The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1913-01-02
FROM WINNIPEG
IlIUW UIlvVli u
TO THE GULF
The 1000 Mile Winnipeg Galveston
Highway Nearly Finished.

Newton, Kans., Jan. 1.-The Mer-
idian Road is logged, organized and
open for motor traffic from Winnipeg
to Galveston. From Winnipeg to
Wichita, Kans more than one thou
sand miles, it already is first class
dirt road. From Wichita south two
routes have been located, one through
Enid, El Reno and Lawton to Wichita
Falls. Tex, and the other by way of
the Santa Fe towns to Oklahoma City,
thence to FL Reno through Lawton to
Wichita Falls. From Wichita Falls to
Fort Worth the tourist can take his
choice between the Jacksboro route
or the Bowie route.
From Fort Worth there are again
two routes. The one to Cleburne and
thence to Waco b yway of Glenrose,
Clifton and Meridian is a longer but
better road than by way of Hillsboro.
That part of the Meridian Road be-
tween the Red River and Waco is
called the North Texas division. The
gulf division of the Meridian Road
was organized at Houston.
Forks From Waco.
4 Waco the Meridian Road forks,
one branch extending southeast on
the east side OF the Brazos river
through Marlin, Hearne, Bryan, Col
lege Station, Nayasota, Hampstead,
Houston to Galveston; while the other
branch extends from Waco, through
Temple, Granger, Austin, San Marcus,
New Braunfels to San Antonio. Be
tween Waco and Hampstead is very
poor road Many miles of it is what
is called black, waxy land and many
miles of sand. From about twenty-five
miles east of Tempstead through
Houston to Galveston is a shell road
abous one hundred miles in length,
which is the longest and best stretch
of road on the Meridian Road between
Winnipeg and the Gulf OF Mexico. Be.
tween Waco and Granger the road is
vedy bad in wet weather.
From Granger through Austin to
San Antonio is fairly good road.
Near Houston and Galveston there
has been constructed about one thou.
sand miles of she'll road that are equal
If not superior for motoring to the
oiled roads in Southern California
Cities Work For the Roads.
Realizing that it is necessary to
have a good road in and out of the
Gulf Coast country, Houston and Gal.
weston are actively behind the move
ment to construct and maintain the
gulf division of the Meridian Road.
Likewise San Antonio will do all it
can to cause to be constructed first
class road between San Antonio, Waco
Fort Worth and north. There also
will be constructed in the near future
a road from San Antonio to Houston,
thereby forming a loop for traffic in
Central Texas.
The Meridian Road will also CON
meet with Dallas through Fort Worth,
thirty miles distant, thus placing all
of the large cities of Texas on the
Meridian Road. Governor Colquitt re-
Gently recommended the construction
of the above roads, which are entitled
to federal aid
Over Famous causeway.
Entering Galveston the route goes
two miles over the famous causeway,
which cost $2,500,000 The causeway
is 1862 feet in length, divided into
roadway, arch bridge and lift bridge
The arches with 70-foot span and a
9-foot rise. The roller lift bridge
gives a clear waterway of one hun
dred feet. The roadway is 154 feet
wide, carrying forty feet of county
roadway and five railroad tracks with
room for four more. The arch bridge
part has a total width OF sixty-six
feet consisting of twenty-five feet for
county road, fifteen feet for single |
track interurban and twenty-nine feet |
for double track steam road The mas
siye roller lift bridge is the largest |
of its kind in the world. 1t stands 165 |
feet in the aid from the hight tide |
mark and weighs 3,293O00 pounds of
which seven hundred tons is steel. |
The rest of the weight being made |
Of five hundred cubic yards of con-
crete placed as counter balance. /
The bridge is operated by electric |
power motors with a storage battery |
for reserve. This causeway practically /
makes Galveston a part of the main
land. Galveston ranks next to New
York among American ports in the
total of foreign exports and is the
greatest cotton port in the world
There has been expended upon the