American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1827-01-16

of more than 200 vessels, originating ~ 'ne neS'
borhood Of Delaware Bay. ouno'y instance 20
occurred oil 10 or more vesstis oeine =" sno'
one time. near its mouth But It there be addeo
~ these burdens. these delays, and this entlfe &c
,,ruction of such amounts Of property, the iaf'hef
n;urv to the country at large. sustained w .he
los. oi many lives in those disastrous shp"recSs,
,he importance OF some Efficient preventive WIN
become most urgent &c,
II, effec, will no, be merely the removal OF lhosc
evils 10 which the commerce oil the bay aone nav
been exposed but the proposed bteak"ae' ""'
be adap,ed to give security TO much oil NC coas""s
trade Of the whole Union. A large portion o. II pas
,e near the outlet OF the Bay, and now when threat
eped or assaed with gales and storms mas no ss'e
harbor between Sandy Hook and Cape Charles.
DELAYS dsmage, and total losses, art ine Heque"s
sequences and seem to csll iof our herpos"o''
the more imperativey as that branch o. trace IS co'
posed exclusively Of American Tonnage; b
more nesfiy concerns every section OF inc county
being in great degree, devoted TO the iranspor'a
ton Of American produce and as ITS rspa increase
within the last twenty years, renders IT, m every
point Of view dear To American Interests ahd
American feelings. For, within 20 years, 1t has
more than doubled. while our tonnage engaged ~
the foreign trade hss dcchred nearly ons hall, ana
., present but nte exceeds the former IN smront
Thu, 10 A. d. 1907. the tonnage In the cos.ing
rade w. only 2s5 $50, and that II the inreign trade
Al O75 while, In a. u. lo@4, INC lorWer wa
Cos 893 and the latter only S45.158
| A ur,her benefit to be derived from brehkwa
tsr or artificial hsrbor ., the mouth Of the Dels.
ware Bay i. the like security il would furnish u
our Navy under the crcums'snces enumerated IN
>prct TO vessels engsgcd IN the coaslns trade.
But especially during war, OF range ot more thsh
200 mile. OF sc.eoast now almost closed upon ne
Navy, would II find such harbor highly sdsana
peous, " hen pressed by superior force, or whtn
dettous ef same intermediate station from when
o attack or annoy powerful enemy. Concerning
he ptacticsb ability oi erecting such break~aisr
the report of he Engineers ai'e horcog exsm
ltation, would appear 10 be decisive
Though some bat novel here, similar structures,
whether called piers |etties, or nteakwsters, have
been made in other countries anh tht happen e
,ults and in siusions oi greater exposure, and o.
greater de plh o. water. Those Dublin, Ply
mouth and Ch.thoure have been so frequently
visited and descfBed ard SO iull is the inlormaliof
possessed on this subrct BY nautical and scientific
men a. TO remo,e all doubt upon The easltiliiy Of
The present mea.ufe at the psce contemplated
! The whole expense Of such break|aer, and the
tcsourcts o. The Government to meet il, remain 70
be eonsidetrd
| n IT'S size be ample. and its materials the most
| .ufable-- and only such one can be Geemet. ex
ned the hehes estimate Of lis expense has
4 Aesn S2,32h 647. This es,iuatc was founded On
minute survey ot The Bay, on the depth ana lei 9Th
OF The Proposed l3teakwaer, The cost Of material,
| md sll con.ldersloHs oil whatever nature which
.fienee ard experience could bring 10 bear on lhe
l,Hqutty. O her estimates have been made by pei
sons ni acknowledged Skill, reducing the sum. BY
a. alteration in the position of the brcakwarr, 10
nt million thee hundrt d and eighty thousand tour
AnndTea ard seysnlY -eigh, dolrs. Bnt sd0pting
he hes, as the safest estimate, the means TO de
tray the ex!cpse are sssurtdy within the reach oi
me Government may be obtained near Ut hand, and
heir appropriation To this object would not be Ike
ly 70 emharIass our finances, or prove nyldious to
ward. other sections oi the Union. Hall the rev
enue from the port Of Philadelphia alone, fer only
a single year, hiss sometimes been sufhcien, 10 &C
eotnplish the whole object. The rrasonsbleness OF
such an employ ment ot II will be more striking,
when We reflect that the losses il might prevert, in
only 2 or ii years would, on The facts before par
ucularzed, equal ths entire cost OF the breskWatet
lha II can be spared, also without essential njur,
? our financial CITATIONS, seems probable. when il
Is considered that The whole expenditure will not
be required Tor sodne years, and thar even one hall
III the annual amount heretofore devoted TO the IN
crease Of the Navy ard now no longer pledged for
that purpose, will doubtless be sufficient TO com
nsne the wo X. and if hus dedicate ed yearly ill tn.
Btsakwaier IS completed will only be continuing
naft ot the old appropi aiion to another great Oh
lecl Of comme,clsl and national importance.
In he narrowes, view, however, ss 10 its advan,a
se' and IN the shape OF an increased ohalgc upon
our finances. il csnnot be considered an undue ap
pr .ton for the protection and prosperity OF ,he
g mme OF the Delaware Bay, when its revenues
r.d exp ases since 4. D 100. are compared with
these Of her important points OH our seaboard.
linus he revenue derived TO Government, from
the commerce Of the Delaware Bay. from A. d
1890 to d 1925. was 88o.3l5,72l and The ex
: pendltures there. during the c time on forts
, light houses, bescons, &c. wrie 1885 4S3, or oniy
about one huadredth OF the revenue. But during
q The same time the revenue from the Chesspcsk,
Bay wa, only S56 96s .669 and The expenditure. on