B.

Letter of Superintendent and Collector of canal.

SCRANTON, MISS., September 8, 1873. SIR: Your letter of the 4th instant is before me, asking information on the following questions:

1st. What was the condition of the commerce and navigation at East Pascagoula previous to the construction of "Noyes' Canal?"

I answer, "It was entirely confined to vessels of thirty and thirty five tons."

2d. Has the construction of Noyes' Canal proved of any benefit to the commerce of Pascagoula River?

It certainly has; vessels now load at the mills above, of eighty to one hundred tons, and pass readily to sea through the canal; it has also developed the commerce of the place by enabling our mill-owners to contract to load large vessels outside, within a given time, and thus save demurrage.

3d. Give me the history of Noyes' Canal, with act of incorporation, charter, &c., and system of tolls charged.

Herewith inclosed find copy of the act of incorporation and charter, by which you will perceive they are allowed 30 cents per ton, register, of vessels using it.

In consequence of the natural channel, and to induce small vessels to use the canal, a less amount, or 15 cents per ton, has been charged all vessels under fifty tons each, and, when lightering to outer bay, only 10 cents per ton.

4th. What was the cost of construction, and annual cost of maintenance of canal, and what nature was the material removed in its construction?

On March 1, 1870, the canal was declared finished; it then had cost $27,000. In consequence of repairs, redredging, &c., it has cost $4,000 per year to maintain it. The material removed was mud, sand, and a hard blue clay.

Respectfully,

C.

Letter of Mr. E. F. Griffin.

Moss POINT, MISS., August 26, 1873. DEAR SIR: Your letter of inquiry about the past and present condition of the lumber and miscellaneous commerce and future commercial prospects of East Pascagoula has been received.

Query 1. "Lumbering interests previous to the construction of Noyes's Canal."

The amount of lumber very little, if at all, exceeds that manufactured previous to its construction. The canal has had no appreciable effect on the lumbering interests; as, to within a few months, it has been but little better than the natural channel; it, seemingly, having been the object of the owners to merely do enough to keep the charter and collect the tolls from us.

At that time there was no foreign trade in lumber, our place being almost unknown, and the home-market being good, we were incapable of supplying the demand. After the domestic trade began to fail, of course the lumbermen began to seek other markets, and by furnishing lumber at lower prices than it could be obtained at other points, they succeeded in securing a considerable trade with other points.

Query 2. "Present condition of lumbering interest and obstacles to its advancement."

It is duller now than it has been for eight years, caused in domestic markets by the general depression of business and want of tonnage at reasonable figures to foreign ports.

Query 3. "Probable effects upon the commerce of East Pascagoula in the event of a channel 9 or 10 feet deep being cut through the bar at the mouth of the river."

Could not say to what extent, but would necessarily increase it very much, as a large portion of the lumber exported from here could be shipped on vessels drawing that amount of water, which could come direct to the mills and load, thus saving to the producer the lighterage, and thus direct from the Gulf and Atlantic ports to our own a large amount of trade, on account of facilities and prices in purchasing.

Query 4. "What efforts the State of Mississippi has made to secure a proper channel at the entrance of Pascagoula River.”

The State has appropriated $25,000, and the citizens $5,000.

Query 5. “Agricultural prospects of the country which would probably make East Pascagoula its shipping-point, and the extent of country and nature of products."

As there is a charter for a railroad from the interior of the State to this point, when completed, together with the rivers tributary, the entire State could have an outlet for its various productions.

Very respectfully,

Lieut. JAMES B. QUINN,

United States Engineers.

E. F. GRIFFIN.

Statement of official business at the port of Pascagoula, District of Pearl River, from July 1, 1872, to June 30, 1873.

SURVEY AT ENTRANCE OF MATAGORDA BAY AND THE CHANNEL OF INDIANOLA, TEXAS.

WASHINGTON, D. C., February 4, 1874.

GENERAL: The survey of the entrance to Matagorda Bay and channel to Indianola, Texas, has been completed.

Mr. H. C. Ripley, assistant engineer, had charge of the field-work. He reports as follows:

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Preparations for the survey were commenced August 1, 1873.

