 1889, after an expenditure of 1550,416, 

 with a resulting depth of seven and one-half feet over the bar. In 

 1887 it was reported to be eight and one-half feet. In the mean- 

 time it should be stated that the project was revised in 1887 so as 

 to secure a probable twenty-foot depth. '' The original estimated 

 cost of this work as here revised is ^2,052,543.72."^ Work on the 

 Government jetty, which was of mattresses covered with rock, prac- 

 tically ceased about 1885, when it extended seaward including the 

 shore end 5400 feet, and a few years later it was officially reported 

 to have '' disappeared," thus confirming the previous opinion as to 

 the difficulties of maintaining such work at that location. 



The condition of the bar at the close of the Government work is 

 shown on Plate VI. 



Private Efforts. — The years from 1890 to 1895 were spent in 

 experiments by the Harbor Company which was chartered on the 

 2 2d day of March, 1890, by the State of Texas, and which secured 

 the passage of an act of Congress, May 12 of the same year, author- 

 izing it to create a twenty-foot channel at Aransas Pass from its own 

 resources. The tribulations of this company and the failure to 

 secure results during the financial depression of those intervening 

 years need not be recorded. Suffice it to say that a contract was 

 made by Mr. Cameron, acting for the Harbor Company, and Charles 

 Clarke & Co., of Galveston, contractors, on the 3d day of July, 

 1895, to construct only a part of the breakwater on the plans under 

 consideration. The work of placing the foundation mattresses 

 was promptly commenced during the month and vigorously prose- 

 cuted. It proceeded so rapidly and was accompanied by such pro- 

 nounced results that by the end of October it was stated that there 

 were thirteen feet entirely across the bar (see Report of Board of 

 U. S. Engineers, Nov. 22, 1897). This without dredging and at 

 an unfavorable season of the year. 



Unexpected Obstructions. — It then transpired that the remains 

 of the old Government jetty, which was reported to have "disap- 

 peared," were still in place covered with rock, crossing the bed of 



^Report of Chief Engineer, 1887, Part ii, p. 1432. 



