volume 28 may, 1950 number iportarchive.com/1950/volume 28 may, 1950 number 1 page 1...river and...

II

Official Publication of the Harris County-Houston Ship Channel Navigation District

Volume 28 MAY, 1950 Number I

WIDE \

To keep pace with the progress of the Port of Houston has been the

endeavor of The Second National Bank, and its Foreign Department offerscomplete banking facilities in connection with export and import trade,working direct through a world-wide network of correspondent banks.

Our Foreign Department has frequently been of great help to exportersand importers of the Southwest in the efficient handling of their actualbanking transactions with foreign countries and also in the experiencedadvice it can often give towards finding a solution of financial and

t~ading problems.

Consult us direct or through your local bank to see if we may not

serve you to advantage.

"42 Years of Service to the Southwest"

MA’N AT RUS~ ............ "~i~ ..... BANK OF

CAPITAL AND SURPLUS TEN MILLION DOLLARS . . . MEMBER F,D. I.C.

H O U STO N, one of the Nation’sfastest growing industrial expan-sion areas!

¯ Just 5 miles/rom center o~ Houston¯ Unlimited gas and electricity¯ Lead tracks and hard snr/aced roads

Santa Fe Industrial DistrictHere’s tile place to locate your business , . .

Smack in the middle of where America’s industrial futurehas set up housekeeping!

Lead tracks and hard surfaced roads have beeninstalled. Electricity and gas are available in unlimited

supply, and waler main to serve the property isunder construction.

Sites in this choice district are being offeredfor sale or lease at reasonable prices. For complete

information, just communicate with:

GEORGE

K M. FOGG, Ass’t General Freight Agent, Neils Esperson Building,800 Trovis, Telephone AT-6441, Houston

W. COX, INDUSTRIAL AGENT, SANTA FE BUILDING, GALVESTON, TEXAS

HOUSTON PORT BOOK FOR MAY, 1950 !

PATRICK TRANSFER & STORAGE COMPANYUPTOWN PHONE PR-Ol 11SHIPSIDE PHONE WO-8341 SHIPSIDE WAREHOUSE

A FISHER G. DORSEY INTEREST

POST OFFICE BOX 2544

General Commodity Storage and Handling Attractive Low Insurance Rate275,000 Square Feet Storage Space Dock Space: 2 Ships, 84 Cars, 60 TrucksReinforced Concrete Construction A.D.T. Electric Protection ServiceEquipped with Automatic Sprinkler Floor Level 35 Feet Above Mean Low Tide

I M P O 1t T EFFICIENT MECHANICAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING F R E EE X P O R T CONVEYORS AND ELEVATORS TO SHIPSIDE

ORBONDED

"’Best in the Southwest"

Cable Address "EDWIN"

FOWLER & McVITIE, INC.Ship’s Agents and Operato,s

Regular Service to Principal Ports in Europe

OFFICES IN

GALVESTON HOUSTON CORPUS CHRISTI PORT ARTHUR BROWNSVILLE DALLAS

\

from shore to ship...

Shell Oil (~OmlJan.~ is prepared to suppl.~

ships in the port of Houston with three of the

finest marine fuels available. The~ are SIlEI,L B[ NKER

FUEL OIL. and SHELL LIGIIT and HEAVY

MARINE DIESEL FUELS; all made righthere at Shell’s Houston Refinery.

Developed bv Shell research and backed

by years of proven performance, these

superior fuels arc available by calling or writing

Shell Oil CompanyBox 2099

Houston, Texas

Capitol 1181

2 HOUSTON PORT BOOK FOR MAY, 1950

LINCOLN

I ..........

DENVER ̄ !

PUEBLO

TT WORE

MISSOURI PACIFIC’s swift and

powerful diesels assure

IMPORT-EXPORT shippers of

the finest in rail facilities to,from and through the Port

of Houston. The continuous

addition of new equipment

plus extra care in handling

moves freight on time, every

time. Consult your MO-PAC

freight agent.

