Daily Republican., 1879-01-18

Tho REPUBLICAN hos the largest
eincusasaen Of any paper In Della.
ware. Advertisers take y mote Of
this.
Delaware River Improvements.
1t is nothing more than right that
Philadelphia should have made the
movement that she has in favor Of a
re-survey of the Delaware River, and
have asked Congress to make an APP
propr alton for that purpose. 1t IL said
to be thirty years since the former sur
vey was made, and it will be imagined
that great changes in the river have
taken place in that time. So important
have been many of these changes that
bars and reefs have been formed in
many parts, and the channel has been
80 changed that the old charts have
lost most Of their old original valhe.--
At the mouth of the Christiana, in this
city, and from that up towards Edge
Moor, an island is said to be forming,
and where vessels twenty years ago
could sail in safety, 1t Is now unsafe
for them to approach indeed so large
has the island already become tina, the
top OF it il visible to the naked eye At
low tide. As it is at the mouth of the
Christiana, so it is in other parts Of the
river, especially at the mouths Of
creeks and inlet. Thi, ciosin- A. 1t
were of the river is becoming p,"r" aud
more perceptibir every year, by the
narrowing of what j. known as :he
"Horse Shoe" which closes up more
easily with ice in freezing weather,
though the winter mav not be so cold
rs many of its predecessors. This con-
dition Of things should not be-, with the
second river in Importance in the
Union, when the amount Of imports
and exports are taken into considtra-
ton, and it is high tiple that the evil
complained of shouli he corrected. The
Importance { the trade upon the Della
ware is sufficient tor the government to
offer every possible indtcrln"nt 70 MAJ
liners to navigat- h. river, and t. pro
tect them whiIr doing so. 1t i, hoped
that not only the $500, 900 asked tor hy
Philadelphia will be appropriated, but
enough will be Appropriated to put the
river in first class navlgahIe condition.
The appropriation is for no doubtful
experiment, but for the lettering Of a
amounts to many millions OF dollars,
and which j, destined to ht augmented
rapidly when the nrcrSsa'y facilities
asked for are granted 10 assist cotl-
mcrce. This appropriation though ask
ed tor by Philadelphia will not be loca
benefit the commerce Of ether towns or
tLr river notably among which are Ches
ter and Wilmington, and the demand
for the improvement arises from the i'm
peIative necessities Of trade, which il
is unwi8e to ignore. With PEiladel,
phia's facility of access to TIE Atlantic
improved, she will offer advantages tc
foreign commerce through her ability &c
handle grain and freights cheaply such
as will bring a larger increase to hel
trade and give n fresh impuIs" TO al
the towns along the Delaware. We neeC
hardly remind Senator Bayard OF tn.
importance Of an appropriation for thu
Improvement of ChrIstiana Creek. IL
has always been fortunate when ap
preparations have been thrown arount
promiscuousI by Congress, Of gettin!
enough to keep The Christiana from
filing up, but what we want is rea
permanent improvement which viii
make it an outlet of the metropolis
which sits so proudly upon her bank
and which is the home Of the Senator
Wilmington has the proud destinctiol
of sending out more, and some Of tn
largest iron built ships, than any cit,
in the Union, and when shipbuildinj
upon the Delawar" il referred to SO Of
ten by the jealous papers of Phi!adel
phia, Wilmington is queen of all tn
ship-building marts OF the nation. tn,
Christiana which rolls at her Feet, need
strengthening, deepening and widening
and when that is done, W Wilmington vii
have an outlet to the Delaware some
what commensurate with her impCT
tance as the leading ship-building cit,
in the Union.
FROM THE W,ulFe Dover correspor
d mt, We Learn that amongst the car