The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-22
WANT HARbOR
IMPROVEMENTS
Citizens of st. Andrews Bay
Want the Channel There
Deepened.

4
| from the Panama City Pilot:
| The interest being manifested il
the Improvement of our harbor by the
citizens and public bodies north o.
here throughout Alabama and GeOr
gia, is prophetic of the accomplish
ment of long-desired result.
| The necessity for additional trans
| portation facilities, the connection
Herewith of the improvement of oul
waterways and harbors, is being fell
| by all classes, and is resulting in
such a public demand for the improve
ment that the government will be
forced to give the subject prompt and
| vigorous attention.
The Pilot is daily in receipt of let
tiers and papers approving of the
action being taken to induce the gov
| eminent to at once begin the deepen
Ing OF the harbor entrance to St. An
drews bay. Such commentator and
approval illustrates the demands OF
the people for such improvement
This movement should not be
OAScAS0 ~ AGSSh "a COAblAuCu
but every effort should be put forth
by those desiring to see this work
completed, to induce our public Off
Gals and congressman to actively
press the matter until the work is
done.
w. ID. Thompson, general counsel
OF the Atlanta and st. Andrews Bay
Railway, with Congressman L. F.
Livingston, of Georgia, attended the
called meeting of the board of the
engineers OF the war department, at
washington, in the interest of the i'm
provement of this harbor. They pre-
sented the claims of this section of
the country, pointed out the necessity
from a transportation way for the i'm
provement, making able arguments in
favor of the proposition.
They were attentive1y listened to
by the board, but one of the members
suggested that st. Joseph harbor
could be more probably cared for by
the government than could this bay;
stating that it would be unwise to
make a heavy outlay here when ST.
Joseph bay could be improved and
made use Of, so near this locality.
This necessitatef a visit upon the
part of Mr.. Thompson and others to
st. Joseph bay, to Investigate the mer-
its of the proposition thus suggested
to improve the same. On Friday last
A. B. Steele, president of the Atlanta
and st. Andrews Bay railroad, and w.
ID. Thompson, both Of Atlanta: B. G.
FARMER of Dothan, and G. NJ West, OF
Panama City, visited that bay In the
launch Leonore, Capt. Witherir in
charge They landed at Old Town.
inspected the shores of the bay, and
the country for some miles back from
the eastern shore
Upon their entering the bay a south
east gale sprang up, which rendered 1t
impossible for a vessel to lay at an
Choir within the bay, Or the return of
the party to St Andrews bay. the
waves breaking across the entrance as
far out in the gulf as the eye could
see. The wind soon shifted to the
westward, when one or two boats
came in under the lee of the point,
where they had to remain three DAYS
until the sea ran down.
This compelled the party to return
overland to Farmdale by team, and
from there to st. Andrews by mail
boat.
The result of the investigation
through interviews with old settlers
and seafaring men, and an inspection
OF the bay, resulted in arriving at the
following conclusions.
st. Joseph bay is not a harbor, but
an open arm of the gulf
vessels have been torn to pieces
by gales while lying at anchor with
in its boundaries.
By nc possible means can the en-
trance be closed up.
1t is an unSa fe auchoraUo in INV
gale from the east to the south.
The only gales from which any pro-
lection Is afforded are those from the
west and northwest. when vessels can
lay under ST. 10 Point, or in Eagle |
darbor.
The country ON the east shore of
he bay, where any town must be 10
Gated, is not over four feet above |
common tide. A storm tide will inun- |
late the coast for twenty miles in |
ength, and for miles back from the |
shore.
There are no trees now standing on |
he site of the Old Town that are over |
,en years old. Back from the shore |
here are none over twenty-five years |
I'D, showing that this entire coastal |
,lain has been covered by salt water, |
which destroyed the trees, more than |
,nce since the destruction of old st. |
Joseph by the tropical storm of 1S4S
To sum up the entire proposition |
here is neither a harbor in st. Jo- |
Ieph bay, nor place upon its shores !
where a city can safely be built. The |
Prick sidewalks Of the old city now |
the waters of the bay, the /
'rick scattered through the adjoining /
country by the force of the waves, the |
keletons Of unfortunate vessels that |
lave pounded to pieces upon its |
,hores, are witnesses strong as Holy |
Writ of the folly of attempting to i'm I
,rove ST Joseph bay, or build upon
is borders.