ESTIMATE. The dredging of pass A B to a channel 80 feet wide and 5 feet of water at mean lowtide, with its banks sloping one foot in two, would amount to 47,851 cubic yards of excavation; the length of the channel being 6,500 feet and the average depth of cut 2 feet. Length of jetty from Doom's Island to channel... Total length of jetty.... Second method, cut through middle-ground. Feet. 2,800 6,500 9,300 The channel having the same dimensions, length of cut being 6,500 feet, and the average depth 3 feet. Feet. 62, 111 2, 200 A. DEMAN, R II. SURVEY OF PASCAGOULA HARBOR, MISSISSIPPI. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, New Orleans, La., October 23, 1873. GENERAL: In accordance with your instructions, contained in Engineer Department letter of March 19, 1873, and the project submitted in my letter of May 8, 1873, approved by you, I have bad completed a survey of Pascagoula Harbor, in the State of Mississippi, and submit the following report thereon: The survey was commenced July 10, 1873, by a field-party, under the direction of First Lieut. J. B. Quinn, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, (his report attached and made a portion of this,) and was completed August 6, 1873. The plotting of field-work has just been completed, and the result is submitted herewith on one chart. The survey had for its object the formation of a plan for improving the entrance to the river and harbor of Pascagoula. The plan for this, presented by Lieutenant Quinn, meets my approval; also, his estimate of cost. The estimate for concrete-covered gabions was based on cost of an experimental gabion made at Fort St. Philip. An appropriation of $30,000 is recommended for this work, its expenditure being made contingent on the State of Mississippi securing from the owners of Noyes Canal a release of all claims the latter might have against the United States, were the latter to proceed with works of improvement without such release. Without this precaution, the United States would place itself in the position of trespasser on the rights of an individual, secured by State charter, and become responsible for damage in a sum, which, owing to the indeterminate value of the right (the question of further increase of value from presumed increase of commerce being a factor) might amount to double or treble the value of the work. The appropriation of $30,000 recommended conditionally, with $25,000 appropriated by the State of Mississippi and $5,000 by the people of Pascagoula, should complete the work, and leave a balance, perhaps, sufficient to purchase the rights of the canal company; this estimate, of course, assuming the State appropriation in cash. Financial statement. Allotted for survey from appropriation approved March 3, 1873. Balance on hand, New Orleans.. $2,000 00 492 11 1,507 89 Particulars relating to location of work, nearest light-house, and commerce to be benefited, will be found in report and papers affixed hereto. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. C. W. HOWELL, Captain of Engineers, U. S. A. Report of Lieut. James B. Quinn, Corps of Engineers. NEW ORLEANS, LA., October 15, 1873. SIR: In pursuance with your instructions, I have the honor to submit the following report upon the condition, with suggestions for improvement, of the entrance to the Pascagoula River, Mississippi. The Pascagoula River empties into Mississippi Sound at a point about forty miles from Mobile and one hundred miles from New Orleans. A large portion of the State of Mississippi is drained by this river, and Dog River, one of its tributaries, reaches up into Alabama a distance of three or four hundred miles. Light-draught steamboats have been run to Enterprise, Mississippi, a distance of four hundred miles from the mouth of the Pascagoula, and it is estimated that the Pascagoula and its tributaries furnish thirteen hundred miles of navigable water. The region traversed by these rivers contains immense forests of pine, cypress, cedar, poplar, oak, and other valuable timber, and extensive plains and bottom-lands, unsurpassed in fertility, and admirably located for the culture of almost any of the most valuable productions of the South. Owing to the political constitution of this region previous to and the depressing circumstances attending the late war, its development has not been such as its favorable location and natural advantages would suggest; but during the past few years the lethargy which has enveloped this section has been gradually disappearing before the advance of an awakening spirit of enterprise, and rapid strides are now being made in those industries this section of the country is so admirable fitted to promote. Naturally, the immense forests which border upon the Pascagoula and its tributaries first attacted the attention of capitalists, and at an early date several mills for the transformation of the magnificent pines of these into lumber were constructed. The ready market this lumber found soon established the value of this industry. Other mills were soon established, and this business has now grown to grand proportions, and ships lumber to Europe, South America, and distant countries, besides supplying a large portion of that required for home consumption. The lumber-trade brought others in its train, and with each succeeding year the prospects for the future of this country grow brighter and brighter. The climate is salubrious and very pleasant, the heat of midsummer being far from excessive; the Gulf breezes tempering the air in such a manner that persons even from more northern latitudes can labor during the hot months as comfortably as in New York, and with as much surety of good health; in fact, the town of Pascagoula, at the mouth of Pascagoula River, is a famous southern watering-place, and during the summer-months is visited by numbers of people from Mobile, New Orleans, and other cities; this locality is singularly exempt from acute and febrile diseases, and northerners have no fears of spending the summer here. During the year 1872, 64,500,000 feet of lumber was manufactured at Pascagoula, and it is not improbable this quantity may be exceeded this year. Most of this is shipped in light-draught schooners, that can come direct to the mills, the existence of a bar at the mouth of the Pascagoula preventing the passage of other