The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1879-01-31
MISSISSIPPI IND H1RBOR BTLL.

MISSISSIPPI IND H1RBOR BTLL.
If is said that the amounts asked 70
improvement of rivers, harbors and othe.
public works the present session of con
gresS, VIII aggregate Il large sum and are
to be equally divided between the NOrtl
and the South. We trust the reprrscn ia
tiyes from the,south, will see that it is. The
South contributes i'll ~eXpOrtable prOduc-
tons, and therefore to the and
general wealth of the country, a larger
amount than the North. In this distribu.
ton the interests of Mississippi will not be
neglected. Her vigilant and able repre-
sentatiyes are at their posts and will take
care that they receive proper attention.
We would bespeak a liberal appropriation
for our seashore, especially the harbor OF
Pascagoula and the entrance of the river.
Pasgoula is exporting a large quantity of
lumber of the best description. The de
mand for it in foreign markets is daily in
creasing and the supply would be vastly
increased from the contiguous forests, hut
for the distractions to navigation which
conld be removed for "A comparatively
small appropriation. We say small com
pared to what is obtained for other har-
bors of less Importance. We have noticed
a labored argument delivered in the senate
the other day by Dir. Mitchell, of Oregon,
in support of a bill appropriating 100000
to Coos Bay harbor, on the Northern Pa
citc, but the figures he adduces to show
the extent and value of its impOrtatiOns
do not compare with the haThOr of Pasca-
goula. At the last session of congress, Il
clause was inserted in the River and Har-
Dor bill providing for Il survey and esti-
mate OF costs of necessary improvements
to that harbor. The law has been com
piled with, and now the demand is made
for the appropriation.
One hundred thousand dollars might be
appropriated for our principal seashore
harbor, subject to a survey and estimate
under the direction of the chief of engi-
uCcrs.
The above is from our able aud
well informed contemporary of the
Jackson clarion, and proves what
we have often said that the primci.
pal seaport Of Mississippi has been
sadly neglected 10y congress in the
way OF an appropriation for the
harbor. While millions upon mil
lions Of money have been appropri.
ated by congress for Northern har-
bOrS and rivers, and many of them
insignificant as compared with the
harbor Of PascagOula bay, yet We
in this part Of Uncle SANS do
mains nave been passed by from
year to year in silence. We would
like for our worthy members of
congress to understand that al
though npOn the very edge of the
United States, yet we are never;he-
less within the Bounds of this Fed
eral Union, and have some claims
upon the government which our
would like to see respected.
An appropriation of $4,000 was
made by congress last fall for the
Improvement of Pascagoula river,
md a government surveyor sent
lere who made the necessary sur
" Vi tlC var ut tue MUM vi tuC
but since then nothing has
been done toward deepening the
;hannel, and whether we are to
lave the necessary Improvements
made or not we do not know. but if '
%, it is about time something was
icing done in that direction.
There is another bar at the en-
rance at Pascagoula bay that
Ould be removed at "a comparative q
y small cost to the government, t
ihich if made would enable vessels
rawing twenty-five feet of wa
or to enter our port. We refer to t
he bar at Horn island pass, be-
.een Petit Bots and Horn islands. S
rom former surveys made we find \
lat this bar is only about sixty y
.et wide and of soft sand. On this
AZ the average depth OF water is e
,venteen feet, and by dredging to a e
4pth of five feet we would have a
feet of water, which
ould enable vessels of that d
to enter one of the safest fo
lrbors IN the United States. In u
der to give the public some idea m
the business of this port, we ju
at considerable trouble pre-. de
red the following tabulated state W
ent taken from the books of the ~
at this port Tor the ca
rec years ending june so, 1871. te.