The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1890-06-27
How the Fish and oysters arc Damaged
and Destroyed by the Water
from Mia CreVaSse.

Mississippi City, Miss. June 21.-
The convention which assembled
here last week 10 select Fepresen-
tative in The coming Constitutional
venlion, amongst other bust
ness, adopted serlesof resolutions
regarding the danger to the coast
industries which have already ac-
Crued, and to the further disaster
by the river waters flowing into
the sound through the Nita crevas-
Sc, and urgently asking Senators
George and Walthall to. use every
endeavor to pass in the Senate the
bill which has already passed The
House providing for the closing OF
the gap. In addition 10 this mum
ber of the leading residents along
the coast have written personal
letters to the gentlemen named,
setting forth the reasons why the
crevasse should be closed at an
early day.
The discharge OF the immense
body of fresh water laden with the
washings of the river banks for
thousands of miles into the salt
waters ot the gulf is Il matter of
more seriousness than at first sup
posed. Upon striking The more
solid body Of salt water the sedI
ment from the river is filtered
through and sinks to the bottom
is well known. Before the jetties
were built and when Southwest
pass was the main entrance TO the
river, it was always Il matter oil
surprise to many that when the
river was al lis highest there was
least water on The bar. This was
caused by the sediment of the river
striking the wall of salt water in
The gulf, and being deposited OH
the bar.
The waters of the sound now
are the same as those Of the river,
fresh enough TO drir k as far ont as
the Chandeliers, warm and thick
and not by any means refreshing
for bathing purposes.
A large percentage Of the oysters
bedded are already dead. An old
oysterman told me that in shallow
water he could smell the decaying
ones. 1t being The spawning sea
son, millions of the young are
smothered as soon as they are
thrown out of the parent shell.
The deposit of the silt on the bot
tom of the sound gets into the oys-
Ter and smOt hers it. | have seen
manv of them opened since the
crevasse has been flowing. Most
of them were putrid and opened OF
themselves after being fished up.
Others we're opened with ease and
on the shells being separated
would drop out, and The eye of The
oyster having lOOsened from the
shell on either side. Heretofore
we have been able 10 eat oysters
all the year around, but not now.
Out on the larger reefs the con-
ditiOn of affairs is about the same.
All of the smaller reefs on the in
side are practically ruined +; ont
side, nearer 10 the salt water, where
a south or east wind can drive the
fresh waters back for a day or two,
the oyster has a chance to revive,
as it were, but The damage done
has been incahculable, and even
with the rapid and prolific repro
duciive power of the oyster 1t will
be at least two years, may be long |
er, before the reefs will be restored |
to anything like their condition |
before the break.
At this season of the year. the |
oyster fleet, from the small Ten
barrel slOOp 70 the large schooner,
have been engaged IN bringing |
oysters from the main reefs to the
bedding grounds OF The canning |
factories, shippers and private par
lies. These boats are now laid up.
Their crews are either idle or en-
faged in some other avOcaiion.
At present the real effects Of the
disaster are not felt, as the oyster
men OF the coast have a happy fac
nliy Of doing other business, and 5