The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-10-22
Plan Ez
Shortly
Schedule First
Ship For Cargo
Here Next Month

First concrete results of Jack
son county's deep water ship
channel at Pascagoula were
realized this week with the sign
ing of a contract between the
Pascagoula Port Commission and
Lacoste, Inc, of Gulfport under
which railroad ties will be ex-
ported through the Port of Pas
cagoula to Belgium.
The first vessel has been sched-
uled for Pascagoula the latter
part of November and will load
approximately 1000 tons of car
go at the city dock.
The contract with Lacoste, Inc.
gives them a lease on a portion
of the Port Commission property
adjacent to the city dock to be
used for accommodating and stor-
age of the railroad ties. 1t also
provides for minimum tonnage
to be exported and imported
through the port during the life
of the contract, which is for a
five-year period with an option
of renewal for another five years.
Dredging at Docks
A United States engineer dredge
was at the dock this week deep
ening shallow spots adjacent to
the wharf in preparation for the
docking of the first vessel next
month. Work was also underway
on clearing and grading of the
leased property for the storage
of the railroad ties, which will
be brought here by truck, rail
and barge.
Following completion of the
present dredging program which
will give Pascagoula a 3l-foCt1
ship channel Lacoste, Inc, in Coz
operation with Importation Bots,
a Belgium import-export concern
with headquarters in Brussels and
Antwerp, plan both imports and
exports through the port.
The contract has grown out Of
several meetings between mem
bers of the Port Commission, G.
L. Come of the Belgium Eco
nomic Mission, New York; F. L.
Jooris. representing Importation
Bots; E. j. Lacoste, Jr., and Rob-
ert Laeoste of Lacoste. Inc.
Present plans call for the load
ing of approximately 1000 tons
aboard a Liberty type vessel here,
the maximum tonnage that can
be safely carried in the present
depth of water. The vessel will
complete loading and bunkering
at either Gulfport or New Or
leans until such time as the Pas
cagoula ship channel will be fin
ished. The vessels will then be
able to load to full capacity as
well as bunker here.
According to Mr.. Jooris, the
Belgian group plan to use Pas
cagoula for the major portion of
their Gulf operations when suf-
ficient water and facilities are
available.
The railroad ties, which are
sawed only from oak, will, to a
large extent, be produced N
Jackson county. The Lacoste firm
plans saw mill operations in the
county which will bring addi-
tional revenue and employment
in the rural areas.
Channel Work Progressing
Meanwhile, work was pro-
crossing on the channel project
with two bulldozers and two drag
lines at work erecting the retain
ing walls on the West bank of the
river in preparation for the be-
ginning of dredging operations.
Officials of the Standard Dredg-
ing Corporation, which has the
contract for the work, said that
one of their large dredges will
probably be in Paseagoula with
in 10 days in preparation to be-
gin work.
Fhe channel will be dredged
to 81 feet from the LIN bridge
to Horn Island pass, and to a
depth of 35 feet through the pass.
Spells from the river dredging
and ship turning basin will be
used to reclaim a large acreage
of land on the West bank which
will be used for industrial sites
and future port development.
The Lacoste firm said that stor-
age of ties adjacent to the city
dock will begin as soon as the
work on clearing of the ground
is completed.
They will open offices prob
ably next week in the old Coast
Guard headquarters building at
the city dock. T. A. Provence &
Co., foreign freight brokers, will
also open offices in the building.
Present plans call for the load
ing of one ship a month at Pas
eagoula until such time as the
channel project is completed.