OCR Text |
Show Oil r.incU In the Gulf. Between the mouth of the Mississippi river and Galveston, ten or fifteen miles south of Sabine Pass, is a spot in the Gulf of Mexico which is commonly called "The Oil Ponds" by the captains of the small craft which ply in that vicinity. There is no land within fifteen miles; but even in tho wildest weather the water at this spot is comparatively calm, owing to the thick covering of oil, which apparen ily rises from the bed of the Gulf, which is here about fifteen to eighteen feet beneath the surface. This strange refuge is well known to sailors who rim on the small vessels trading between Calcasieu, Cal-casieu, Orange, Sabine, Beaumont and Galveston. When through stress of weather they fail to make harbor elsewhere else-where they run for "Tho Oil Ponds," lut go anchor and ride the gale in safety, this curious spot furnishing a good illustration illus-tration of the effect of "oil upon a trou bled sea." St. Louis Republic. |