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The "Fleetwing," a schooner of twenty-one tons burden, and of 3 feet draught, was chartered at Galveston, Texas, and a four-oared launch, belonging to the Department, being available, was also used.

The instruments used were two Gurley transits and two sextants: one made by Blunt, of London, the other by Stuckpohl, of New York.

Everything being in readiness, we left Galveston on the 10th of the month, and arrived in Matagorda Bay on the 13th.

Two base-lines were measured: one at Indianola, between stations 1 and 2, and the other on Matagorda Island, between stations 14 and 15.

The computed length of the second base only differed from its measured length by foot in a distance of sixteen miles.

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The soundings were located by means of two sextants, and locations were made as

often as one each minute where the depth was changing rapidly, but where it was comparatively even, as in the bay, locations were made about once in three minutes. Three tide-gauges were established: one at Indianola, on Morgan's wharf, (gauge No. 1,) one at the West Shoal light, just inside the pass, (gauge No. 2,) and the third on the point near the old light-house, (gauge No. 3.)

Gange No 3 was only kept while outside soundings were being taken; gauge No. 2 was kept during the whole time of the survey; and gauge No. 1 was kept until the soundings were finished.

The mean low-tide to which the soundings were reduced was obtained from the United States Coast Survey Office at Washington, and differs from the mean low-tide during the time of survey by 0.47 foot, and is lower by this amount.

A wind-record was also kept during the time of the survey by the United States signal observer at Indianola.

BORINGS.

Borings were carefully taken. Seven holes, varying in depth from 263 to 53 feet, were made, and 32 specimens were preserved, all of which are properly labeled and left in the office.

An effort was made to reach the clay at borings E, F, and G, nearest the bar, but the driving was so hard (requiring as many as sixty blows with an eighty-pound hammer to the inch) that it was impossible to do so.

Below will be found a sketch (see original) showing the sections of the borings and the character of strata in each. A is at the outer end of Morgan's wharf. B is on the shore just below Powder Horn Bayou. C is at the Swash light. D is at the White or West Shoal light. E is on Decrow's Point. F is at the outer point of Pelican Island; and G is on the point near the old light-house.

It appears almost evident from an inspection of the three borings, one at either end of the bar, and one on Pelican Island, nearly out to the bar itself, that this bar, like the one at Galveston, is composed of pure quicksand to a depth of from forty to sixty feet.

CURRENTS.

It is necessary to remark that it was impossible to take the current-measurements at any uniform stage of the tide, and consequently it often appears that there is very little current at a certain position, when close by, at another position, there is a current two or three times as strong without any apparent cause.

The reason is that they were taken at different times and the actual velocity of each plotted. Reference to the tide and wind chart may tend to explain some of these differences and show what their relative velocities are.

But this will not answer in every case; for we found that some of the strongest ebb-tides occurred when the tide-gauge did not fall one-tenth of a foot for several hours.

I attempted to form a table showing what the velocity at certain places should be with a certain rate of fall or rise of the gauge, but I found that a rise or fall of onetenth of a foot per hour one day would give scarcely any velocity to the tide, while at another time there would be a strong tide without any perceptible change in the gauge. I was, therefore, obliged to abandon the scheme.

The directions as shown on the chart, and the general character of the bottom and surroundings, will probably give a better idea of the relative velocities at different positions than anything short of a long series of observations.

Matagorda Bay, from Indianola as far down as the old Swash light, has a very uniform depth. The bottom is generally covered with a deposit of soft mud, which at Indianola is five feet in thickness.

Below this point it comes under the influence of the pass and sand-bars, and deeper channels begin to appear, which are continually changing and shifting under the influence of the wind and tide.

At the mouth of the pass and on the bar we find a very marked change since the last Coast-Survey chart was made.

Pelican Island has moved north and approached Decrow's Point nearly its entire

width; thus making the Elizabeth channel more defined and deeper, and diminishing the distance from the island to Decrow's Point from 7,440 feet to 4,180 feet.

Red Fish Spit has made its appearance, and the large shoal extending from it has mostly formed within the last two years. The point just below the old light-house has but recently formed, and its development is progressing very rapidly; so much so that its growth was quite obvious during the time of the survey.

At a point where tide-gauge No. 3 was located, it made out not less than 75 feet in about two months.

