The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-08-10
OUR COAST POET.

There is but single seaport on our
coast, and thot is Pascagonla. 1t is
claimed that Mississippi City can be
made one by extending lengthy pier
into the Sound Land using lighters to
Ship Island This latter has excellent
anchorage, and splendid harbor, with
more water on the bar than at any
other point on the Gulf, it is said, ex-
cept Pensacola, perhaps. Butthe trouble
is to get there from the main land, from
which it is at least twelve miles distant.
Pascagoula is port already. As
proof OF this it 10 only necessary to re-
port the business of last year, as pub
lished in q late number of the STAR.
''Ihe total number OF vessels-foreign
and domestic-that have entered this
port from July |, 1876, to June 80, 1877,
is 1877, and the tonnage 44,174. Clear
ancea 148, tonnage 44,425." Again;
"There were shipped from this port
during the year ending June 30, 1877,
28, 1888, 141 superficial feet OF lumber
and $4,000 shingles. These figures
show an average OF nearly three clear
ances week-exclusive of coastwise
licenses, which would add twenty-five
per cent. thereto-not to mention
smaller craft running to neighboring
towns.
The trade in building materials, It
will be seen, is quite large. This in
dustry alone brings into Pascagoula-
including Scranton and Moss Point
over $1,000 per day, with the turpen-
tine, live stock and fruit interests left
out of the estimate. If the rivers above
could be cleaned out and made naviga-
BILE as far as Shubuta only, there would
be very material increase in every
branch of business. 1t is more than
probable that even cotton would then
seek shipment at this port, and Shu-
outa become an Interior city. And that
IS what ought to be done for the honor
Of our State. and the development of
,he piney woods counties of the mighty,
yet unappreciated coast. Clark, Wayne
md Green, as well as Jackson county,
should look into this matter, and i'm
oress its Importance upon their repro
entatives in the next legislature. In
Iced, it is questionable whether they
ught to support candidates who will
ot pledge themselves to the advocacy
t such measures.
Various railroads have been projected
Nth their terminus at Mississippi City.
Without intending any disparagement
t that place and its advantages, it is
ninus Of some Of them at Pascagoula.
| single branch, so far, is all that is pro-
'osed. Yet Ship Island is only about
70 miles of, and can be reached with
ighters-and is reached in that way
very day now-while its own harbor
or heavy vessels is scarcely one-third
o far, and has an average draft of
ratar on its bar of seventeen feet from
lay to November
The harbor of Pascagoula is suscep-
bic of easy and cheap Improvement.
nly four f5et dredging of bar not
yer sixty feet wide will give depth
lual to that at Ship Island-2l feet
ID greater depth can be attained.
here are considerable basins of deep
ater inside, afording plentiful and
ie anchorage for large vessels. Then
by shall not Mississippi turn little of
+ attention to hec own coast, and
llld upa seaport which will soon rival,
not surpass, MOBILE in Alabama2
lis Is not an eXtravagant notion-it
n ba n1alp n paoIitv, and with rnuch
IS labor and expense than may be
pposed. The general government
Ight to grant help, 1t ought to make
liberal appropriation, though even
lall sum would be of great public
neft.- D." in Southern Home
,ad.