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


eating these waters, will now endeavor to
show that, if railroad from the interior to
| this coast be ever built, and the harbor or
roadstead formed by Ship Island Cat Island
and the main land, becomes the resort Of
| navy shipping, the BAY OF ST. LOUIS is the
most suitable point for the location Of the
son hern terminus ofsuch railway. No mat
ter where that terminus may be located,
whether remote or cor rtiguous, the laws Of
nature, and the laws Of storms, cannot be
changed, and this Bay must, of necessity, be
the refuge, in bad weather, of all the lighters,
steamers and other craft the business OF the
road may call into operation.
The Bay of st. Louis is an indentation or
deep core in the Gulf of Mexico, which Gulf
stands from st. Joseph's Island to Mobile Bay .
| in latitude 30S 15', longitude 89o lP. The
entrance to the Bay is about, 18 miles east
ward of the mouth Of the Pearl river, about
miles n E. from st. Joseph's Island, and
about % miles westward from Biloxi 10 miles
W. from Mississippi City, and about 211s
miles w. of Pass Christian. 1t is q miles
wide at its mouth or base, and runs up,
tending n. E. to depth Of AZ miles, where
it spreads out to a breadth Of some 4 miles,
and turns to the West and thus continues
some miles to the mouth of Jourdan River
stream navigable for upwards of 40 miles for
any vessels in our coasting trade. Near the
point where the Bay inclines to the West, on
its North shore, is the debouchments of Wolf
Rivera stream very similar to the Jourdan.
On the East side, near the mouth of Wolf
commences cove, known as the Portage
extending in an easterly direction, more than
two miles, in which debouche several minor
streams or bayous, navigable several miles.
This core is about a mile wide, and is COM
pletely land-locked and protected by Point
Boisdore (the south point of the core), the
eastern shore of the Bay of St. Louis extend
ing about one and a-half miles to Henderson's
Point Due West, from that place is the
point on which stands the city of Shieldsboro',
the corporate limits of which extend, on the
West and South side of the bay to Jourdan
River 1t is an effectual and unfailing refuge
from the severest gales.
The waters of the Bay of st. Louis cover
an area of more than twelve square miles,
with channel varying from two to four
miles wide and from six to ten feet deep.
The shoals are narrow. The steamboat wharf
(Martin's) runs out to eight feet water in or
binary tides, and yet is only 1900 feet long!
The land around the bay, and for long dis
tance back, is high and dry with heavy
forest growth and a substratum Of clay. 1t
produces kindly, and the water is abundant
and excellent. The point where Shieldsboro'
stands is generally, ten feet higher than any
other portion Of the sea-board between New
Orleans and Mobile. The streams discharg-
ing into our Bay abound with valuable timber,
numerous steam. mills and ship-yards have
been established, and large business is done
IN lumber, charcoal, &c. Before the last war
with Great Britain the United States main
tanned Naval Store and Station at this place,
and it was the rendezvous for our tiotilla of
gun-boats. 1t was likewise military canton
ment under the late Gen. Ripley, Gen. z.
Taylor and Gen. Twiggs. For many years
Lieut.. (now Commodore) Mckeever, COM
manding Z. S. Ketch "Favorite,' of 8 guns,
drawing eight to nine feet water, made this
Bay his station, as point of easy access and
absolute security from storms. In 1927
frame of live oak for a .. s. sloop of war
got out on Jourdan River and shipped from
this Bay for Norfolk, on a schooner of 130
tons, drawing nine and a-half feet of water,
lying opposite the Coward mansion. In 1928
| commanded the schooner "1raveller,' Of
120 tons drawing eight and a-half feet, which
loaded in front Of Cowards, carrying $50 cords
of wood each trip to the mouth of the Missis-
sippi In 1849 Captain VIM. Taylor, tempo
Tarily in command of the Revenue Cutter
Woodbury." Of ten guns and ten feet draft,
came into this Bay without difficulty, and
lay at anchor for some time. More recently,
the U. S. Coast Surveying Schooner Phoe-
nix," drawing seven and a-half to eight feet
water, has frequently made this harber and
anchored here for weeks at time. None of
these vessels had any difficulty in coming in
or going out to sea, thus demonstrating the
capacity of this Bay to receive and shelter
vessels of from eight to ten feet draft, which
no other harbor on this coast is capable Of
An inspection of this coast, or even of
map of the coast, will satisfy any accurate OBJ
server that the Bay of st. Louis is, during a
heavy gale, the only accessible harbor for ves-
sells of 100 tons, or under, that chance to be
lying east of Pearl River. The Pass Chris
tan, unless the wind is from North West,
North or North East, offers no harbor, in
gale, to vessels bound through the Pass They
must necessarily run into the Bay of st.
