1899.] HAUPT — REACTION BREAKWATER AT ARANSAS PASS. 141 



reaching to twenty-three feet in January last, and which are proba- 

 bly greater to-day. 



The Report also states that the Harbor Company has expended 

 on the breakwater about ;i525o,ooo, which, with the cost of previous 

 work and other expenses, amounted to about ^525, coo; and the 

 President of the Harbor Company, Mr. Thomas H. Franklin, of 

 San Antonio, in his report to the Board, dated as early as Septem- 

 ber 7, 1896, says, inter alia,^ in summing up: 



'' Fifth. Sufficient work has already been done at the pass by the 

 company to demonstrate the entire feasibility of obtaining the 

 necessary depth of water by the expenditure of a practically small 

 additional amount, and the Government has therefore had the prob- 

 lem of deep water solved for it at this port." 



That this view seems to be accepted in part by the Board of 

 Engineers would appear from its closing remarks, to wit : 



" The Aransas Pass Harbor Company, instead of carrying out the 

 Government plan, adopted one entirely in conflict with it." * * * * 



And further : 



" This Board believes that with a careful study of the problem a plan 

 of improvement can be devised that will give for a reasonable cost 

 quite a good entrance in which a channel of navigable width with twenty- 

 foot depth at mean low water can be maintained by the aid of inexpen- 

 sive dredging. Such a plan would doubtless remove a small part of 

 the curved breakwater and utilize the balance. It would cost less 

 than the approved (?) Government plan, but it would not be so good." 



And the Report closes with these words : 



" In consideration of all these facts, the Board is of the opinion that 

 the value to the Government of the works of the Aransas Pass Har- 

 bor Company for the improvement of Aransas Pass, Texas, is nothing." 



The Aransas Pass Harbor Company Surrenders its Prop- 

 erty. — In view of this finding of the Board and the urgent desire 

 of the citizens of southwestern Texas to have the work proceed, the 

 Harbor Company generously concluded to transfer all the work on 

 the breakwater to the Government, as a condition precedent to the 

 early prosecution of the work. This was accordingly done on the 

 27th day of March of this year. 



Estimate OF Board of 1898 and Action of Congress Thereon. 

 — In the meantime, however, the subject was referred back to a Board 



1 Vide, p. 26. 



