The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1874-01-18
THE FUND RAISED.



ment ~ our river, wesld soob d
faiaed.
Hk 9Th piesssts hal ~ snhouae,
that The lofsI anosni bas becn rails
I'd, and hat negotiations have heel
entered into ief The p%ufehsse, with Il
u The ,aaal al the mouth u our river
This saaal vas dfcdgod oot Wy III,
late W. Nofes Under charter iron
The Steie granted Jsnoaty is61 ant
toll has been required of vessels asiol
w.
The Report Of The y. s Engineer
recommending m apr fcpriatioo (s30
000), by the General Government for
making n channel at the mouth Of onf
river. 100 feet vide and 7 feet deer
at lowest tide (abogt 10 feet Ut ordi-
nary tide, recognizes the importance
Of this canal and suggests that it,
ownership should revert 10 tho state,
lcfJro the General Government ex.
perded anything upon IT,.
Its purchase became therefore ALSO.
lutely necessary; but aside from this,
the State Engineer and the u. s. En-
gineer have both expressed the olin-
ion that it was q good beginning to-
wards any future work contemplated
in this direction, and that the State
and any Federal, appropriations,
could be probably employed in wi
dening and deepening it and as the
price demanded was only about the
money expended in dredging, in clean.
ing it out last spring, its purchase
wonld accomplish more than the same
amount of none, could accomplish in
any other way. The commissioners
therefore acted wisely in at once OPEN
ing negotiations for lis purchase, and
doubtless we will soon be able to an
nouncc a reyersion OF the title to the
State.
When we reflect that lighters pay
tonnage dues of Is cents per ton, and
traders 80 cents, Tor passing through
il, we can computate the great benefit
til t will aIise to cur trade from hav-
ing it thrown open even in its present
condition, but the immense Der eft
cannot so easily be computed, which
will arise from having it wideneGaud
deepened, so as TO admit vessels OF
very much larger capacity; and for
this purpose viii the State appropri.
ton be expended. and such Congress
sional appropriation as hereafter may
be granted.
A little "cyphering" may not be,
here, out of place.
The general tonnage OF our lighters
is IS tons with a carrying capacity of
$4,000 feet.
The vessels that come tor our lum-
Der (outsiders) carry from 10000 to
100000 feet, the average vessel car.
ries 200 900 feet.
The lighter has to make 6 trips to
load this vessel at IS % tonnage
dues each trip, or sal so which
would be saved TO the lumber by
throwing open the present canal.
The regular Texas trader of 100
IONS has to pay $50 90 as she passes
through the canal. But she is not
able to go out with a full load goo,
900 ft.) and takes on only 10000 feet
at the mills. She has to wait for a
lighter to come out and complete her
cargo, or $35 rs tonnage dues for
her.
Again, the U. S. Engineer esti-
mates that the appropriation he re-
commends will give, with the State
appropriation, 7 feet at lowest, or 10
to II feet at ordinary, tide. The
cost OF Tightening aside from the
canal dues) is 50 per. thousand feet,
or 10 load the 200 900 feet vessel
costs $500. With the canal improved
as above, this vessel could come up to
the mills and this be saved, making a
total of s43l so.
The Charter Party generally re-
quires her cargo to be delivered at
the rate of 10000 feet per day, sun
days excepted, or pay a demurrage Of
$40 to $50 per day. This last bur-
den sometimes unavoidably falls upon
the mill. But if she loaded within
her lay days, two weeks is consumed
in loading her. II she could come to
the mills she could take on her cargo
and leave in a week at iarthest.
Aside from the above considera-
tious. is one of more weighty Import