The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-11
TRAFFIC ON THE BAYOU.
A Review Of the Channel to Clinton
Cut by Moraao.
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC INTERESTS
Houston snip Channel Project
IL Carried Out.

dThe branch office of 'rhe Post In Gal.
weston 4 al the fremont hotel. where
tums OF news. subscriptions and advCr-
tisemenis win be roccivcl>
Galveston. Texas. December lo--In an
article reviewing the former work done in
the way OF securing ship channel through
Galveston bay to Houston. the Evening
Tribune today says:
More than twenty years ago the late
Commodore Charles Morgan. then the sole
owner Of Morgan's Louisiana and Texas
Railroad and Steamship company now the
properly OF the Southern Pacific. on ac-
count of disagreement with the Galveston
Wharf company, determined to divert all
OF his trade, except exclusively local freight.
from this point. AT that time his steamers
ran between Morgan City and Galveston
and were OF the typo known as red ships"
side wheel walking beam steamers liko
tho Clinton, now engaged j the Brazos
Santiago trade-wth the exception OF the
Arkansas and Hutchinson. which were twin
screw vessels. All of these craft were
small as compared with vessels OF the
present day. and would not draw more than
eleven 10 twelve feet OF water when loaded
An appropriation was secured from the
United States government to cut channel
twelve feet in depth from deep water near
Bolivar TO Morg0n's Point, and tho contract
was lei TO & q. Forbes ~ Co OF BALTIMORE
who put powerful dredges to work. In
the meantime Commodore Morgan had d
number OF dredges brought over from Bra
shear. which were put 20 work cxcavating
a cut through Morgan's Poist from Calves
ton bay to deep water in san Jacntu bay,
thus shortening the route several miles
and avoiding the reefs and shoals near the
mouth OF Cedar bayou. The dredges also
did lot OF work IN Buffalo bayou.
Commodore Morgan selected clinton On
Buffalo bayou as the terminus OF his water
route. That point is some five or six miles
below Houston by land and NOR than
double the distance by water. There OK
tcnsve docks and warehouses. were built.
and when depth of twelve feet OF water
had been secured through the bay TO the
San Jacinto aud Buffalo bayou tho business
was removed to that point.
All the Morgan shops with through
freight from Morgan city entered Bolivar
channel and passed up tho bay several
miles to the eastward of Galveston, aud on
tho return from Clinton passed out the
same way. occasionally stopping at the
docks here TO take in additional cargo or to
clear at the custom house. A, that time
there was but little more than twelve feet
OF water on Galveston bar, and tho writer
wen remembers the time when schooner
from Pensacola, drawing eleven feet six
inches OF water passed up the hay and
bayou to Clinton.
With the completion of the Southern
Pacific system through to san Francisco
and The building OF deep draught steamers
TO ply between New York and New Orleans.
which at that time could not cross Gal
weston bar, and the absorbing Of the Nor
gan interests by he Southern Pacific COM
pany the Clinton enterprise proved TO be
unremunerativc and was abandoned as far
as the steamship service was concerned.
being only used as the point where tho deep
draught tugs of the Houston Direc, Navi.
gaJon company hitch on to the barges
brought down from Houston BY the smaller
tow boats.
There seems to be well founded impress
sion that the southern Pacific company
viii use all its influence to secure the pas
sage of an appropriation as recommended
for the construction OF deep water chan
mel, and thaG II II Is -ecurcd,dnd the work
pushed TO n successful conclusion the Toxns
terminus Of their New York fleet will be at
CLIFTON, whore they own ample land and
dock front
The work viii he o gigantic one but
much more difficult engineering enter
prises have been brought to n successful
termination.
The above facts are only given ms going
10 show what has been accomplished in the
way OF deep water to Houston In the past
What the future has In store no man
knows.