vessels. Large vessels which come here for lumber lie at anchor in Mississippi Sound, about five miles from the mouth of the river, and the lumber is lightered out to them. This sound affords a secure anchorage for vessels drawing over 22 feet of water, but this is the limit of depth at the entrance to the sound between "Petite Bois" and "Horn Island," and vessels drawing more than this would be unable to enter. As most of the shipments of lumber from this place are coast wise, the advantage of having a good channel across the bar at the mouth of the river was early apparent, and private capital was enlisted in procuring a channel to admit vessels drawing 6 feet of water at low-tide. A charter for this purpose was granted by the State of Mississippi to Abram A. Green on the 31st of January, 1869. (See copy attached, marked A.) By this charter the owners of the canal were authorized to charge vessels passing out through the canal a toll of 30 cents per ton measurement, and this privilege of maintaining a canal, and collecting tolls from passing vessels at this place, was made exclusive for a period of twenty-five years, dating from the passage of the acts conferring the charter. At the expiration of twenty-five years, the canal and appurtenances thereof were to revert to the State of Mississippi. This canal was finished on the 1st of Marcb, 1870, and, as an inducement for small vessels to use it, a toll of 15 cents per ton was charged all vessels under fifty tons, and 10 cents per ton when lightering to vessels in the sound. (See letter attached, marked B.) Previous to the construction of this canal the navigation at the mouth of the Pascagoula was confined to vessels of from thirty to thirty-five tons. At present vessels of from eighty to one hundred tons are able to ascend direct to the mills, and after loading proceed through the canal to sea withont diffienlty. This canal, known as “Noyes's Canal," was constructed by dredging a channel through the bar, depositing the material dredged on one side. No attempt to prevent the subsequent filling in, by revetting the sides of the canal, was made, and to preserve the requisite depth of water it has been found necessary to resort periodically to dredging. The position of this canal is shown on the accompanying chart. Though this tax, imposed upon the commerce using "Noyes's Canal," is insignificant compared with the very great advantages resulting from its use, the fierce rivalry existing between the different lumbering points on the Gulf coast renders even this a matter of considerable importance when successful competition in the domestic market is requisite, and is quite sufficient to throw the trade into the hands of those who have no such navigation tax to pay. Some measure having for its object the relief of the milling interests from this exaction is now greatly desired, and Government aid is solicited to assist in improving the natural channel at the mouth of the river. In the event of this work being undertaken by the Government, it must result in the extinguishment of the private interests involved in the present canal, and subject the owners to considerable loss. Before the Government could, therefore, consistently engage in such an undertaking, the mistake made by the State of Mississippi, in sanctioning the construction by private parties of a similar work at this place, should be rectified. From the letter annexed, marked C, it will be seen that an appropriation of $25,000, in State bonds, was made by the State of Mississippi for the improvement of the mouth of the Pascagoula River; this grant was made conditional upon the actual expenditure of $5,000 by the citizens of Pascagoula on the improvement. We are not informed as to the availability of these sums of money, or what efforts have been made to secure the State funds, or the method of improvement adopted by the State commissioners, further than that to be inferred from the following advertisement: "Proposals for dredging the mouth of Pascagoula River. "Whereas, at a meeting of the commissioners appointed by the State, held at East Pascagoula, Miss., on Monday, August 18, 1873, for the improvement and deepening of the month of said river, the secretary was authorized to advertise for sealed proposals for dredging the same at so much per yard. All bids must be sent in by September 29, 1873. The commissioners reserve the right to reject all bids. "PASCAGOULA, MISS., August 27, 1873." "W. S. DODSON, Secretary. If dredging to improve the natural channel is resorted to, an injunction will be obtained by the canal company to restrain the commissioners from constructing a second canal, &c. Since no other system of improvement will answer the requirements of the situation, we are at liberty to infer that whenever the Government shall undertake the improvement of the entrance to the Pascagoula River the condition of affairs at present existing will be practically the same, and under this hypothesis the following project of improvement is submitted. The obstruction at the mouth of the river consists of a bar, formed principally by the action of the river current, and a littoral current produced by the action of the prevalent winds; the locality may, for practical purposes, be considered as in a well-sheltered harbor, and therefore not subject to the violent action of the sea-waves. The method of improvement proposed contemplates the cutting of a channel through this bar, and the protection of the cut by light jetties on both sides. The presence of the shipworm in these waters excludes construction of timber, when it is exposed to their attacks; and, since this is about our only available material for this purpose in the present case, some device to insure its preservation becomes necessary. The shipworm does not operate beneath the surface of the sand. It does not destroy small twigs and fibrous material. The jetties are simply to arrest the littoral sand-currents, and will not be required to withstand any very great force from waves or currents. The following construction will answer the requirements of the situation: The jetties to be made by placing cement-covered gabions side by side, and filling them with the material dredged from the channel, the remainder of the excavated material to be thrown outside of these, thus forming an embankment of which the gabions will be the interior revetment. Thus The gabions will prevent the embankment from being degraded, in a manner similar to brush-jetties in the formation of sand-dunes, and the cement covering to the wicker-work will prevent the sand from running out of them, and, while serving for ballast, will preserve the material from the action of the ship-worm. The gabions are to have planked bottoms, and be strengthened by a timber-cross near the top. The location of the jetties is indicated on the accompanying chart: The cut through the bar to be 100 feet wide and of a depth sufficient to admit vessels drawing 7 feet of water at low tide. ESTIMATED COST. Eastern jetty, 3,500 feet long.. $8,750 00 Western jetty, 4,000 feet long 10,000 00 Contingencies.. 