Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-02-08
DOMESTIC NEWS.
The Commerce of the Delaware.
Voice in Assertion or New CASTLE. Claims.

To he Editor Of Ge Commercial:
In the North American OF the 9th Of January,
there was an article under the head Of 'yain
striyings," in which were made some statements
concerning the little towns on the Delaware
river, below Philadelphia, upon which, l think,
the writer has not been correctly informed.
He says; "What nonsense il is for these
towns to clamor for q commerce which not one
Of them could accommodate" / speak, now,
for the town OF New Castle. How can you OK
pect us to have any accommodations with the
interests OF the Reading Railroad, the p 4, W. X
b Road, and the property owners at Richmond
combined against us, whose opposition il 30
great against any improvement that they have
actually expended thousands of dollars to injure
our placer Do,you know why that large and
expensive wharf was erected, few years ago
Certainly not for the purpose Of shipping coal /;
they had the Bagacity to see as soon as that
business was commenced from hore there would
be an end to part of their boaeted cinnmerce,
at least in the shipment Of coal from Richmond,
and they joined forces to build structure here
that should at the same time ruin our harbor
and prevent other parties from occupying the
ground. To make their purpose doubly secure,
1t Is said, there was an agreement entered into
between these two railroads, and signed by Mr..
FELTON,, then President Of the p, W. Il b., that
no coal should be shipped over the New Castle
and Wilmington Road, except from the Reading
Road, who then declared they did not intend "
ship any, and they never have. Mr.. FELTON, can
tell il these things are 30. There was some coal
shipped, during the war, by the United States
Government at time when ,Phlladelphia's &
boasted harbor was 30 good that the ice would
not go up or down; there was strong hand
placing an embargo at the heel OF the shoe,
| which l think remained some five or six weeks.
Now, again Vain striyings" has asserted
that II costs less to ship coal from Richmond to
the south and east than from New Castle. Lot
us sec how this is. A vessel to and from New
| Castle could make three trips where she could
make two from Richmond. AS time i'd money,
We have a great gain. In the winter and during
the blockade at the Horseshoe trips can be made
| from New Castle AZ regularly as in the sum-
mer, consequently the difference in freight re-
ceiyed would be large. Make the calculations
| aud see il am not correct.
Now, there is one other fact in connection with
this coal wharf. 1t runs long distance out into
the river, with only two nine foot sluices, and
they are built 30 low that they are now nearly
| closed. The engineer WAS urged to put in three
| thirty-feet sluces and warned of the conse-
| quences of smaller ones from which we now, AZ
| town, are suffering. At that time, We had at
| the steamboat wharf, just above, sixteen feet OF
water. Now we have but six and in few years
more, unless some distractions are removed
/ there will be no place for steamboat to land.
| There may come a time when Philadelphia will
be glad of the assistance OF some OF these little
towns on the Delaware. When their new line oil
| ocean steamers commence to make their regular
| trips and that Horseshoe" happens to be in q
/ state OF embargo and one OF them attempts to
enter our harbOr, she will not be able to get III
far enough to be protected from the action OF
| the ice, and will be obliged TO run to New York,
| shipping her cargo to Philadelphia, at great
| expense. The railroad once offered to build a
| wharf and warehouse TO accommodate the Liver
pool steamers, il they would unload here but
| Philadelphia preferred them to go TO New York,
and then TO abandon the line, because 1t would
| not pay The obstruction Of ice seems to come
| much oftener, than in former times, and l feal
Philadelphia may anticipate increasing trouble
l, for one, hope the iam pay be kept onep; ~
| mark my words about the harDor OF new Nasllt
it is naturally good harbor and all the phott
Of the river will unite with the old residents OF
the place in declaring it 30. Congress should
aid us to keep II 30, rather than alloM corpora
tion to build a structure to destroy 1t.
see the question asked where are tine Whai'
ships Of Wilmington ?" In answer, would asH
where is the commerce once possessed py thha
delphia, in the days Of Girard Cope, Ihomphoi
| and a number OF other worthless Where
Gone to look for the Wilmington whaling ships
perhaps. ,-,,-,- -,
We are not envious Of Philadelphia's com
merce, but wish it all prosperity in every under
taking, only wishing our own harDor may pe @ Pu
in its proper condition that it may serve fhlia
delphia in her occasional necessities, elther p
| causing the railroads to remove that now rotte
wharf or placing in it three thirty foot sluice
and building a twenty foot jet down from tn
end Of that wharf to force the flood tide throug
the sluices which would clean out the harDo
better than all the mud machines which could :
NEW CASTLE.