Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-10-31
GENERAL.
THE READING RAILROADS. PURPOSES.
NO COAL wHARvEs AT oHEsrER-wHY THE NEW
CASTLE PIERS FAILED.

NO COAL wHARvEs AT cHEsTER-wHY THE NEW
CASTLE PIERS FAILED.
The Philadelphia correspondent Of the Ger
mantown Telegraph, noticing the lease of the
old P.W., and B. track by the Philadelphia, and
Reading, and it's purchase Of land at Chester,
says:-
The assumption based on these facts. in some
quarters s that the company is about to trans
fer its coal port from Richmond to Chester. But
a leading member Of the Board of Directors of
the Reading Railroad Company informs me that
nothing of the kind IL intended, the design be-
ing simply to make trsi-class coal depot at
Chester for the coal trade, as that city has be-
come quite tlourishing centre OF manufactures
and iron shipbuilding. The other idea of the
Company il to stimulate the growth OF iron ship
building and iron manufactures generally at
Chester by delivering the raw materials, coal
aud iron, there at the lowest rates and without
the intervention of mid1lemen. 1t is firmly be-
lieved by the Board that the valley of the Della
ware il destined to become the great iron ship
building emporium OF the Western Hemisphere,
and they do not intend to neglect any effort or
means Of hastening this contamination. The
Company would as cheerfully aid any other point
on the Delaware within its reach. but this one Is
rendered peculiarly advisable by the cheapness
of land on the riverside and by the sale of this
abandoned railway.
learn from the same source that the Compa-
nv has fully and fairly tried the experiment of
making a coal-port below Philadelphia. The
point selected was New Castle, and the Company
spent quarter OF million of dollars in making
the arrangements for the purpose, but all to no
purpose. The colliers would not stop there, but
kept right ON to Purt-RichmOnd. Every induce
ment was held out to them to make the change,
but in vain When questioned they answered
that at Richmond they found all the attractions,
accommodations and facilities that mighty met
ropollan city could afford. while at New Castle
they were all absent. Everything needful for the
repairing, reftting,or supplying OF a vessel could
be had at one place and not the other. Moreover
at Richmond we're all the shipping offices. and if
the officers and crews Of the vessels needed
little amusement on landing they could have it
here in every variety and they could not at New
Castle. But the most important reason ignoring
all farther ideas of change il this the Compa-
ny has thoroughly tested the iron steam coers,
and has proved that they can run all winter de-
spite the ice AZ they did through all the severe
weather of last winter. Hence the ice blockade
is of no account, as the Company has placed a
large loan in London and here, one OF the OBJ
ects of which is to build a complete fleet of iron
steam colliers and thus relieve the trade from
the frequent embarrassments about freight CHAR
ges
ny is convinced that it has fully great an inter
est in iron as in coal that iron is bound to
become great article OF domestic trade both
for home consumption and export, and that our
country is certain to become the leading producer
and exporter of iron. YOu will understand there
fore, that in the comprehensive arrangements
that the Company is everywhere making, coal &
not the only consideration, and that the Compa-
ny looks ahead to vast increase Of its iron
freights. The liberal offer made by the Company
to endorse the bonds of new iron companies to
certain extent has produced substantial results
What the Company really aims at is to make the
iron shipbuilding interest large as possible, to
| stimulate the iron manufacture. and to make
Chester large and hourshing centre Of domes'
| tic industry.