KANSASCI[V’~

ST

ET SMITLITTLE ROCK

SAN ANTONIO

CHRISTIIROWHSViLL( NEt

SERVING THE

HOUSTON PORT BOOK FOR MAY, 1950

PORT O F HOUSTON

MERRITT-CHAPMAN & SCOTTC 0 R P 0 R A T I 0 N

General Contractors for

WASHBURN TUNNELALL TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION

BridgesOil Relineries

Chemical PlantsSteel Mills

Docks

TunnelsPaper Mills

Founded in 1860 . . . Now in our 90th year

GENERAL OFFICES: 17 Battery Place, New York 4, N.Y.

CLEVELAND, OHIO NEW LONDON, CONN.

THI~ TEXAS LINENEWTEX STEAMSHIP CORPORATION

PIER TEN ¯ CITY DOCKS ¯ HOUSTON, TEXAS

Post Office Box 1415 ° Phone WOodcrest 9651

WEEKLY COASTWISE FREIGHT SERVICE

I PORT NEWARK, N.J. (NEW YORK)From

PHILADELPHIA, PA., and BALTIMORE, MD.

LESS CARLOAD ¯ LOWER RATES ¯ CARLOAD


~ervingthe Cotton South

Birmingham, Ala.

Montgomery, Ala.

Atlanta, Ga.

Athens, Ga.

Warehouses strategically located at"

Augusta, Ga.

Macon, Ga.

New Orleans, La.

Charlotte, N. C.

Greenville, S. C.

Memphis, Tenn.

Houston, Tex.

General Offices :HOUSTON

Division Offices :MEMPHIS. NEW ORLEANS

GULF ATLANTIC

WAREHOUSE CO.OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF:

HOUSTON TEXAS

o o o-o-o o-o-o-o o o o o o o o o o o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o o-o-o o o o o o o o-o-o-o-o o o o o


BIEHL & COMPANYSTEAMSHIP AGENTS

SHIP BROKERS

FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERI/ICE VIA

FERN LINEU. S. Gulf Ports to Far East

NOPAL LINEU. S. Gulf Ports to Brazilian Ports

Galveston ¯ Houston ¯ New Orleans

Memphis ¯ Dallas

Cable Address: BIEHL TWX No. HO-360

il I I I I I l l I l l llll I I l I I I I | I I I I I I I l I I I I I I I i I I I i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ! I I I l I I | I I I I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I l I I Li

i nludworth !! Shipyard, Inc.

i Designers Builders Repairers -:-

Conversion Work

_- of Wood or Steel Tugs :=

i and Work Boats -:

Nueces St. at Bray’s Bayou WO-1741

¯ l l I l J I IIIIIIUlIII I l I I l |lJJlJl I I I I I I l I I I t I I I I I I J I J J J I I I O I I I | I I I I I I I J I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I | I J I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I1~

FILLING,RIVER AND

DREDGINGLAND RECLAMATION, CANALS, PORT

HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS--DEEP WATERWAYS AND SHIPWORKSCHANNELS

We are especially equipped to execute all kinds of dredging, reclamation andport works in Southern waters.

Correspondence invited from corporate and private interests everywhere.

Contractors to the Federal Governme,nt

ATLANTIC, GULF AND PACIFIC CO.NEW YORK: 15 Park Row HOUSTON, TEXAS: Citizens State Bank Building


~/~ Fort Worth and Denver City Ry.for the

PORT of HOUSTONWe’ll be operatingour own railroadinto Houston verysoon.., watch forannouncements.

00

o0

0

BURLINGTON LINES E~ WestCHICAGO, BURLINGTON and QUINCY RAILROAD

COLORADO and SOUTHERN RAILWAYFORT WORTH and DENVER CITY RAILWAY

THE WICHITA VALLEY RAILWAY

HOUSTON PORT BOOK FOR MAY, 195U 7

S~PUEC~S:

United Kingdom andEire;

Continental Europe;Scandinavia and the

Baltic;

Mediterranean;Netherlands East Indies;Australia; New Zealand;

South and East Africa;Far East;South America;India and Persian Gulf

0/~C¢31

Savannah, Georgia; Brunswick, Georgia; Charleston, South Caro-

lina; Jacksonville, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; Mobile, Alabama;New Orleans, Louisiana; New York, New York; Washington,

D. C.; Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Kansas City, Missouri; Atlanta,Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dallas, Gal-

veston and Houston, Texas.

