Delaware tribune, and the Delaware state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1877-18??, 1877-07-12

FELTON,, July THE exact object of
the p, w. & b. Railroad Company, in the
proposed building of the branch to the
Delaware Division from Dover to Milford
and Lewes has been matter of good
deal of speculation.
In previous letter Igave the readers Of
the EVERY EVENING AND COMMERCIAL
some current gossip concerning the enter
prise, and without attempting to answer
for the value presented one or two ex-
plantations of the meaning of the new
movement.
Since then information has come to hand,
the reliability of which I have great faith
in, and which throws now light upon the
scheme. II comes to me almost directly
from an official source closely connected
with the management of the survey, and
| from a gentleman whose name in Kent
county, and especially in Dover, where he
resides, is guarantee of good faith. With
this understanding l propose to give an
account of the enterprise, which is of con-
siderable importance to the lower part of
the State and peninsula and to Philadel-
phia.
The scheme, which comprises new
| route through the lower part of the
peninsula, from Dover to Virginia, as l
have Just intimated. is connected more in
TINA ely with the lower sections.
An examination of the map of the
perins,,ia will show an almost uninterrupted
J ........-..a4,. Of haya and ialefs FROM itshn-
both City--six miles from Lewes--to
Virginia. The only interruption to good
navigation from the southern portion of
Sinepuxent Sound to Rehoboth, being u
strip of low land which separates Indian
river bay from Assawaman. In order to
render the navigation of this entire stretch
OF water passible for even large steamer,
the only work which nature has left un-
finished, is the dredging Of certain parts
of the bays and canal from Indian river
bay to Assawaman. Recognizing the i'm
portance of the carrying trade of the sec
ton of county watered by these bays and
their tributaries, some years ago, the juno
ton & Breakwater, with the aid of the
State and the people of the country
through which it was to run, constructed
the Breakwater Il Frankford railroad, and
that road now connects with the Worcester
road, making complete line from
Georgetown 10 the lower end of the
peninsula.
The p, W. & B. railroad has watched
for some years with solicitude the i'll
Ecreasing business of this line and the great
loss which the Delaware Division, as wei
AZ the p, w. Il B. road proper hai
suffered by reason of the connection of tht
Old Dominion Steamship Company witt
the J, L. B. and the B. d F. and Worcester
roads. There can be little doubt now bu
that it is not the Milford and Lewes ant
Georgetown trade, nor the business o
upper Sussex. but the development OF
business along the bays and sounds ant
the rivers of the lower peninsula, whic
has given the p, W. & B. Company thei
idea in the construction Of the new pro
posed road from Dover to Milford nn
Lewes.
THE ROUTE
l which they propose to establish vi
9 necessitate the cutting of the canal, c
! which | have made mention before
9 between Indian river bay and Assawamal
Q An engineer has already been sent dow
s there. and he finds that the canal can
cut through at little cost, and the htt
dredging that will be necessary to max
navigation easy through the remainder
the bays and inlets. The scheme is to p,
!. n steamer on these waters and build
s suitable pier at or near Rehoboth Git.
extend the proposed new road from Lew
n to that place, and the p, w. IL b. Con
d uany has then the control of a throue
i route from Philadelphia and Baltimore
d Virginia, the advantages of which can
d very readily understood by any one at
@ acquainted with the geography and pr
is ducts of the country below GeorgetoS
10 along the Atlantic coast to the Virgin
It line. and even on down to the cape.
,e The Breakwater a. Fiankford road Al
NJ the Worcester extension have developed
r; excellent carrying trade, which has be-
at almost the chief source of profit to t
W Old Dominion line to New York; and IL
t. despits the fact that the road is far aw
We from the chief sources of its own busnt
to and most of its freight is hauled miles fre
I'd the coast line, after being transported
er boats along the small streams of the ba
IT, and thence by wagon to the railroad. L
nd new route in the opinion of the prof
er tors, would not only obviate this hauiI
Id but by means of numerous wharves Wit
or the steamers of the line are to take
ty freight, the products will not be compel
We tn 90 to TRANSPORTATION, but transportail
nut goes to them. There is no question as t.
M dormant trade in the products of the rlS
ste and bays which il only waiting for go
nd fast, well equipped me
.ge market, near enough to
up source of the products to make it posi-
ts, t6s get it to the cities fresh and in g
are order. Space will not permit SO partic'
A an examination of the facts connected v
,th this feature of the scheme AZ might
IAN desired. 1t is thought that the grea
ar. advantage both to the p, w. Il b. O
on pany, az well az to the country below,
the occur during the winter, when all o.
mt routes are frozen, with little difficulty
for can be kept open, and such freezin
in of tie oyster fleets as occurred Last wi
an wouAl not be so great deprivation to
of consAmer as that proved. Without g
ing into further detail, think that the !
me poinN of the new enterprise have