The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1898-04-23
Pearlington, Hancock Co., MISS, !
Thursday, April II, 1898.
MOVEMENTS OF THE STR. DIAL.

| HnONEMEN1S VI HE SIR. DIAL
In Event OF War Capt. c. c. Gray WI
Command a Torpedo Boat. --Sum-
mary of Work on Forts jack
son and st. Philip.
| The following extracts from .
communication to the editor OF
this department from Fort st.
Philip, La, under date April IL
VIII be of interest to our readers,
Fort st. Philip has mounted
two disappearing l5-ineh guns and
in the course of a few days will
have two more in position.
| Fort Jackson has large force
of men Iat work day and night,
building foundations and laying
railroad track. A locomotive has
arrived on the grounds with rails,
etc., and the road will be in oper-
alton in few days. The track is
to be used for carrying heavy ma
terial up to the Fort from the river
banks"
The engine and rail we're pur-
chased from the Poitevent & Fa-
vre Lumber Co., of this city, who
have already chartered their
steamer Dial'to the government.
The Dialis now doing good service
as a transport between Forts St..
Philip and Jackson, pending the
arrival of necessary material from
New York to fit her up as torpe-
do boat. Capt. G. G. Gray is now
and will retain command of her
throughout, war or no war. The
communication says further that,
Good labor is very much in de-
mand at both forts at present,
and very fair wages are being paid.
The guns at Fort jackson have
arrived, and a large force of men
are at work getting the founda-
tions in readiness to mount them.
We are almost entirely shut off
from the world here. The nearest
post Office Is three miles and the
telegraph office is fully five miles
away. We do not receive the New
Orleans papers until 4 o'clock p.
M, and sometimes later. Hostil-
tiles might commence and be half
over before we knew war was on.
"Two-thirds of the laborers on
the forts are foreigners. There
are no negroes employed. Color
ed labor is used only by the gravel
contractors who deliver the gravel
on barges at the forts. This gra-
vel is being used with cement for
filling in the foundations.
"Uncle Sam is feeding about
1000 men here, and of that num-
Der fully 250 do nothing. All the
"bumsp and "hoboes" in the
country are here"
Hon. M. f. Baxterspent Sunday
in Gulfport.
This beautiful weather is very
suggestive of picnic. :
A much-needed rain fell here
the first part of the week.
Clifton Pieri visited his old
home at the Bay Sunday last.
Road making is being pushed,
as well as preparations for war.
Major ]. L. Pierson Sundayed
with his family in New Orleans.
Mr.. Simon Favre spent large
part of this week away on business.
The schooner Addie Eads is
undergoing repairs on Madison's
yard.
The Dutch S. S. vlug reported
in Ship Island this week for a
small cargo of lumber from this
place.
Rev. Mr.. Forsythe preached an
eloquent sermon to small but
appreciative congregation last
Sunday night.
Messieurs Leon Capdepon and
CASTOR Gardebed, of Bay st,
Louis, attended the Pearlington
Dancing Clubs ball last Friday
evening.
Mr.. G.H. Rankin, of Columbia,
Miss, was in the city this week.
He has sold a large amount of
square (hewn) timber to w. S.