Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-02-04

FEBRUARY a. lS15
THE PROPOSED NAvALCOALINd
STATION ON ST. MARY'S RIVER.
The following important report to the
Secretary of the Navy viii be read with
interest.throughout Maryland, particu-
larly in the lower counties of the wes-
tern Shore.
WAsnISoroS, d. c., Dec "a, 1874.
- Hon. George II. Robson, Secretary d
e. Macy: So
Srn In obedience to your order of
the llth instant appointing us Board
to inquire into the expediency of estab-
fishing at the harbor of st. Mary's, st.
Mary's river, Maryland, a naval coaling
station, forwarding maps and surveys
of said river and adjacent waters, made
by the Typographical Bureau of the
War Department in 1924, with copy of
a resolution passed by the House of
Representatives April Is, 1874, as fol-
lows:
Whereas. The Southern Maryland
Railroad Company is now engaged in
constructing railroad from Washing
ton to st. Mary's river and Point Look
out, at the confluence of the Potomac
river with the Chesapeake Bay; and
whereas said railroad, when completed,
will bring the city of Washington with
in two and a-half hours of the Chesa-
peake Bay at the deep waters of the
harbor of st. Mary's river, which will
enable the Government to avail itself
of the benefit of said harbor, thus rem
dered accessible to the seat of Govern
ment at all times of the year. There
fore, be it
Resoired, That the Secretary of the
Navy, be and he is hereby directed to
obtain from the War Department the
report and survey made of the st. Ma
ry's river and adjacent routes by the
Typographical Bureau of the War De-
partment, made about the year 1924,
and to appoint board of naval officers
to whom the same shall be submitted.
to inquire into and report as to the ex-
pediency of establishing at the said har-
Dor a naval coaling station, and to re-
port the results of the investigation to
the Secretary of the Navy, who shall
present tie same to the House at the
next session of Congress.
Directing the Board "to give the sub
ject the inquiry which the resolution
suggests, and to submit our report to
the Department in good season at its
present. session. the Raa-f afy4siyen
5Ee subject suggested by the resolation,
and in conformity with your orders, Il
careful examination and consideration,
and have the honor respectfully to re-
port:
That from various sources reliable in
formation as to the location of the har-
Dor of ST. Mary's river. and its
FITNESS FOR A NAVAL CoALING STATION,
has been obtained. By an examination
of the surveys of the st. Mary's river,
Maryland, made by Majors Albert and
Eearney, Topograp phical Engineers, Uni
ted States Army, in 1921, BY order of
the Secretary of War, in accordance with
a resolution of the Senate of the Uni
ted States, we find in the deep-water
channel, extending from the mouth of
the st. Mary's six miles, to its harbor,
u depth of q to 81 feet at low water,
the average width of the river at vari-
Gus intermediate points being about one
mile. The distance from the confluence
of the waters Of the Saint Mary
river with the Potomac river and
Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic ocean
is So miles, with easy and unobStruc-
ted navigation to the largest vessels at
all times.
The Delaware river is at present the
principal shipping point for the anthra-
cites, Washington and Baltimore being
the shipping points for the bituminous
Goals from the great Maryland Basin
ST. MAEY's RIVER, IN ALL RESPECTS,
UNEXCEPTIoNABLE.
The Board, in the consideration of
this subject, respectfully submit, in
view of the contingency Of war with a
powerful foreign Power, whether or not
it is wise or judicious TO rely upon any
one shipping point, others being avail
able for its coal supply. With respect
to the special fitness for such a depot,
the St. Mary's river is, in all respects.
Observation-Disclosures ana commodi-
ous, with sufficient depth of water for
all classes of vessels; accessible at all
seasons OF the year, and not subject to
being obstructed by ice, as in the upper
portions of the Potomac, Patapsco and
Delaware rivers. 1t is situated midway
North and South, near to the Atlantic
coast, and equally convenient to naval
stations, North and South.
COAL FIELDS.
The bituminous coal fields of Mary
land and Virginia are located from the
st. Mary's harbor about $50 miles; those
OF the semi-bituminous of Maryland,
near Cumberland, $50 miles, and TO the
anthracite fields Of Pennsylvania, $50
miles. These coal fields, on the compile
ton of the Southern Maryland Railroad.
will be accessible By rail with the har-
Dor eff st. Ma-y's, and thus viii be-
come available a source of eoal supply
practically unlimited. 1t is near the
confluence Of the Potomac river and
Chesapeake Bay, and within s6 miles
Of the Atlantic Ocean, and is not, there
fore, subject to the longer and more te-
dious navigation, as compared with
Washington and Baltimore.
SOUTHERN MARYLAND RAILROAD.
By the completion of the Southern
Maryland Railroad it viii be connected
With the great coal fields of Maryland
and Virginia via Raifimore ard 0hin