The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-16


 of articles from the pen of John V: Colwell, Jr., who has given readers or The Mobile Register a most campre hensive survey of the Fort or moDhe
 and its limitless possibilities.
 The sun is setting. Along the path or its flaming rays glides a birdman and his passenger. They are over the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Far be- low is a white collar, the surf smashing on the sands of Dauphin Island. Over a tiny white speck below, the MoDlle bar light, the ship swings northward and is over Mobile Bay, whose surface is reflected with white and then, in a brief space of time, is over the mouth of the Mobile river, along the west bank of which spreads a patch work resembling nothing so much as giant crazy quiet, the city of Mobile.
 Below now, Sand islands guarding the mouth of the river, that long finger stretching out into the river is the aban- doned Arlington pier. Those next two with the large oil tanks behind are the terminals of the Texas company and the Gulf, Mobile and Northern railroad. Next above come. two piers of the Turner Terminal, followed in order by the plant of the Todd Shipbuilding con- pany and continuous series of wharves and piers broken only by the long, slant roof of the Municipal dock and terminating in the railroad yards of the Mobile and Ohio, and Southern systems, north of which two tiny streams come down to the river. One Mile creek and Bayou Marmctte Those tracks, above, are the rails of the Louisville and Nashville, Alabama, Tennessee and Northern, Southern, and Mobile and Ohio. Another tiny system swims in from the west, Three Mile creek. Following the river north the ship passes the Gulf Refining company plant and then is over the plant of the Chickasaw Shipbuilding and Car com pany. But it is getting dark now and already myriads of tiny lights have begun to twinkle below, and so the fliers circle and point out to sea.
 La 4marks Clearly Discerned
 On the east bank of the river is Blakey Island. A tiny stream cutting into the island is Coffee Bayou. Below now can be distinguished the United States Government Coal and Oil Dock, the United States Shipping Board oil fuel station, the Kelly Drydock and Shipping company. They are now over a stretch of open water, Polecat Bay, with Pinto Pass to the south. Another island beneath Pinto Island, with faintly distinguishable, the plants of the Henderson Shipbuilding company and the Alabama Dry Dock and Ship building company. Sand Islands again and twilight over the bay with the phosporescent gleam of the gulf beyond and behind the lighted patchwork of Mobile, the Port City.
 A seaport destined to become the greatest port on the Gulf of Mexico. There IS nothing can prevent this destiny from becoming a fact for there IS no other port down here in Dixie where nature has been so generous in her gifts, or where chance of circum stance has located a port city with A future more bright nor where the time IS more propitious for the making of Mobile a great seaport.
 The state of Alabama has seen the really remarkable opportunity offered to her Port city and has voted on Ala bama seaport amendment authorizino the expenditure of ten million dollars
 NOAotA uNLlOH dUu lnI1 InlnY oI new terminal with large wharves, propen handling equipment, ship side lacilities TOT general cargo, terminal raliWay and the necessary side tracks ana state operated tugs. Of course, it VIII take from three to five years to get these very adequate and excellent IaciIltles into operation. But Mobile cannot Degln to exploit them at too
 Presentment of Fact
 However, in this age of crass mater lalIsm pertinent and present facts must De presented and not bright future nre- dlctions, which, while they are to he realized in their entirety as time goes on, are nevertheless but future condi- tons and are therefore controlled bv all the elements of human uncertainty but' at thls time, truth may be stated, transportation is today the most vital problem of the commercial ire and future of the United States" Anu every manufacturers, producer and shipper must give to it the most care. iul consideration in the conduct of his
 therefore. the claim that Mobile is making against her natural tributary trade territory for fair share of it's Duslness IS not an idle one, but cn the contrary Is predicted on certain nat 9ral and ecoDomic advantages, having a ulrect bearing on sound principles of transportation which affect at once the port and its territory. Mobile can of- Ter within the next five years more in me shape of services, rates and savings than can any other American port. not even excepting the port at New Orleans.
 First, are Mobiles port and harbor conditions, the basic factor of any port. Less than thirty miles from the Gulf Of Mexico, with 3O-foot channel depth and a width varying from 200 to 300 feet, the port permits entrance of deep draft seagoing vessels from the gulf to