STRACHANSHIPPING COMPANYSTEAMSHIP AGENTS and STEVEDORES

Manchester Terminal-on the Houston Ship Channel

a necessary link in land-water

transportation

an

Houston.

integral part of the Port of

MANCHESTER TERMINAL

CORPORATION

Wharves

Warehouses

~k" Cotton Compresses

NO TIME

IS LOST.... .. nor money wasted, when Todd is selected

for repair, reconversion or maintenance jobs on

ships of any type. Todd maintains a complete

range of modem production facilities at its

shipyards which are strategically located on all

coasts of the United States and at Barranquilla,

Colombia. Also mobile service for ships at

anchor or at dockside.

TODD SHIPYARDSHouston: 1001 Chroniclc Building

CORPORATION

HOUSTON ¯ GALVESTON ¯ NEW ORLEANS ¯ NEW YORK ¯ BROOKLYN

LOS ANGELES ¯ SAN FRANCISCO ¯ ALAMEDA ¯ SEATTLE ¯ BARRANQUILLA

¯ HOBOKEN

¯ LONDON


Cotton . . .eornerstone of a Modern Metropolis

Since Houston’s earliest days, cotton has

been one of the principal factors in the

growth and prosperity of this community.

The pioneer flatboats which first navi-

gated Buffalo Bayou’s tortuous turns to

the infant village of Houston came to get

cotton from the river-bottom plantations

nearby.

As more and more Texas soil was put into

cotton production, the importance of

Houston as a cotton market increased.

The founding of the Houston Cotton Ex-

change, 75 years ago, was a milestone in

the development of a great trading center.

To handle the increasing traffic, Buffalo

Bayou was widened, straightened and

deepened into the Houston Ship Chan-

nel. And among the first shipside termi-

nal facilities installed along its banks were

vast cotton warehouses and compresses.

Houston today is one of the world’s larg-

est spot cotton markets and cotton ship-

ping ports, and Houston as a community

has become the largest and busiest city in

the South.

ANDERSON, CLAYTON &(INCORPORATED

COTTON AND COTTONSEED PRODUCTS

CO.

HOUSTON PORT BOOK FOR MAY, 1950 9

CROWN CENTRAL PETROLEUM CORPORATIONHOUSTON, TEXAS

LUCKENBACH

BETWEENHOUSTON, MOBILE, NEW ORLEANS, TAMPA

ANDLOS ANGELES HARBOR--SAN FRANCISCO

AND OAKLAND, CALIFORNIAPORTLAND, OREGON, SEATTLE, TACOMA,

WASHINGTONALSO

COASTWISE SERVICEFROM HOUSTON TO

MOBILE, ALA., AND TAMPA, FLA.

GULF OFFICES :Houston, Texas--831 First National Bank Building ;

Phone CA-9837.Mobile, Ala. 707 Merchants National Bank Building" :

Phone Mobile 3-3681.New Orleans, La.--424 Whitney Building;

Phone Raymond 0311.Tampa, Fla.--P. O. Box 377 ; Phone Tampa M 3718.

GENERAL OFFICE: 120 Wall Street, New York.

Luckenbach Gulf Steamship Co., Inc.

Cable and Telegraphic Address "TERMINAL" Houston

TEXAS TRANSPORT & TERMINAL COMPANY, INC.(ESTABLISHED 1895)

STEAMSHIP

HOLLAND-AMERICA LINETO

LONDON

ROTTERDAM/AMSTERDAMANTWERP GHENT ¯ BREMEN/HAMBURG

GRANCOLOMBIANA(Flota Mercante Grancolombiana, S.A.)

