is between the two and has depths of 10 to 18 feet (3.0 to 5.5 m.) over it. All the shoals are shown on the charts.

Across the bar formed by these shoals there is a well-marked channel 400 feet wide, 30 feet (9.1 m.) deep (in 1924), and maintained by dredging to a depth of at least 30 feet (9.1 m.). A Swash Channel leads eastward of the middle ground and close to the western extremity of Santa Rosa Island. It has a depth of about 10 feet (3.0 m.), and is used only by small local vessels. Inside the entrance a depth of 30 feet (9.1 m.) can be taken up Pensacola Bay 72 miles to the city of Pensacola, and about 18 feet (5.5 m.) to the junction with Escambia and East Bays. The lower part of the bay is free from shoals, except close to the shores, and the depths range from 20 to 40 feet (6.1 to 12.2 m.).

Pensacola Lighthouse is a conical brick tower, lower third white, upper two-thirds black, on the north side of the west end of the bay. The light is flashing white (flash 4.3 seconds, eclipse 55.7 seconds), 191 feet (58 m.) above the water, and visible 20 miles.

Warrington is a small town on the north shore of the bay about 2 miles above the entrance. It has electric railway communication with Pensacola. The depth at the wharf is 12 to 15 feet (4.6 to 5.5 m.). On the point east of the town is a United States naval station and a naval radio station, call letters NAS.

Bayou Chico empties into Pensacola Bay about 1 mile west of Pensacola. Two drawbridges cross the bayou just inside the entrance. A shipyard is located above the bridges on the north bank. The entrance to the bayou is through a dredged channel 10 feet (3.0 m.) deep, marked by a lighted range, the front light red and the rear white, and by rows of piles on each side of the channel. Two beacons form a range to mark the dredged cut through the drawbridges. Above the bridges a draft of 10 feet (3.0 m.) can be carried along the north shore for a distance of nearly 1 mile.

Pensacola is an important commercial city on the north shore of the bay 72 miles above the entrance. It has railroad communication with Gulf points and with the north and steamer communication with Mobile, St. Andrew Bay, and Apalachicola, and there are three steamers making regular trips to Atlantic coast ports. Small steamers and motor launches carrying passengers and freight make regular trips to Bagdad and Milton, on Blackwater River, and to the towns on Santa Rosa Sound, Choctawhatchee Bay and River. The principal articles of export are resin, turpentine, pitch, tobacco, cotton, lumber, timber, fuel oil, and sulphate of ammonia. Supplies of all kinds can be obtained here, and there are facilities for making repairs to vessels. (See Repairs.)

The terminal facilities are excellent, having ample berthing space and depths at the wharves of 10 to 30 feet (3.0 to 9.1 m.), soft mud bottom. The coaling pier, 2,240 by 120 feet at outer end, has a depth of 28 feet (8.5 m.), berthing space 2,325 feet. It is approached by a dredged channel 28 feet (8.5 m.) deep, marked by a range; front, a white barrel on black pole, red light; and the rear a white barrel on white pole, red light; course, 8° true (N. 14 E. mag.). The Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. have three more piers, with depths of 28 feet (8.5 m.) and with a total berthing space of 5,010 feet, open to all carriers not competing on equal terms. These piers are approached through a dredged channel 28 feet (8.5 m.) deep.

The Gulf, Florida & Alabama Railway terminals consist of three piers, with a total berthing space of 3,800 feet, open to all carriers not competing on equal terms. Depth of water available at each of these piers is from 18 to 30 feet (5.5 to 9.1 m.) The approaches are through channels dredged to 30 feet (9.1 m.) or less, marked by range beacons. The Palafox and Baylen Street wharves have an available depth of from 10 to 18 feet (3.0 to 5.5 m.) and are used almost exclusively by the owners, and also to some extent as landings for river and small coastwise craft.

Escambia Bay extends 9 miles northward from Pensacola Bay. A little over 5 miles above its mouth it is crossed by a railroad bridge with a draw opening 85 feet wide on each side of a central pier. The depths in the bay shoal gradually from 15 feet (4.6 m.) at the mouth to 7 feet (2.1 m.) 2 miles above the bridge. Mulat is a small town on the east shore of the bay above the bridge. Escambia is a small settlement on the west shore of the bay above the bridge. Ferries, carrying automobiles and passengers, make regular trips across the bay between these two towns.

Escambia River empties into the bay through several mouths. A channel 51⁄2 feet (1.7 m.) deep and 150 feet wide has been dredged to the easterly branch of East River, which is the main entrance to Escambia River. This channel has shoaled considerably, and in 1924 the controlling depth was 412 (1.4 m.) feet in a channel 40 feet wide. A white light, on a black pile with arm and topmast, is located on the south side of the entrance to the channel. A draft of 4 feet (1.4 m.) can be carried to Moline, 18 miles above the mouth, and thence 3 feet (0.9 m.) to the State line. From December to May, high water increases the depth of the river 2 feet (0.6 m.) or more. The main commerce is in cypress logs.