Old Channel was the main channel for the entrance of vessels until August of the present year.

It was after the 13th of that month that the first vessel was brought through the Veto Channel by the pilots.

Now they do not venture to bring in even the smallest vessel through Old Channel, and if it is at all rough it is not safe to enter even with the pilot-boat.

At the time of the last coast survey, the Veto Channel was not in existence, and where there is now 24 feet of water there was then but 5 feet.

It is said that the origin of this channel is due to the fact that the schooner Veto was driven across the bar at this place during a violent storm.

Thus getting a start, it gradually deepened and widened until it became the main channel across the bar.

But we are led to seek other influences which might cause the water to leave its straight course down the old channel and turn abruptly to the southeast, as it does in following the Veto Channel.

The littoral current at this place flows in either direction, northeast or southwest; its direction apparently depending entirely upon the direction of the wind.

Let us see what effect this littoral current has on the water in the various channels: At flood-tide there would be but little effect, probably not worth consideration, but at ebb-tide great changes are produced.

Let the littoral current be running southwest, as the water from Elizabeth Channel meets it, it is checked, and thus much of the water which would have gone out this channel is sent down to re-enforce Veto and Old channels.

As the water in Veto Channel meets the littoral current, it is little affected by it, since it meets it at right angles.

As the water from Oid Channel meets it, it is assistsd somewhat, since it flows nearly in the same direction,

Now let the littoral current run to the northeast. When the water from Old Channel meets it, it is checked abruptly, and Veto Channel receives a greater part of the water which otherwise would have gone out this channel; an eddy is formed, which is no doubt the cause of Red Fish Spit and the shoal near station 18, and which is now causing, since the opening of Veto Channel, an apparent closing of Old Channel altogether.

As Veto Channel meets the littoral current again at right angles, it has little or no effect upon it. With this direction of the littoral current, the water of Elizabeth Channel is assisted slightly to escape, as well as that of Decrow's Channel.

If this theory be correct, the Veto Channel is the only one in which its waters flow uninterrupted by the littoral current, and consequently should be the one of the greatest permanency, since all other channels are equally liable to be affected by wind. According to the testimony of the pilots, Old Channel always was treacherous, and never maintained that uniformity of depth on the bar that Veto Channel does, so that the facts go to substantiate our theory.

The city of Indianola is a place of about 1,400 inhabitants, and has a railroad extending into the interior as far as Cuero, DeWitt County, a distance of about sixty miles. The following is the commercial statement for the year ending August 31, 1872:

Many vessels arrive at this port with lumber, &c., and depart with commodities. the growth and produce of this State, that are not embraced in the returns of the custom-house, as such vessels, according to the revenue-laws, are not obliged to enter and clear.

The foregoing extracts indicate the difficulties to be met in attempts to improve this entrance to Indianola Harbor.

They are found in the unstable character of the bar and shore formations and in the great width ard exposure of the entrance.

It is evident that improvement by dredging cannot be expected, and that to effect any measure of good we must resort to piers and trainingworks to direct the tide-currents in and out of Matagorda Bay and to concentrate them on the bar.

For works of this kind it is only deemed possible to submit a general plan, with suggestions as to its probable effects.

Should the work ever be attempted, the engineer in charge will undoubtedly, in the course of construction, find frequent cause for change, not only in the location and direction of his works, but also in details and modes of construction.

The first work recommended is the closure of Decrow and Elizabeth channels by inducing the formation of a shoal along the line X Y and the extension of Matagorda Peninsula to include Pelican Island. By this the probable changes effected in the shore-lines, it is thought, will be about as indicated by the dotted blue line, (thus,.....) The breakers (marked D in red) will probably extend outward on the line D E, leaving between that and Y a channel similar to the Elizabeth. The Veto Channel will be driven southward and the old channel obliterated by the movement of Red Fish Spit and Breakers. The depth across the bar will be increased perhaps to twelve feet.

These changes effected as indicated, the improvement may be continued by further contracting the entrance by the formation of shoals on the lines Y E and Z B. These formations, it is thought, will so direct and concentrate the tide-currents on the bar as to insure a single channel across with a depth of 18 or 20 feet and a width of from 500 to 1,000 feet.