Louis. Mississippi City. unless the wind be
off the land, is nothing more than a strand
an open coast, where no vessel of 100 tons
and under can lie in safety.
As Biloxi is represented to be the most
pldCC lOA Vi Itft
more particular reference to it will be proper.
Bay Biloxi is in latitude thirty degrees
twenty-three minutes, longitude Lightweight
degrees fifty three minutes, OH the North
shore of the Gulf of Mexico, nine miles East of
Mississippi City, and eighteen West of Pas
cagoula. The western entrance to the Bay
is through narrow and shallow pass (fre-
quently less than four feet water in the chan
Y,aN hor1 Iot1. a
end Of Deer Island. Thence the Bay extends
along the coast in an easterly direction, to
point Cadet ION this section of the coast stands
the town OF Biloxi, some three miles from the
Lighthouse. At Point Cadet the Bay turns
to the North West, varying in width from
two and a-half miles to one mile or less, and
on that course, through low marsh islands
and intricate channels, extends some ten
miles or more. Here it receives several ba-
yous, navigated to some extent by such ves-
sells as can enter the Bay. Abreast of Point
Cadet, to the eastward, is point of marsh,
distant about two and a-half miles, which
forms the other extreme point of which is
called the "bGck' hay of Biloxi Between
this point of marsh and Point Cadet, there is
frequently less than six feet water on the
channel, which is narrow and serpentine,
winding through broad lodges or shoals.
The "6ach'' bay of Biloxi is formed on the
North, on the main land (where is situated
the town of BiloxD, extending from the
Light-hous to the point of marsh on the East
side of the Bay; on the South by Deer Island.
The distance between the main land and Deer
Island varies from about half mile to three
quarters of a mile, having from six to twelve
feet water in the channel. Deer Island ex-
fnrNF11 IL.
the west end; the shoals at the west end
being about mile wide, and at the east end
about one and a-half miles; the whole dis
tance from one channel to the other is about
seven and a-half miles. The eastern entrance
to Biloxi Bay lies between the east end of
Deer Island and the main land which, from
the point of marsh at the "back'' bay to the
point Bellefontaine, trends about S. E. and is
nearly parallel with Deer Island. From the
main land to said island is about one and a.
half miles. The shoals are broad on both
sides, leaving channel, in many places, not
over half mile wide, having frequently on
the bar less than six feet water The east end
of Deer Island lies nearly north of the eastern
extremity Of Ship Island Harbor, which is
about six miles from the east end, and ten
miles from the west end of Deer Island.
The Lighthouse at Biloxi is some five miles
further east than the Lighthouse on Ship
island. From its position with reference to
Ship Island Harbor or roadstead, it is demon
strable that lighters or other vessels plying
there cannot in gale of wind, reach the Bay
of Biloxi. In stormy weather it is only ac-
cessible to vessels lying near Pascagoula, or
east of Deer Island, and even then require q
pilot. 1t is not, during gale, accessible for
vessels lying to the southwark or westward
of either ofits passes.
Thus, in my opinion, the Harbor of Biloxi
would not be suitable point for the terminus
of the Railroad. First Because it lies too far
to windward for vessels hghtering in Ship
Island roads in gale. Second, Because there
is not sufficient water at either of the en-
frances to said Bay, and there is generally less
during winter, and when the wind is from
West North West and North. At such
times our light draft steam packet finds 1t
difficult to get in or out. Third, Because |
even small sea-golng vessels cannot get INTO |
the Bay, or out, if once in; and there is not |
sufficient anchorage for . great commerclai
entrepot.
Pascagoula has no harbor for small vessels !
and is too far to the eastward.