East Bay is an eastward extension of Pensacola Bay, with which it is connected by a passage three-fourths mile wide between shoals. It varies in depth from 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.7 m.), but there are several small shoals of less than 5 feet (1.5 m.) depth scattered over the bay and a submerged rock pile a little over 1 mile southeastward from White Point. A black buoy No. 3 marks this rock pile. Middle beacon is located on a 5-foot (1.5 m.) shoal on the west side of East Bay Channel. Three naval air station beacons, A, B, and C, are located in the bay.

Blackwater River empties into Blackwater Bay, the northern arm of East Bay. A channel 9 feet (2.7 m.) deep and 100 feet wide has been dredged through Blackwater Bay and River to the town. of Milton, 4 miles above the river mouth and 21 miles from Pensacola. This channel is subject to shoaling and in 1924 the controlling depth was 612 feet (2.0 m.).

Pinewood is a village at the mouth of Blackwater River, on the west bank. Bagdad and Milton are towns 212 and 4 miles, respectively, above the mouth of the river, on the west bank. Milton is considered the head of navigation. Lumber is loaded on lighters here and towed to Pensacola for shipment. The railroad bridge at Milton has a draw opening 80 feet wide. There is a small marine railway here. Milton has railroad communication with Pensacola and the interior of the State and steamboat communication with Pensacola three times a week. Gasoline, fresh water, and provisions can be obtained at Bagdad and Milton.

Directions, East Bay, Blackwater Bay and River.-The channel through East and Blackwater Bays is marked by beacons and lights, but requires local knowledge for drafts of more than 5 feet (1.5 m.). The chart of these waters can not be depended upon to show the latest conditions. Vessels of more than 5 feet (1.5 m.) draft usually pass one-half mile eastward of the light that is 11/2 miles southeastward of White Point. Then they round somewhat to the eastward for 211⁄2 miles to avoid oyster reefs, pass one-fourth mile east of the beacon in the upper part of the bay, and then bring the lights of East Bay Channel range in line when about one-fourth mile north of the beacon.

The front light of this range is a black, square, pyramidal, slatted structure, red light, and the rear light is a white, square, pyramidal, slatted structure, white light. Escribano Point beacon, red beacon of same structure as the lights, will be seen slightly to starboard of the range. Haul around this beacon and bring Blackwater Bay Channel range lights in line astern, course 27° true (NNE. mag.). These lights are the same type as the East Bay range. Hold this range until up to Bay Point light (red light) and haul northwestward, passing close to westward of this light.

Pass close to eastward of the next point on the west shore, and head for Shield Point Light (white light) passing to westward of a shoal in mid-river which can be easily seen. Pass 100 yards off Shield Point Light and haul slowly northward to the other bank of the river and enter the narrow channel. About one-half mile farther the river branches; take west branch avoiding shoals on the port hand and passing close to the point of the island on the starboard hand. If going to Bagdad, take the next branch to the west which will lead to the wharves at Bagdad. If going to Milton, continue in main channel, keeping about in midstream, to the wharves above the drawbridge.

East Bay River is a shallow unimportant stream emptying into the eastern end of East Bay.

Santa Rosa Sound is described on page 96.

Big Lagoon is a shallow, unimportant body of water about 5 miles long and from one-fourth to 1 mile wide, extending westward from Pensacola Bay at the entrance. It has a low-water depth of . only a few inches at the entrance, and is separated from the Gulf by a narrow strip of sand beach, so low in places that the sea washes over it during strong southerly winds.

Prominent features. In the vicinity of Pensacola Bay entrance there are a few prominent objects, consisting of buldings, chimneys, radio towers, fortifications, and Pensacola lighthouse. Eight miles eastward of the entrance a water tank shows over the tops of the trees. A prominent clump of trees and a wreck on the beach, 20 and 271⁄2 miles, respectively, eastward of the entrance, can frequently be made out if in their vicinity. The wreck of the battleship Massachusettes lies on the point of Caucus Shoal west of the entrance and can be seen when several miles distant.

Pilots for Pensacola Bay will be found near the entrance between sunrise and sunset. They board vessels in the vicinity of the whistling buoy. Pilotage is compulsory for most vessels. (See extracts from the laws of Florida relating to pilotage on p. 4.) The rates are, for steamers or vessels drawing less than 6 feet, $1 per one-half

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foot of draft; for vessels drawing 6 feet and less than 10 feet, $1.50 per one-half foot of draft; vessels drawing 10 feet and less than 14 feet, $2 per one-half foot of draft; vessels drawing 14 feet and less than 20 feet, $2.50 per one-half foot of draft; vessels drawing 20 feet and upward, $3 per one-half foot of draft. Pilots for East and Escambia Bays can be gotten from the towboats.

