The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-16
RAPID OPMENT
BEAUMONT SHOWN
What Inland Port Has Done With
Backing of Determined Citi-
gems In Way Of Harbor.

There are some Pensacola croakers
who still maintain that Pensacola does
not need municipal docks. And that,
If these docks are built they cannot
be utilized sufficiently to be of real
service. if built on the unit plan.
These chronic croakers do not look
beyond their noses; they are satisfied
to croak against every contemplated
Improvement and take no steps to ia
miliarize themselves with what other
parts of the country are doing, taking
the progress of these ports. and the
facts back of this progress, as a basis
Of estimate.
Pensacola, long boastfu1ly dec1aim-
ing to the world Of its natural advan-
tages, Is still waiting for port devel-
opments because OF q few hide bound
politicians and a handful of narrow
gagged citizens, who have steadily put
themselves in the way as stumbling
blocks to progress. Other ports, with
far fewer advantages have gone for
ward and made these ports the equals
and sometimes the superiors in advan-
tage of this God given harbor.
Let us see what an inland town has
gulf coast; Beaumont, Texas, is an
inland port. It has built up its mari
time interests from a single ship ini-
tally opening its waterway in March,
1916, with a tonnage represented by
the zero mark. to a total of vessels en-
tering it's harbar in 1920 of S72. with a
tonnage of 2,641. 651. Development OF
Beaumont as port may be said to
date back to 1898. when the govern
ment deepened the water over the bar
at Sabine. the gateway of Beaumont
to the sea. In 1909 congressional APP
preparation was secured and the navi-
cation district voted half a million
dollars Of bonds to match the govern
ment's contribution to the project. This
money was used to deepen the channel
from Sabine to Sabine Pass ship canal
After war department engineers had
gone over this plan, 1t was finally en-
bodied In the rivers and harbors bib
of 1911. The work OF deepening the
river and the ship canal was completed
March, 1916.
Here Is the way Louis P. Head, writ
Ing in the Gulf Ports Magazine, tells
OF the rapid development of Beaumont.
which is now planning to deepen its
chanel to 80 feet:
with provision made for the COM
ing Of ships it became necessary to
find ways and means for their accom-
mediation. Beaumont had ample rail-
way facilities. but It had no means Of
handling cargoes to and from ships
The task of affording needed wharfage
and loading equipment devolved upon
the city. Land was bought along the
river front, extending from the foot
of the principal business street of the
city, for almost a mile eastward. and
construction of the first dock units
was begun. Financial limitations
made adoption Of the unit plan neces-
sary, and but a single unit was first
built This was soon followed by a
second, this equipped with warehouse
accomm odations and leading cranes,
and this followed by a third, with two
more units provided for by bond issue
and already made necessary by rapid
growth Of the ports business. These
units are all of reinforced concrete
and are served by multi
pie railway tracks, enabling the load
ing OF cargo to or from cars to ships.
All mechanical equipment Is electri-
cally operated.
The city Of Beaumont has not been
alone. however, in provision Of facili-
ties for ship handling. The Magnolia
company. having here one
of the largest oil refineries in the
quickly appreciated the pos
sibilities of the new waterway, and
that company built ana now operates
its own dock and terminal system. on
the river Just below the municipal
docks and turning basin, where tank
ships discharge import cargoes Of
Mexican crude oil and take refined oils
and by-products for every part of the
world. Millions Of Barrels are handled
in this manner each year, the traffic
constantly increasing. Refined oils are