The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1901-12-20
TheHrmnrraf- Star
THE DEEP WATER PORT OF THE MIS-
SISSIPPI COAST.
N. o. picayuue.

N. o. Picayuue.
The recent deep water convention
at Gulfport has brought Mississippi's
great need OF a deep water port prom
inently before the public, and a few
remarks on this subject by a disinter.
ested observer, who has no ak to grind
at any point on the gulf coast, may
interest the readers Of the Picayune.
During the last five years he has re.
peatedly sailed up and down the Mis-
sissippi sound and became somewhat
familiar with it, and, while no naval
expert, but only an ordinary man Of
common sense, he has come to the
conclusion that the best and only
chance for the State of Mississippi for
a commodious deep water port and
safe harbor is at Pascagoula.
Its location and channels, and the
extensive anchorage in twenty to
thirty feet of water is well protected
against high seas and destructive
storms by Horn and Petit Bots is
lands, and further east by Dauphin
island also.
One Of the peculiarities of Pasca-
goula bay is its many deep holes, some
reaching a depth Of thirty.six to for.
ty feet, surrounded by shadows. Such
holes are also found In the Pascagou.
la and Escatawpa rivers, and seem to
be favored resorts for big fresh water
fish, such as the sturgeon, some OF
which have recently been caught near
Moss Point, weighing from 200 to 300
pounds. The question has often been
asked: "What keeps these holes from
being filed up with the detitus car
ried down by the currents OF the
rivers?" The most PLAUSIBLE answer
is: Hydraulic pressure from below.
These deep holes in the rivers and the
bay are probably caused by fresh
water springs coming from away up
in the mountains OF Tennessee, Ken
lucky and West Virginia, and per.
haps still further up, from Pennsyl-
vania and New York. This hydraulic
pressure, il such be the cause, might
be used to good advantage for keeping
the channels open, by connecting
them with such holes wherever
feasible.
Another popularity of P%ascagoula
bay is its solid bottom, composed OF
reddish ferruginOus sands, tough cal
careous clays, notified marls, contain.
ing carbonate OF lime, and a greenish
shale, containing silicate Of iron, pot
ash and some phosphate Of lime, all
OF which might be utilized as fertil-
izers. In New York State and New
Jersey, millions of tons Of just such
stuff are annually used or shipped for
such purpose. And by the way, the
same strata Of such stuff are encoun-
tered in Texas by the drills boring for
oil at Beaumont.
These shales and marls brought up
by the dredges from the bottom Of
Pascagoula bay, after being exposed
to light and air for a while, becomes
as hard as rock, yet can be whitfield
with a knife without dulling it, into
any kind Of shape. This plastic ma.
terial may yet become the corner
stone Of a new school OF fine arts and
develop a new industry in a unique
style Of trinkets and ornaments, per-
haps even statues, small and great, Of
modern heroes and heroines.
The soft and pliable shale when
hardened looks like blue slate and the
mari like marble Of exquisite patterns,
reminding one Of Burns lines:
"Gif l but kenned but where ye bald
I'd send to you a married plaid"
The direction of the currents OF
Pascagoula bay seward, instead of
land ward as at Gulfport, is another
strong point in favor of PascagQula
as a permanent deep water port. The
dredging of the channels now in pro-
gress, when completed, will be done
for all, and will not have to be
done over and over again, as it surely
would have to be done at Gulfport.
The rapid flow of the currents sea.
ward along the channels, and the
solid bottom of the bay will keep the
channels open, and wind and waves
will help to widen and deepen them
than fill them up with sand.
Another great advantage Pascagou.
la possesses over Gulfport is the Pas.
cagoula and Escatawpa rivers, navi.
gable for many miles into the Interior
country, afiording innumerable sites
Tor factories Of all kinds.
Take Lowery island, between the
two main arms of Pascagoula river,
Tor instance. That island alone can
accommodate hundreds of ware.
packing.houses and factories,