The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-26
rexas Needs More Deep water Port

Texas Needs More Deep water Ports
San Antonio Express.
AN Texas Wal sympathze with the ell
forts which Houston is making to nave
Buffalo bayou, her arm of the sea, deep
cned and widened so as to admit OF 'ne
passage of vessels through the ship chah-
rel directly UP to the wharves to hous-
ton.
Several years ago. when only Ves'els
of light draught could cross the bar III
the entrance TO the Galveston harnor'
the Morgan line steamers PASSED by Cal
weston and unloaded their cargoss at a
POINT Just below Houston known as GIN
ton. In order to do this Mir Morgan had
a little canal cut through narrow strip
of bay and then found wafer enough fcg
his puapse Without much uredg Jns.
To make the waterway TO houston or
to q point very near the city available
for vessels OF tne larger class 1t VIII {
necessary to do some dredging, not on4y
ln Inc bayou. but in Galveston bay from
the deep water in the channel through
the shadows TO the deep water in Inc
bayou. This has alreaay been done to
some extent by The Texas City Improve
U1GLL tUUlItluI III DCbtitl u NhNb PSNN
which is situated on the bay Just north
OF Galveston. There is another port a
little tulther UP uhe bay which has been
considered very promising and winch
Tss christened La Porte, though the
town has not SO far developed into any
thing more than summer suburb OF
Houston, but the opening Of the water
way to Houston wuld fulfill its des-
TRY and bring it into prominence at
once. United States engineers have sur-
yeyed the route of the proposed water.
way to Houston and have estimated the
cost OF making 1t available for ocean
tonnage at about 81, 600 This amount
of money Houston expects the general
government to eXpend in the work OF
deepening the channel and widening the
bayou.
To the casual observer 1t might APP
near that this is an enterprise which af-
fects only Houston and the smaller sea-
port cities between her and the deep water
port on Galveston island 4 study of
the situation is presented by MIR. c.. B.
Peck. manager of the Texas Car Service
association, is interesting. He says:
If we could divide sea room with
congestion that has existed for so many
wears at the latter place. The two cities
could easily take care of the entire Texas
and Indian Territory crop, and there
would be no need to send one bale by rail
TO points outside the State. do not see
any other solution OF the carrying problem
tor Texas railways than the Buffalo bayou
Improvement"
This observation OF Mr. Peck was
called Out by the congestion OF cotton
mt both Houston and Galveston The
Houston Post q few days ago estimated
that there were 5000 to 5000 cars of co ton
tied up at Houston and Galveston aud
nearby points awaiting expectation at the
Texas port. The congestion has no. been
relieved materially by unloading a small
portion OF the cotton into sheds aud ware
horses, as has been done az both Houston
and Galveston. Galvesion's wharf ana
terminal Facilities have been greatly in
creased In The past three or four wears
but they are vastly inadequate 10 the in
creased denands. The railroads are fret
ting under the ANNOYANCE which so ham
rers their traffic bualness and keens Them
out of the use of their cars for weeks M
q time when they have such need of them.
The truth OF the matter Is that Texas
Seeds more searart room, There would
be business enough for an rn,ire wh,rf
frontage from Galveston 10 Houston and
the Whole State would lenefil ty TIE M
creased facilities The Houston waterway
is patent need Of that part OF the co,sg
Quite MS important, too, Is the ore11ng
IN of other harhors and the uiili7a.ioo NJ
o Yer pnTts on the Texas r ae,, for tbcsa
is NEED fNr them all. Commerce ana 49,
tic demand more avenues To the sea ~
the Texas coast VA