TO

VENEZUELA ¯ COLOMBIA ¯ ECUADOR

MANILA ¯ CEBU ¯

CREOLE LINE(Navigazione Alta Italia)

TO

GENOA, NAPLES, VENICE, TRIESTE AND OTHER ITALIAN,MEDITERRANEAN AND NORTH AFRICAN PORTS

ARGENTINE STATE LINE(Flota Mercante del Estado--Republica Argentina)

TO

BUENOS AIRES

MAERSK LINE

TO

ILOILO ¯ KEELUNG ¯ HONG KONG

OFFICES:New York, N. Y. Charleston, S. C.Philadelphia, Pa. Savannah, Ga.Baltimore, Md. New Orleans, La.

Eullun Exchanqe Buildinq

HHUSTflN ~, TEXAS

OFFICES:

Galveston, Texas Corpus Christi, TexasHouston, Texas Memphis, Tenn.Dallas, Texas Chicago, Ill.


f /

//

/

/\

Take a generous portion of the Midwest, from the Texas gulf toMinneapolis, from Chicago to the Colorado Rockies; include thetidewater ports of Houston, Texas City and Galveston; add agenerous network of steel rails (Rock Island brand); season witha goodly number of fast, Diesel-powered Rocket Freights. Tothese ingredients add any overseas shipments you may haveon hand. Serve immediately. Most satisfying at any time. Try it.

For full information ask

RayW. Sager, General Agent, Freight Dept.

403 Mellie Esperson Bldg., Houston 2, Texas

Phone Preston 8295

Frank O’Kane, Ass’t Freight Traffic Mgr.

805 Meacham Bldg.

Fort Worth 2, Texas

L. F. Talkington, Foreign Freight Agent

403 Mellie Esperson Bldg., Houston 2, Texas

Phone Preston 8295

A. J. Ferrell, Foreign Freight Traffic Mgr.

Room 821, La Salle St. Station

Chicago 5, Ill.


RAILROAD EQUIPMENT FOR SALERAILROAD CARS: All Types, Also Their Repair Parts

LOCOMOTIVES: Diesel, Diesel-Electric, Gasoline, SteamRAILWAY TANK CARS & STORAGE TANKS

CRANES: Locomotive and Overhead RAILS and ACCESSORIES

Also --

Merchant Iron & Steel Scrap Iron & Steel

Your O/fer;ngs and Inqu;ries Greatly Appreciated/

,.,,.A_% ,~o,o. A~e.-- IRON & STEEL PRODUCTS, INc.-"ANYTHING containing IRON or STEEL"

-- Chicago 33, Illinois

|[A[r~ Ml-\[~li~Ir CO[~PORArlON

!

!NEW YORK -- NORFOLK -- NEW ORLEANS -- HOUSTON -- GALVESTON -- SAN FRANCISCO

CLEVELAND- DETROIT -- CHICAGO -- MEMPHIS -- DALLAS -- LOS ANGELES -- LONG BEACH

A Texas Industry

... employing Texas People,

using a Texas Resource

to cze=~e new wedth ~o~ 7~ex=s

THE CHAMPION PAPER AND

Manufacturers

FIBRE COMPANYHouston Division

of Pulp and Paper from Texas Pine


Every day... 3 industrieslocate new plants along SP Lines !

Since the war, new plants and distribution

tacilities, requiring spur track installations,

have located along SP Lines at the rate of three

per day. Why? Because Southern Pacific is the

largest railroad west o[ the Mississippi, directly

serving more consumers than arty other railroad.

Southern Pacific’s well-organized Industrial Depart-

ment has been a help to many of these new industries,

furnishing them with accurate, up-to-date information

on all matters affecting their choice of a plant site...

such as power, transportation, fuel. labor, taxes, water

supply, property availability and costs. Moreover. this

information is gathered without revealing anyone’s

plans or identity.

If you are looking for a place to expaml your business

in auy of the eight states served by SP. why not let our

Industrial Department help you.

