The Pascagoula chronicle. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1905-1920, 1920-07-30
DELEGATES attend
WATERWAY MEET
Representatives From Many River
Towns and Cities Attend Confer
ence at Engineers Office.

Mobile, Ala, July 29.-Development
of transportation on the waterways OF
Alabama and Mississippi were discus
sed from many angles and numerous
suggestions were made at conference
held in the office of Maj. r. S. Thomas,
engineer in charge of this division,
yesterday afternoon. The suggestions
offered will be forwarded to the war
department.
The meeting was one of the most
representative ever held in Mobile.
There were present, in addition to a
large number of Mobile business men
representing widely diversified in
terests, delegations or representatives
from Demopolis, Selma, Jackson, Pas
cagoula and Gulfport, also Henry T.
DeBardeleben, in charge of the War
rior river barge line. Maj Robert S.
Thomas presided. Maj. Earle North,
who came Monday to succeed Major
Thomas, was also in attendance.
Mr. DeBardeleben explained in de-
tail the plans for the waterway and
discussed rates proposed, freight now
hauled and expected, equipment in use
and that now under construction, and
other such subjects He was called
upon to answer hundreds of questions
put to him from the floor. Mr.. DeBar-
delaben said the city commission of
Mobile had agreed to provide derrick
here as soon as the building of 200
steel containers has been authorized,
adding that up to this time only twenty
have been delivered and
only hundred more have been author
lied, expressing the opinion that the
city could handle the freight at pres
ent with present facilities which in
cluded a derrick rented when needed
to unload the Warrior barges.
r. G. Cobb traffic manager of the
Chamber of Commerce, predicted that
the raise in freight rates asked by the
railroads will mean the diversion to
The waterways of heavy tonnage of
freight Morgan Richards, secretary
If the Selma Chamber of Commerce,
gave as his opinion that refusal of rail
'oads to issue joint rates with the river
packet lines and-the noif-fssuance of 7,
oint bills of lading were the two
handled on the Alabama river.
L. M. Shepardson. secretary and
raffic manager of the Gulfport Cham
,er of Commerce, announced the Gulf |
Ship Island Railroad is now anxious
o cooperate in making joint rates to
'oints on its line This came out when
Ir. DeBardeleben had told Mr.. Shep-
rdson that plans involving shipping
through Gulfport had been held up be- |
ause of hostility of the previous man.
cement of this railroad
A Pascagoula delegation asked as
istance of the department in speeding
lp the opening of the 22-foot channel
o the gulf, in maintaining 10foot ,
hannel between Mobile and New Or ;
cans by the inside route and in i'm
,roving the Pascagoula and Leaf rivers
o Hattiesburg.
There is available a tremendous ton
lage of freight at Demopols, including
umber slaves, cement and other
hings, according to the report of a i
delegation from that place composed
VI L. L. Sternhart and Jesse B. Hearin.
They offered to furnish free site for
he government terminal, either on the
Tombigbee or Warrior river.
w. w. Clark of Jackson said ship
,ers of Jackson were enxious to avail
of the opportunities offered ,
,y the Warrior line, but did not un-
what steps to take. He was
promised the assistance of the engi-
leers. Mr. Clark said that very little
'reight is now being handled to and ,
rom Jackson because of the prohibi-
i've tansfer costs there.
Harry T. Hartwell speaking for the
state harbor commission, asked the
lredging of few "lumps" in the river
n preparation for the coming of deep
lraft vessels. "A city that has 80
DOT channel to the sea cannot be called
/ small port" he told the meeting. |
II. G. Barclay, freight agent of the |
Louisville & Nashville Railroad, de- ,
,lared his company was not hostile to
he waterways, and would cooperate
% get some classes of freight that
could be handled better by water than
by rail. There is now more business
han the railroads can handle, he de-
,lared, adding that anything that de-
velops the country at the same de-
velops the railroads.