The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-12-17

Twice this week we have
walked over the railroad bridge
to where the spoils from the
dredging of the new 1000 foot
turning basin opposite the city
dock is being used to reclaim
a large section Of land adjacent
to the LIN railroad tracks for
industrial sites under Jackson
county's new development pro-
gram at Pascagoula. The fill is
progressing much better than
expected by either engineers or
the general run of interested
citizens. II was believed that
the channel dredging would re-
suit in a large proportion of
clay and muck which would
take months to settle and be-
come firm. However, the major
portion of the spoils being
pumped onto the marshy land
is oarse sand which packs inn
mediately and will cut by many
months the delay involved be-
fore construction can begin by
industries interested in locating
on the west bank of the river
where they will have a 31-foot
deep ship channel at their front
door and railroad. and truck
connections at their back door.
The industry presently inter
ested in one of the sites plans
to get into production by spring
and the progress of the work
indicates that this time table
might now be possible.
. .
II is a heartening sight to see
the progress of the channel
dredging work, and related
plans. This work, as we have
pointed out many times, in
wolves development along nat
ural lines and the utilization of
our own natural resources.
George Mclean, able editor of
the Tupelo Daily Journal,
speaking before a forum at the
University of Mississippi this
week, expressed this thought
simply and forcibly when he
said that starting "where we
are with what we've got
will not only create more pros
perity for ourselves but :.
will attract more industrial pay
rolls than we have ever been
able to attract with all the sub
sidization schemes that have
been devised and tried"
The Pascagoula channel pro-
jeet certainly constitutes
starting where we are with
what we've got" The present
development, in time, will not
only make Jackson eounty's
deep sea port at Pascagoula one
of the busiest on the Gulf Coast,
but il will also attract more in
dustries than any other course
we could have chosen to follow.
AS most of Jackson county
knows, one industry is ready to
begin construction on the west
bank just as soon as physical
conditions are such that con-
S~truction can begin. This is a
type of industry new to the
Gulf Coast, and one that can
mean much to Jackson county
and the entire coastal region.
Location of this first industry
will. in turn, stimulate the in
terest OF other industries seek
ing locations that offer the nat
ural advantages with which
Jackson county is blessed.
The channel dredging pro-
ieet is only the first phase of
the port development project.
Overall plans call for the even
tual construction Of an ocean,
rail terminal on the west bank
that would be second to none
on the Gulf Coast, However.
this is a multi-million dollar
project, and we must crawl be-
fore we walk. Immediate plans
call for the extension of the city
dock to approximately double
its present length. This would
give ample facilities for the
docking of two large vessels at
a time. A warehouse would be
constructed at the south end of
the Port Commission river
front property which would
give facilities for the handling
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