Your inquiry will receive careful attention and will be

treated with strictest confidence. Write

W. W. Hale, Vice-PresidentSystem Freight TrafficSouthern Pacific Company65 Market StreetSan Francisco 5, Calif.

F. L. Gordon, Freight Traffic Mgr.Southern Pacific Lines inTexas and Louisiana913 Franklin StreetHouston 1, Texas

The Friendly Southern Pacific


Plant TelephoneWO-1768

P. O. Address Box 5125, Harrisburg StationHOUSTON 12, TEXAS

HARRISBURG MACHINE CO., INC.OLDEST MARINE REPAIR PLANT IN PORT OF HOUSTON

General Machinists, Founders, Boiler Makers, Copper Smiths, Electric Welding,Floating Equipment Derrick Barge and Tow Boats for Ship Repairs

Night Telephone Numbers

R. A. Fenzl, JA-5571 C.P. Legnon, WO-92,11

Pres. and Gen’l Mgr. Superintendent

COY LE o~,~LI NESERVING PORTS ON

Gulf Intracoastal WaterwayCONNECTING WITH ALL RIVER CARRIERS

AT NEW ORLEANS. MOBILE

TEXAS - LOUISIANA- MISSISSIPPI - ALABAMA - FLORIDAGENERAL OFFICES: P. O, BOX 6056 - STATION A - NEW ORLEANS 14, LA.

MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN WATERWAYS OPERATORS, INC.

Your Vessel will be met at the Bar

and Piloted to the Port of Houstonby

HOUSTON PILOTS714 PETROLEUM

CABLE ADDRESS:

HOUSTON,

BUILDING

HOUPLT

TEXAS


m m m m m imm mmmm mm m mm m m i n mm m m mm mm mm mmm m

lI

End-to-End Radio Communication providessafer, speedier handling of your freight, in allkinds of weather, right down the line. This modernmiracle is another PLUS, in Katy’s famous "ontime" shipping service.

Hundreds of New Cars--new gondola, hopperand box cars, specially built to carry all types ofheavy cargo shipments, for added capacity,added service, even more dependability whenyour freight goes Katy!

|mmmmmnmmm

iiili

- mImii!

Automatic Block Signals precision-control the |movements of Katy’s freight fleet to suit your everyshipping need. The result: safer, better, moreefficient freight service for you.

Modern Freight Terminals combine human skilland complete mechanical facilities to precision-process your goods safely and efficiently, tohigh-speed the handling of your carloads tomarkets and factories.

You’re on the right trackwhen you ship Katy

Whatever your shipping needs, look to the precision rail transportationnow offered by the Southwest’s Main Supply Line. For dependable, careful,time-saving service to, from, and through the Southwest... ship KATY!

NATURAL ROUTE ~ SOUTHWEST 3O6


INTKACOASIAL TOWING & IKANSPORIAIION CORP.502 Caroline -- Houston 2, Texas

Cable: PETANK Phone PReston 2297

Cable Address "RICE," Houston

THOMAS RICE & COMPANY, INC.United States Gulf Ports to Spain . . . Far Eastern Ports . . . Africa . . . Netherlands East Indies

. . . Malaya . .. India . . . Persian Gulf . . . West Coast of South America Ports

COTTON EXCHANGE BUILDING COTTON EXCHANGE BUILDING

HOUSTON GALVESTON

GULF QUALITY LUBRICANTS

LubricatingOILS

LubricatingGREASES

GULF OIL CORPORATION

GULF REFINING COMPANY

Bulk deliveries of Gulf quality marine lubricating oils can be madeat Houston, Texas and at New Orleans, Louisiana. They are availablein drums at all principal ports on the Atlantic, Gulf, and West coasts.


’\\ \ \

\

POWERprogress of the area we serve!

are building ahead . . . new power

plants, new transmission lines,

new distribution facilities

¯ . . so that you may continue

to always have electric

service where you want it,

when you want it,

in adequate amounts...

at the lowest possible cost.


EVERY time the clock ticks off a minute

the Port of Houston pours $200 into the

economic bloodstream of the city. That’s $12,-

000 an hour--over $100 million a year. Indirect

benefits run into the billions, part of which

eventually finds its way into the cash registers

of every business and industry in Houston.

