Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-01-11
DOMESTIC NEWS.
Does Philadelphia Need an Out
Port ?
The North American MInRIes Truth
with Error.
[From the Philadelphia North American, Jan o.
Vain SIrivinga


Vain Strivings.
Some Of the cities below us on the Delaware
seem to be delighted with anything that OBJ
structs the commerce OF Philadelphia, and fancy
that it is 80 much toward compelling us to make
our shipping port beow-say at Chester or Will
mington. But there difficulties in the way
OF any such scheme that little reflection will
show to any one. Commerce is now carried on
in vessels of such length as to require q great
extent OF dockage room, az we'll to allow OF facil
tiles for loading and unloading as to shelter the
vessels from drift ice in winter. Philadelphia
has one hundred and sixty-three piers for tho
purpose. Some of these are two hundred and
seventy feet in length, and that is not enough.
We need not ask the number and length Of the
docks and piers at Chester, Wilmington and New
Castle. The comparison would be ridiculous
What nonsene then, it ii is for these towns
to clamor for commerce which not one of
them could accommodate. There is not wharfro room
there to land tiftieth part Of the cargoes land
ed in Philadelphia. And il we send our grain
thither to be exported, there are no elevators,
no grain warehouses. and no mercantile houses
to attend to the business. Worse still, II they
had all these the banking facilities there are 30
small that all the financial part of the business
would have to be done in Philadelphia. In for
mer years there were schemes entertained Of
making port for the shipment OF coal at Ches-
ter, at Wilmington, at New Castle, but all failed.
The harbor of Philadelphia being open and ac-
cessible at all times, when coal is exported 1t
costs less money to ship it here than at a
port below-that is, coal can be delivered cheap
err from the mines, at Boston via Philadelphia,
than by way Of any port below This considera-
ton puts an end TO all discussion, for cheapness
OF transit is indispensable.
But have not these cities OH the Delaware
commercial vocation of their own Certainly.
New Bedford, Salem, Newburyport, Gloucester
and other Massachusetts minor seaports flourish
in commerce without competing with Boston (;
and Providence, Newport, New Haven, New
London and Hartford flourish without compe-
ting with New York and Bath, Bangor, Wiscas-
set, and other towns on the Maine coast prosper
without interfering with Portland. But in all
these cases these towns rely on their own enter
prise, their own resources, and such commerce
as they can command by their own exertions,
which, we are sorry to say, docs not appear to
be the case with our city on the Delaware below
Philadelphia.
They keep their eyes fixed on the vast wealth
and trade Of Philadelphia, and vainly dream Of
transferring these prizes to themselves. Will
mington was formerly whaling port. Where
now are her whale ships9 She formerly had a
regular trade with England. What is it now2
II may be urged that these towns have found It
more to their advantage to engage in industrial
pursuits, which is true. But this need not have
crushed all enterprise in commerce. II they
sigh for commercial greatness, why not build
docks, piers, grain elevators, petroleum depots
and coal piers? The sea is open to all. Why
not establish lines Of commerce OF their own
And il they have not the enterprise, how foolish
u ID tor them 10 lnuulSe an envy VI thoso Mho
have.
So far as the feelings Of our people are concern
ed. we know that they would beglad TO see any or
all Of these Delaware cities become as great and
prosperous as Newark or Norfolk but we should
all rather see II than hear much talk about it,.
We have done what we could to help them along
by creating iron shipbuilding on the Delaware.
Let them now exhibit some disposition TO help
themselves, and il they must be commercial let
them provide facilities for commerce, which at
present they do not possess. We presume that
In due time we shall have Camden, Gloucester,
Salem, Bridgeton, and Port Norris, setting up
commercial claims on the other side OF the Del
aware and all dreaming OF impossbilties. The
commercial greatness of the Delaware river and
bay depends on Philadelphia to such an extent
that it is amazing that any one should be ignor-
ant of the fact. Philadelphia was not created by
the river and bay, but by the prodgious resources
of Pennsylvania, Of which she is the metropolis
and emporium. Moreover there is no such har-
Dor as ours anywhere else on the river or bay
| 1t is one Of the best in America, and before we
| stop our improvements we shall make 1t one OF
the most easily accessible. The surveys have all
been made and the works will be made in due
time. Those on the Schuylkill have already
cleared away dangerous rocks and deepened the
channel to eighteen feet