Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-01-29
Beaufort Harbor-BeaufoTt and Morehead
City-Fort Macon-The Legislative Conn
mittee-Cunsoildation -Norfolk and the
North Carolina Trade, &C., .Se.
BEAUFORT, N. c., Jan, %,

North Carolina Trade &C.. LSc.
BEAUFORT, N. c., Jan. %.
1iessrs. Editors Il came down here a
day or two ago to examine this harbor,
following the example of the illustrious
Legislators who have the consolidation of
the North Carolina and Atlantic Railroads
in view. / have been to all points, and
now propose to give you and your readers
an idea of what it is. The entrance to
Beaufort harbor lies just to the south and
west of Cape Lookout, the shoals of which
Cape extend into the Atlantic ocean twelve
or fifteen miles. It was On these shoals
that the steamer st Gulf City" was lost on
the night of the 18th inst, when, as far
is known, only three men out of crew of
twenty eight were saved. The channel is
plain, distinctly marked by line of break
ers on each side, and has depth of water
of about seventeen feet on the bar. Hence
it is easily entered by vessels and forms
place of shelter from severe gales. After
passing Fort Macon, which stands OH the
narrow and deep channel up to the rail
road wharf at Morehead City When you
get out of that you can wade about any
where at low tide.
Standing by the dial at Fort Macon and
facing north, you have on your right, just
il sight the lighthouse on Lookout with
" Shackelford Banks, Or Island between
behind you is the broad sea at your left
Morehead City, across the sound and
stretching along it and in front Beaufort.
" New Port River - comes in between the
latter place and Morehead, and it is at the
mouth Of this river that the Atlantic Rail-
road terminus is located think you can
almost sketch the harbor after I tell YOU
that the entrance is about a mile wide to
Beaufort aud Morehead about two miles
EACH The anchorage is good, and all the
sounds, rivers creeks and arms Of the sea
abound III fish and oysters CT the finest
kind. bought oysters as large and fine
as your celebrated New Rivers - at thirty
cents per bushel.
Beaufort seemed to be trading some
but Morehead appears as near dead as any
place [ have visited. I think no vessel
drawing over feet could get to Beaufort
at high tide
Fort Macon appears to be in about as
good condition as in 1861. The armament |
is heavier, but the gun carriages are rot
ting down and no appropriation seems to |
be available for repairs. There are about |
60 prisoners there, all soldiers, who have |
been convicted of crimes and confined for
punishment There was some sailing done
by the Legislative delegation much mean |
whiskey disappeared and some oysters
were eaten after which it was decided to
make an immediate connection with Mem |
phis and all points west and south of that |
city, draw the trade at once to head at |
Morehead, and make New York envious of !
our superior Southern enterprise and saga
city. Why not When Norfolk, having |
already grasped Memphis, is stretching out !
beyond for the Pacific trade, when a Nor
folk paper talks as follows
" We have the grand trunk railway from here |
to Arkansas, via Norfolk and Petersburg, South
side Virginia and East Tennessee, Knoxville and |
Chattanooga, Memphis and Charleston, and |
Memphis and Little Aock (Ark.) railroad which
ALBANIA mississippi. and Arkansas. We then
have the line connecting Richmond with the Ka-
nawha Valley, West Pennsylvania, and the Ohio
region of country, rapidly approaching compile.
ton, which will open one of the richest mineral
sections OF the universe. Then the line from
bristol, through Cumberland Gap, on through |
hentucky, which secures to US the immense pro-
ducts of the Northwest, the finest country in the
world. With the Norfolk and Great Western con-
Meeting at Danville with the Piedmont railroad,
and the lineconnecting Charlotte, with Allan
direct and uninterrupted line of communication
by rail from Norfolk to Vicksburg, Miss, which
will open to Middle and Lower Mississippi, Ala
bama, Central and Northern Georeia Northern
a. and h !
Carollns, an outlet that will place them in COM
paratively quick communication with the whole
Eastern world.
"Our Seaboard road is direct connecting link
With the entire South Atlantic coast, and with
Eastern and Central North Carolina, Central
south Carolina and Alabama, to MONTGOMERY
Inc new line connecting Raleigh N. c., with Au-
5usta, Ga, via Chatham Ooalfelds, N. c., Che
raw and Columbia, 8. (Which is advancing to-
ward completion with considerable energy-wil
make direct airline from Portsmouth to Mont
gomery, where it forms a junction with the line
rom Danville to Vicksburg.
road il now chartered, ard we believe IN
Ter contract, connecting Suffolk, Va, with VIII
nington, N. c., by way of Edent n, Plymouth,
Washington and Newberp. This opens up anoth-
Or very valuable portion Of North Carolina, the {
PRODUCTS of which will come hither. The Dismal
swamp, and Albemarle and Chesapeake canals /
IRE important channels OF trade With our cities, t
Besides tho railroad to Lynch burg we have the I
Why not let Morehead have a chance
She has all the advantages of position ]
claimed for Norfolk, except the Virginia
outlets. The GOODNESS with which these
Norfolk men set down and, ignoring the
existence of business places in the State,
brow their arms around and draw to them !,
elves the trade of North Carolina, east
md west, is astonishing, in view of the
act that one city in North Carolina exports
more than the said city of Norfolk.
As ever yours,
"IN TRANSIT"