An important factor in stimulating business

through our port has been the availability of

adequate banking facilities. Far-seeing officers

of First National Bank established the Bank’s

Foreign Department during the early days of

Port Houston. This department helped develop

much foreign business for the port and estab-

lished world-wide connections that have been

of increasing value to customers as Houston has

grown to international stature.

If you do business outside the United States,

our Foreign Department can be helpful to you

in many ways. We invite you to use its

services.

18

FIRST NATIONAL BANil

MEBIBER FEDERAL L,[POSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ¯

NATURALGas... p, HOUSTON

INDUSTRIESOne vital reason for Houston’s importance asan industrial center is the availability here of

unlimited natural gas for industrial consump-tion to turn the wheels of progress.

We are proud of the contribution we aremaking t o w a r d the g r o w t h of Houston byfurnishing natural gas for fuel for its new

industries.

-k

Houston Industrial Gas Co.City Industrial Gas Company

F. M. Corzelius

2001 COMMERCE BUILDING, HOUSTON

AMERICAN GENERALq~o,,p

merican General Fire

American General Life

American General InvestmentCo~pozatton


SAN JACINTO INNSEA FOOD ~ CHICKEN DINNERS

SAN IACINTO MEMORIAL

A visit to Houston without avisit to San ]’acinto Battlegroundsis a visit incomplete, and a visitto the Battlegrounds without din-ner at San Jacinto Inn is onlyhalf a visit.

The guest register at San Ta=cinto Inn, during the past 25years, best speaks for its popu-larity.

To reach this beautiful publicpark, drive east on Preston Ave-nue to Harrisburg Boulevard,thence to La Porte Road; followLa Porte Road, then on to thefamous San Jacinto Battlegroundsand Inn.

We are closedMondays except for

Special Parties

Open 6:00 P.M.Tuesday

through Saturday

Open 1:00 P.M.Sunday

Located at the historical San Jacinto Battlegrounds, where the San Jacinto Monument,tallest in America, is one sight you will not want to miss . . . forty minutes from Houston.

THEDINNERSTHAT MADE SANJACINTOFAMOUSSUMMER DINNER

Three Dollars

CeleryShrimp Cocktail

Iced Crabs Baked CrabsTenderloin of Trout or Redfish

Fried Chicken PotatoesHot Biscuits and Preserves

Drinks Dessert

Please Make YourReservations Early

Phone WAyside 1181 Fried Chicken

,* Drinks

WINTER DINNER

Three Dollars

CeleryShrimp Cocktail

Oysters on the Half ShellOyster Brochette

Tenderloin of Trout or Redfish

Hot Biscuits and JamDessert

Potatoes

Specially Equipped to Serve Banquets to Any NumbevO~VNED AND UNDER THE SAME MANAGEMENT FOR THIRTY-THREE YEARS


O N APRIL 6 the Port of Houston dedicated its newtwo million dollar Wharf 9 at the head of the Turn-ing Basin, 57 miles from deep water in the Gulf

arid only three miles from the heart of the business districtof the ever growing metropolis of Houston. This fine newwharf is in line with the Port Commission’s determination tokeep the port facilities of the Port of Houston up to date andefficient. Wharf 9 has many outstanding characteristics: afront apron 50 by 500 feet with three tracks; an enclosed piershed 150 by 500 feet with a minimum of interfering columnsand with high ceiling; a covered railroad train shed in rear45 by 500 feet; a front apron elevation of 21 feet designedfor the higher decks of modern ships.

In continuation of its improvement program, the PortCommission on March 9 awarded a contract for a new openwharf, No. 16, designed especially for the efficient handlingof pipe, lumber, and other durable goods not requiring shedprotection. The increasing shipments of "dry" cargo throughthe Port of Houston require such an installation as the presentopen wharf is inadequate to meet these growing demands.Wharf 16 is scheduled for completion by February 1951.

