442 HURRICANES ON THE COAST OF TEXAS 



region. There were, of course, many localities whei'e it was self- 

 evident that water could be held to advantage, as, for example, in 

 Southern California, where the cliniatic conditions were such that 

 the semi-troi)ic fruits flourished to perfection. The valleys of this 

 part of the State, relatively small in size, are protected on the north 

 by mountains which rise abruptl}^ from sea-level, and from these 

 small streams flow in torrential channels. The rapid development 

 of population in these small valleys, due to tlie salubrity of the 

 climate and the great profits derived from the cultivation of fruits 

 and nuts, early resulted in all the available water supply being 

 utilized, and in compelling the consideration of methods of storing 

 some of the flood-waters. The utilization of these storage sites was 

 further promoted by the fact that most of the desirable land in fiiis 

 part of the country was covered by tlie early Spanish land grants, 

 the title to which had l)een confirmed by the United States. 'J'hus 

 these great tracts were not a portion of the })ublic land and did not 

 depend upon favorable legislation for the inauguration of private 

 enterprise. From these and other reasons it has happened that the 

 actual construction of storage reservoirs in Southern California has 

 been far ahead of similar work within what is more strictly the arid 

 region. 



HURRICANES ON THE COAST OF TEXAS 

 By General A. W. Gkekly, U. S. Army 



The gra[)hic and timely article of Professor W J McGee on the ter- 

 rible calamity that l)efell the city of Galveston, Texas, has been 

 perused with great interest. Certainly every thoughtful reader must 

 be impressed with his remarks on dangers incident to the building 

 of cities on coastal formations, such as ibrm the shore-lines of the 

 great State of Texas. 



It is not my desii'e nor intention to enlarge upon the geological 

 formations of the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, nor to discourage the 

 afflicted citizens of Galveston from their energetic efforts to restore 

 their heretofore prosperous city to its loimer jjosition, as the greatest 

 commercial entrepot of Texas. Indeed, it is ni}^ firm conviction 

 that the ingenuity of man is such that he will be able to adopt such 

 engineering devices as will ])rotect Galveston from a repetition of the 