2,250 00 Total for jetties.. 21,000 00 Considerably less than a corresponding length of closer piling. Dredging 38,862 cubic yards, at 50 cents per yard...$19, 431 00 Total for dredging............ Total cost of improvement. 1,943 10 21,374 10 42,374 10 This estimate is based upon the supposition that the construction of the jetties and the dredging of the channel are conducted simultaneously. This work is in the collection-district of Pearl River, and the nearest port of entry is Shieldsborough; the nearest light-house is the one at the mouth of the river. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Capt. C. W. HOWELL, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. A. JAMES B. QUINN, First Lieutenant of Engineers. AN ACT to authorize Abram A. Green to cut or excavate a channel or canal through the shoal or shellreef which now obstructs the navigation of the Pascagoula River. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Mississippi, That Abram A. Green be, and he is hereby, authorized to enter upon and take possession of so much of the shoal or shell-reef, situated at the mouth of the Pascagoula River, in the county of Jackson, as may be necessary to cut or excavate a chaunel or canal of sixty feet in width, and of sufficient depth to afford a good and safe passage at low-tide, to steamboats and other vessels drawing six feet of water, into and out of said Pascagoula River; and the said Green is authorized to build all such light-houses, beacons, wharves, and other buildings as may be necessary for the full attainment of the object of this act: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to give said Green the right to obstruct or in any manner interfere with any channel now existing through said shoal or shell-reef. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That so soon as the said Green shall have deepened or excavated a channel of sixty feet in width, and of sufficient depth to admit the passage, at low-tide, of steamboats and other vessels drawing six feet of water, he shall be authorized to charge and receive from all such boats and vessels as may go out of the said Pascagoula River, through said channel, a toll not to exceed thirty cents per ton, for every ton of the registered measurement of such boats and vessels; and any boat or vessel that shall become liable for toll as aforesaid, and whose captain, owner, or other persons who may be in charge, shall refuse or neglect to pay the same for five days, after the same shall have been demanded, shall be liable to be sued for the amount of toll due, together with fifty per cent. damages, and the said boats and other vessels, and their captains and owners, shall be liable for the same, together with costs of suit, to be collected before any court of competent jurisdiction: Provided, however, That suits for tolls may be instituted before the expiration of five days, if deemed advisable, and that said Green may prevent the passage of any boat or other vessel through the channel aforesaid until the tolls are settled: And provided furthermore, That all boats and vessels may go into the Pascagoula River through said channel without the payment of any toll or charge whatever. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That said Green be, and he is hereby, invested with all the rights and powers necessary for the construction, repairs, and maintenance of said channel, and of the necessary wharves, buildings, light-houses, and buoys appurtenant thereto; and it is stipulated and agreed that for and during the term of twentyfive years from the passage of this act the said Green shall have and enjoy the exclu sive right and privilege of constructing a channel or canal for the passage of steamboats, or other vessels, through the said shoal or shell-reef: Provided, That in case said work shall not be so far advanced at the end of eighteen months from the passage of this act as to admit of the passage at low-tide of vessels drawing six feet of water, then this act shall be null and void: And provided further, That at the end of twenty-five years from the completion of said work, the rights and privileges conferred by this act shall expire, and said work and its appurtenances shall revert to and become the property of the State of Mississippi. SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That the said Green shall have the right, and he is hereby authorized, to associate with him in the construction of said work such persons as he may see fit; and that at any time after he shall have so far completed said canal or channel as to admit the passage, at low-tide, of vessels drawing six feet water, he shall have the power to sell or convey any portion or all of the rights and privileges conferred upon him by this act. SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That should any person or persons, willfully or carelessly, do any act whereby said work shall be injured or impaired, or the navigation of the channel authorized by this act shall be obstructed, or whereby said Green or others interested in said work shall be hindered or disturbed in the prosecution or enjoyment of said work, such person or persons so offending shall be liable to a fine of $500, to be sued for and recovered before any court of competent jurisdiction, and they shall also be liable to the proprietor or proprietors of said work for all damages which they may have caused to them by such act, to be sued for and recovered before any competent tribunal. SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved January 31, 1867. |