The Washburn Vehicular Tunnel under the Houston ShipChannel at Pasadena, completed this month, will not onlyeliminate one of the ferries across the Ship Channel, but willopen up areas for industrial development which can be servedby this vehicular tunnel. The Port Commission not only con-tributed $650,000 toward the construction of this vehiculartunnel, but is also contributing $600,000 toward the construc-tion of a second vehicular tunnel. The latter tunnel, knownas the Spillman Island Tunnel, will eliminate the need for anyferries across the Houston Ship Channel and will thus improvethe Port’s already excellent safety record by eliminating thehazards of any ferries on the Ship Channel. Work is progress-ing at a rapid rate on this second vehicular tunnel.

In recent months existing wharves of the port have all beenrehabilitated so that it can be said that the port facilitieswere never in better shape than they are today. At the sametime deepening of the Ship Channel to the authorized depth of36 feet is also progressing, the contractor’s dredge now work-ing in a section eight miles up the channel from Morgan Pointwhere the Ship Channel leaves Galveston Bay.

"SHORT CUT OR BOTTLE NECK’"The reader’s attention is invited to the excellent article on

pages 36-37 by Brig. Gen. P. A. Feringa, Corps of Engineers,who is now serving in the important post of President of theMississippi River Commission. In his article entitled "ShortCut or Bottle Neck," he describes the one weak link in theGulf Intracoastal Waterway, namely, the short cut from PortAllen, opposite Baton Rouge, to Morgan City. It is of particu-lar value to Houston and other Texas ports to have this shortcut constructed at the earliest possible time. The project hasalready been authorized by the Congress and all that is needednow is an actual appropriation to get the work under way. Itis believed that two million dollars would be a satisfactoryinitial appropriation as that sum would cover the work whichcan be done efficiently in the first year. The remaining elevenmillion dollars should follow in succession during the next

three or four years, thus allowing completion of the entireproject before 1955. Certainly a project such as this which willgive immediate benefits to such a large number of Gulf portsand to the many shippers using our network of inland water-ways--the Ohio, Mississippi and its tributaries--should begiven priority over some of the nebulous reclamation and floodcontrol projects which are getting appropriations because ofpressure from local interests. Come on, Texas Ports! Let’sget this beneficial project under way as soon as possible.

PORT TERMINAL RAILROAD ASSOCIATIONOn Page 40 is a photograph of the Railroad Board of

Control of the Port Terminal Railroad Association whichoperates the public belt railroad on both sides of the HoustonShip Channel and connects with the six lines serving thegreater Houston area. The efficiency of the port is determinedin a great measure by the prompt handling of cargo to andfrom the connecting railroads. This Board on which the Portand the five member lines are represented is under the Chair-manship of Chairman W. G. Saville of the Port Commission.The P. T. R. A. operates under the railroad Board of Controlin a neutral manner, expediting the transfer of cars to andfrom all of the five member lines. Switching charges in theHouston Ship Channel industrial area are held to a minimum,and it is now planned to dieselize the P. T. R. A. in the nearfuture.

BUNKERING FACILITIESIt has long been known among the shipping fraternity that

the Port of Houston has "the best bunkering facilities in theworld." It is only appropriate that this should be the case atthe world’s Number One oil port. When shipping to and fromthe Port of Houston, it is a definite advantage to be able tobunker either Diesel or Bunker "C" from any Navigation Dis-trict dock at the Turning Basin or from the Long Reach docksby pipe connection while unloading or taking on cargo. Withthe low price at Houston ($1.60 per barrel today), it is wonder that over 1,200,(}00 tons of bunker fuel were takenaboard ships in 1949 at the Port of Houston. Incidentally thisbunker tonnage is not included in the tonnage figures whichmade the Port of Houston the second seaport of the nation in1948, based on tonnage figures released by the federal gov-ernment. Nevertheless this bunker business was certainly valu-able for the port and for its ships.

In summary, think it over! The six railroads serving thePort of Houston with two port terminal railway systems, withefficient wharves and bunkering facilities, with ships plyingto all ports of the world, where can you do better than

SHIP THROUGH THE PORT OF HOUSTON!


volume 28 may, 1950 number iportarchive.com/1950/volume 28 may, 1950 number 1 page 1...river and...

Documents