The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-12
PENSACOLA FALLING BEHIND.

The report just published by the
United States Shipping board cover
ing the tonnage passing through Amer
lean ports, and placing Pensacola as
the twenty third port in the list, goes
far towards showing the need Of eff
forts towards further development OF
this harbor
With greater natural advantages
than any other port south of Newport
News, and with every facility of To-
cation, in climate and geographical
situation, Pensacola is not only far
behind other ports of the United
States with fewer opportunities, but
each year is falling behind her own
former record.
In 1919 the United States Shipping
board published a pamphlet covering
the facilities of twenty-seven ports OF
the United States. a study of which
showed most conclusively that Pensa-
cola, of all the ports of the South, pos
sessed the greater advantages in depth
width and location.
Why Is it that Jacksonville, situated
81 IL miles from the Atlantic Ocean,
is forging ahead at such an increased
vile business men have been far
sighted enough to to take advantage
of every opportunity-and to make
some opportunities of their own. They
have asked and received federal aid
And they have helped themselves, by
building public facilities TO meet the
new conditions.
Jacksonville has three municipal
piers with from Is to 80 feet of water
alongside, and 5,414 feet of berthing
space. In addition to this, there are a
number of piers and wharves with
depths alongside running as high as
"a feet for a portion of their length.
There can be no doubt but that
Pensacola's chief drawback is the lack
of municipal piers. When this is cor
rected. then this port will begin to go
forward again. and will attain not only
its former eminence, but may go far
beyond anything ever before attained.
II may not be generally known that
Pensacola is the oldest port in the
United States. Campbell tells us that
in 1T43, Don Series. who has left the
only copy of the Island Pensacola OF
that period, shipped to Havana two
pine spars, each eighty-four feet long,
together with a quantity of pitch and
turpentine.
II. Baars and company, of Pensacola,
was the firm timber firm in the Unit
ed States to make exports to foreign
countries, this business having been in
operation since 1872.
During the year ending September
30th. 1873 two hundred and fifty-nine
vessels cleared from this port, carrying
more than one hundred million feet OF
lumber and timber.
Pensacola's timber and lumber mar
ket is greatly depleted. One lumber
merchant estimates. offhand, tina,
there is not one tenth as much timber
and lumber shipped today as in those
early years OF Pensacola's maritime
history. If this port is to grow, it is
necessary to- depend upon something
more than the natural resources with
which this section was blessed for SO
many years.
With a wonderful natural harbor. a
| back country which seemed for time
inexhaustibly supplied with lumber
and naval stores, the greatest general
fish business south of Baltimore, and
the greatest snapper industry in the
world, Pensacola trusted too much to
the gifts or the GODS
While we have boasted of what has
been God-given. other ports with far
less than we nave had have gone out
after more. until today New Orleans
ranks as the second port in the Unit
ed States. Galveston. with it's tremen-
dous handicaps, is taking its place as
one OF the world; Mobile is the 18th
port in the county and gaining every
day. and Jacksonville has already out
stripped Pensacola. while Tampa is
fast gaining on this port.
Pensacola should be the first port in
Florida, and one of the greatest ports
in the United States Conveniently
situated as this port is to the products
of Alabama and Tennessee, and with
its direct route to the Panama canal
zone, Pensacola has every opportunity