The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-10-05
Judge Monet,s Renlx.

Col. j. +. II. CLAIBoRNE-DeaT Sir Your
favor of the 18th has been received. l have
noticed for some time past, in the neighboring
newspapers, communications intended to in
tiuence the location of the road and its termi-
nus Some represent Mississippi City, and
others Biloxi, as being the most suitable
points; but those who so assert are either un-
acquainted with many material facts which
should be duly weighed, or are misinformed
respecting them. ! do not design to enter
into controversy with any writer, but in
response to your enquiries, l will give you a
rough sketch of my observations and opinions
on the subject.
Before the road and terminus be permanent
ly located, the whole coast, and the country
back of it, especially along the streams that
penetrate the interior, should be critically ex-
amined and studied. 1t is not of such vast
extent but that the Board could give it a
searching inspection, and ascertain the point
which confines the greatest natural advanta-
ges and where the terminus may be estab-
iished most permanently, most safely, and
most cheaply. In my opinion the point offer
ing the greatest advantages and facilities, has
not been particularly spoken of-the Bay of
ST. Louis.
Before | enter into specifications on this
subject, allow me to state the experience on
which my opinion is based. profess to be,
personally, as well acquainted with the wa
ters, bays, inlets, channels, shoals, islands and
shores of the States of Alabama, Mississippi
and Louisiana, as any living man l came to
this part Of the country in 1917, and navigated
these waters between New Orleans and ST.
Marks sometimes as hand on board, at other
times as captain from the spring of that year
to the fall Of 1923, when settled here, and
have resided ever since, except twelve months
at the Balize. In 1827-'28, / commanded
various vessels trading between New Orleans,
Mobile, Pensacola and the Balize, and have
frequently made trips not only along the man
land, but to all the islands that belt our South
ern coast, and have closely noted the changes
produced by time, or by storms | have wit
messed every storm or hurricane that has &C.
CURED since came to this country, and accu-
rately observed the phenomena attending
them, their courses, variations, and the effects
they occasioned To illustrate what pro-
pose to establish, I will advert to each of them
in their order.
The first witnessed occurred July 28th,
1919, by far the heaviest ever experienced on
this coast since came to it At that time
neither Pascagoula, Pass Christian, Mississippi
City, or Ocean Springs were reserted to as wa
tering places, and even the two first could
scarcely be termed villages. Biloxi only con-
tanned few Creole families, and only one or
two small schooners belonged there. In that
storm the United States schooner, Firebrand,
Lieut.. Cunningham, of about $50 tons, carry
ing IL guns, and some IL feet draft, was lost.
Three days before Lieut.. c., with boats crew
Of six men, had set out for New Orleans. for
supplies, leaving his vessel at anchor between
Ship Island and the North end of the Chan
delers No one can tell what took place af.
ter he left. Every man on board perished-
On the 18th, after the gale had subsided, she
was seen, bottom upward, on the aSouare
Handkerchief" sand spit or shoal between
the Mississippi and Louisiana shores, off the
West end Of Cat Island. Some of the bodies
were found on the Western end of Cat Island.
some on Bay st. Louis, and some West of
Pass Christian but the greater portion of the
crew, it Is supposed, perished in the hold, as
she lay bottom upwards, and for a long time
emitted sickening stencil. That storm be-
gan during the night Of the 9th, blowing
first from the East. Ats, A. NJ, the wind
yeered to e. s. E., and then chopped round
to n. E., where it remained until II or IL at