The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-03-13
DEEP WATER COMMITTEES REPORT.

To the Senate and House of Representative.
OF the state OF Mississippi:
The undersigned, your joint com
mittcc, appointed at a former day OF
the present session, under joint rcsO'
6lution No. II, providing for IA com.
mittec to visit the coast and invcsti.
gate the matter Of deep harbor, in
connection with railroad interests OF
the State, offered by Hon. J. w. Col.
licr, beg leave TO report as follows:
Whereas, The experience OF ages
and the wisdom Of centuries have
demonstrated that all nations and
States bordering on the scac0ast
should, if possible, have their own sea-
port and whereas, the State Of Mis-
sissippi has on her southern border
excellent deep water harb0rs at Ship
and Horn Islands, both Of which
would make valuable seapOrts If con
ncctcd with the mainland and the
northern part Of our State by rail
roads; and whereas, the Navy De-
partmcnt of the United States Gov
eminent has recently restored to the
public domain the islands on our
Southern borders: and whereas, the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Com
pany is now building the road, by
means of Il bridge or wharf, from
Gulfport, in Harrison county, out into
the Mississippi Sound, and toward
deep water in Ship Island harbOr, but
will be unable to reach the deepest
part of the larbor unless aided ; and
Whereas, A standarl-guage abroad,
known as the Moss Point and Pasca
goula Railroad, has just been COM
plctcd, and is now in operation from
pascagoula, near Horn Island harbor,
running north to Moss Point, Miss,
and should be aided in building out TO
twenty-five feet water in Horn Island
harbnr; and
Whereas, A railroad, II built from
McmIhi Tenn, and the northwest
corner Of our State to Ship and Horn
Island harbOrs, would pass through
the follOwing-namcd counties, to wit
Calhoun, Winston, Ncshoba and
Smith. And would pass through the
following-named counties, and would
greatly increase their railroad facili-
ties, to wit: DeSot0, Tate, Lafay-
cite, Puntotoc, Chickasaw, Webster,
Choctaw, Newton, Jasper, Jones,
Perry, Harrison, Jackson, and Others.
Whereas, The connecting railroad
and interests of both Ship and Horn
Islands would be identical from Mem
phi, south to point about twenty |
miles north of Gulfport, from which
point a railroad could run to each har-
Dor; and
Whereas, II railroad wharfs or
bridges were extended out to twenty
feet OF water in those harbOrs, most
al the vessels OF the world could
inter, free OF any tonnage or pilotagc,
md would soon build up for Missis-
'ippi one Of the best commercial cities
II the South and add millions of dol
ars to the taxable property of our
State and add thousands OF good
white citizens to cach u our .c2!mtlcs
through which such railroad may run;
md
Whereas, The scacoast OF our State
S now wholly inaccessible to the peo-
bic of the northern and central part
If our State unless they 70 long and
expensive distances around and
through other States, and for this real
on, the harbors and shipping, the
lsli and oyster business, the summer
nd winter resorts and hotel bus mess,
n fact most OF the business and inter-
sts of our coast are but little known
n appreciated by large majority of
he citizens of our State; and
Whereas, The Gulf and Chicago
Railroad has been built and is in op.
ration from Middleton, Tenn, and
Iemphis and Charleston Railroad,
own south through Union, Tippah
nd POntotoc counties, to the town of :
at which point it would con.
cct with the road that should be
uilt from Memphis to our harb0rs on {
he coast; and @s.a |;
Whereas, Our Governor is fully con-
ersant with the needs our State, and
\ his inaugural address strongly rec
that steps be taken TO
cgin to build upa seaport Of our own;
therefore,, !
Re 1t resolved BY the House OF Rep. s
Of the State Of Missls. |
|rpi, the Senate concurring therein, s