Towboats sometimes cruise outside the bar, and they can always be found at Pensacola for towing over the bar or up any of the bays. With a fair wind sailing vessels sometimes enter Pensacola Bay without their assistance.

Anchorage.-Good anchorage can be found in all parts of the bay except southward of the naval station. The usual anchorage is off the city of Pensacola, where the holding ground is good and vessels can ride out any gale.

The harbor master assigns anchorage and berths and enforces the rules and regulations for the port. A charge of 1 cent per ton is placed upon every vessel entering the port to discharge or load cargo and one-half cent per ton for each steamer entering for bunker coal. The harbor master pilots vessels from Pensacola to the quarantine station or vice versa for a uniform charge of $10. charge for shifting a vessel from anchorage to dock, dock to anchorage, or dock to dock is $10 and $5.

The

Quarantine.-Vessels subject to visitation by the quarantine officer are boarded between sunrise and sunset at anchor anywhere south of the wharves at Pensacola. The quarantine station southeastward of Deer Point, at the entrance to Santa Rosa Sound, has been abandoned. If fumigation is necessary, the work will be done at Pensacola.

Hospital. A relief station of the United States Public Health Service is located at Pensacola. The nearest marine hospital is at Mobile.

A Coast Guard Station is established on the south side of Santa Rosa Island, 21⁄2 miles eastward of the entrance to the bay.

Supplies.-Bituminous coal, fresh water, gasoline, provisions, and ship chandler's stores can be had at Pensacola and, in limited quantities, at Warrington, Bagdad, and Milton.

Repairs. There is a floating dry dock at Pensacola of the following general dimensions: 380 feet over keel blocks, 74 feet between wings, and 18 feet of water over the blocks. The largest marine railway can haul out a vessel of 300 tons, 110 feet long, drawing 9 feet forward and 14 feet 8 inches aft. There are also marine railways for small boats at Pensacola and Milton.

Storm warnings are displayed from the American National Bank Building, at Pensacola, where they can be seen from the harbor; and at Bagdad.

Tides. The mean rise and fall of the tide at the entrance and in the bay is 1.3 feet, but it is greatly affected by the force and direction of the wind. Northerly winds sometimes lower the water surface 12 feet, and abnormal southerly winds raise it the same amount.

Currents.-The currents have considerable velocity on the bar at the entrance. In Caucus Cut, for two hours at the strongest of the ebb, the normal current has a velocity of 2 to 211⁄2 knots, setting southwestward diagonally across the channel. The flood has less velocity and sets northeastward. Elsewhere the currents follow the

The flood has greater velocity

general direction of the channel. following a norther than at other times.

Winds.-Northers occur occasionally during the winter. They have little effect on the shipping at anchor in the harbor, except to lower the water.

Fog. From January to April there is considerable hazy or misty weather; usually southerly winds bring it in and northerly winds clear it away.

DIRECTIONS, PENSACOLA BAY

Vessels approaching Pensacola Bay by day and not sure of their position can easily tell by the appearance of the land, when about 4 miles off, whether they are eastward or westward of the entrance. Eastward for a distance of 40 miles Santa Rosa Island presents a white sand beach and low, white sand hills with scattered clumps of trees and bushes; back of this, on the mainland, are thick woods. Westward of the entrance, for a distance of 40 miles, the shore is low and thickly wooded nearly to the water, showing no breaks and very few hillocks. The lead, too, will indicate whether a vessel is east or west of the entrance, the 10-fathom (18.3 m.) curve approaching the coast very much more closely eastward than it does westward of the entrance. Depths of 10 fathoms (18.3 m.) or less, 3 miles or more from the beach, indicate that a vessel is off the entrance or westward of it.

At night or in thick weather it is well for a vessel not sure of her position to keep in at least 12 fathoms (22 m.) until the lighthouse is sighted or the position is otherwise determined.

The following courses and distances lead to Caucus Cup buoy off the entrance to Pensacola Bay:

From a position 12 miles south-southwest of Cape San Blas lighthouse, 296 true (WNW. mag.), 109 miles.

From a position 1 mile south of Mobile Entrance buoy (for moderate draft), 77° true (ENE. 2 E. mag.), 41 miles.

From South Pass, Mississippi River, 51° true (NE. % E. mag.), 125 miles.

From the entrance buoy the courses and distances to the anchorage off the wharves at Pensacola are as follows: