The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1912-04-12
Improvement OF The PascagouIa
River And Harbor Found
MeritorIous.
FINANCIAL AID DEMANDED
Of PEOPLE OF THE PORT
Federal Government Appears To
Have Established Precedent
In Connection With Future
Waterway Appropriations.

Il The ?sscagoula project. recon
mended and endorsed by Major Flag
Ter OF Mobile, which seeks to make
permanent project OF the improve
!, ment OF the rivers. harbOr and bar a
this port, has nnally stood the acit
test Of every department., committe,
or beieau Of the national government
and now stands approved. The ouly
disconcerting feature In connection
with the project IL that the federal
government appears to. have estab
lished Herewith a precedent for fu.
ture waterway appropriations, much
to the discontinue OF the territory
OF the Port of Pascag0ula.
The government has attached to
che endorsement and recommends
tion two provisions that the people
OF the port territory shall raise $780,.
600 to be used toward the mainten.
ance OF the work after it's completion
and that public dockage OF 800 feet
Ia length with breadth satisfactory
to the secretary Of war, shall also be
provided. Unless Senators Percy and
Williams succeed 10 showing their
fellow senators that the precedent
about to be established may prove a
double, edged sword to be used against
themselves 10 their future requests
for similar appropriations, the project
~ recommended will have to stand.
ACTION BY SENATE.
Action BY the senate can remove
the two demands Of the people Of The
port territory. The strongest argu.
ment In the possession OF the two
Mississippi senators Is the fact that
there is recognized merit Ia the sug.
gested project, or the government en-.
gineers and various boards would not
have recommended IL. The fight
they have On their hands Is to remove
the demand for an additional 800, 900
cash 10 i've equal annual INSTALL
ments, and the demand for public
dock frontage.
The condition OF the Pascagoula
project is best told 10 the following
special news item contained 10 The
New Orleans Times. Democrat OF last
Monday morning, having been sent
from Washington by u special staff
correspondent:
BlXBY FAVORS 1T.
Washington, April AFTER con-
siderioR the reports made by the
local engineers and the board Of re.
view. General Bixby, chief Of engi-
neers, recommended a modified project
for the improvement OF Dog and Pas
cagOulx rivers and Horn Island Pass,
which provides for channel twenty.
two feet deep and one hundred and |
nfty feet wide from point four miles
above the mouth OF the Dog river to
the railroad bridge at Pascagoula,
thence 225 feet wide to Horn Island
Pass, and channel twenty-five feet
deep and 300 feet wide across the
outer bar, at an estimated cost for
nrst construction OF $3.50, 900. and an
annual maintenance charge OF sc, 200,
provided that the local interests in.
volved agree to pay 100000 toward
In five annual Install.
ments OF 5000 each. and provided,
that the local authorities
provide space for public docks at least
800 feet long and OF width satisfactory
10 the secretary OF war.
ESTIMATE OF COST.
The estimate OF cost is based on the
assumption that the first appropria.
lion will be $780, and that an an.
,ual allowance of about $4,000 be
made until the work Is compile ted.
II smaller allowances are made, the
;ost Of construction will be greater.
The report on which General Bixby
BASED his recommendation was made
~ Majors Fl. Jervey and G. A. F.
FIagler. Their report provided
ar channels of varying depth
md width, at varying costs, ruo.
ing from s3ll, $40 to 1884, $50 II pros.
cuted with the government plant,
nd from s522, Ov0 to $4,000 II done
nder contract. One OF these plans :
'as approved BY the board of review
nd by General Bixby. The only
hange made was as to the width OF
public wharf plot Of ground. The
istrict engineers suggested a width {
$50 feet, but PascaRaula objected
D that because that would take o.
part of several streets,
, the recommendation was modified
, az TO make the plan effective If the
idth of land offered by the Pasca.
)ula citizens commended itself to =
re Judgment Of the secretary OF war. |