The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-09-06
FIRST EDITION.
A Pier ON the River.

ADVANTAGES, IF THE PIER WAS
BUILT.
The presence of several New York
capitalists In this city, uncommnnicative
as to the object Of their errand, yet evil
dently upon an important mission, set
going c0nsid rable talk a week or two
ago in certain circles. The cause of
their visit and the result Of their stay
were alike unknown, but H. was broadly
hinted on one occasion that the matter
which led them here was likely to be Of
considerable Importance to Or city If
the arrangements were consummated.
Determined inquiry failed to secure any
information in the subject for season,
but at last the writer was talked with
upon the su, ject In way which gave
connection with the mission Of the
mysterious capitalists. The connection
was aflerw ards confirmed, in manner
Lat left but little room for doubt.
1t may be well for little depression
here in order that the M tier may be
fairly understood. 1t is well known
that the DE aware Western Railroad,
whose easterly terminus is in tlis city,
has direct connection with the great
Pennsylvania coal fields, although lis
ownlline extends no further than Lam
denburg, Chester county, Pa. At this
point it connects with the Pennsy yivania
and Delaware Ralr ad, which links II
to the Pennsylvania Railroad, at POM
eroy. This line, ii on look at it on the
map, will he seen extending away to the
w,sl and joining the Tyrone and Clear
field Railroad at Huntington, running a
line up into an great coal reg on known
as "IIrOad Top" in Clea,tield aud Hum
tinet"n couties. This is the route over
which comes the coal transp0 ted by the
| ID. w. Railroad. Now turn your atten-
tion to tie eastern emf Of the line aga II
aud you will notice that the Delaware
Western Railroad has a braLch line,
which STRIKING oil In tangent near tie
cmy, runs down beyond South Nilm n.y.
ton and do not 81 p till within mile
Of The Delawsr' River. 1t was built
years ag when the u ain track was la d
and WIS intended as the terminus of the
line, for he Company could not run
their road dOan Water street which was
then narrow. When the pr sent dept
was built the branch track became al
most use!ess. Now II seems, however,
that It will be Of use after all and will
| lHttJ all Gnu JOhb " ~ UOL ltiu III VlcW
when tn the road was opened.
1t has often been said that ifthe much
talked of stone pier was built on the
Delaware, just down from this city, the
Delaware Western Railroad, having the
branch running over In Sou,h Wilmir g
ton, only about mile ON the river,
ouli with very little expense aud trou
BILE continue its track right down to the
pier and thus bring the great coal fields
within easy reach by continuous,
through, all rail line. This idea was
what attracted the attention of the gem
tlemen, already mentioned, and their
visi here was to look into the project
and find how practicable was the build
ilg of the pier. 1t Is said that they had
conference, with different influential
business men OF the town, without fairly
approaching those merely and directly
interested in the load, and rave had I'M
der serious contemplation the leasing or
purchasing of the road in case the sub
ct of erecting the pier is so agitated and
taken hold of as to insure Its speedy con-
slruction. 1t has even been hlnted that
they have expressed their willingness to
aid in the enterprise of bulldog the
wharf. The identity OF the men is un-
known outside of few in this city.
Some say they are the agents Of Jay
Gould, who is thinking of changing his
base of operations on The Delaware from
Bombay Hook and around there further
up the State. There is another specula-
tion that they are parties desirOns Of In
turing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
monopoly and hope by the plan proposed
| N do, rival WhQfhav
either Of these lines of speculation are
correct does not amount to serious
question at pr. sent. 1t may be thai
neither are right, and that the party il
an individual enterprise, which seeing
the vast benefits to be derived from the
course proposed, Is determined to see \
put into execution if possible. To this
movement is attributed the recent rist
in Delaware Western stock.
Many unthinking people may be in
r clined to ask of what good ben, fit the
pier would be at all, and particularly
what benefit in connection with the Goa
trade. To a fair-minded and intelligent
5 man the question answers itself as sooI
, as suggested: To give Wilmington pie
on the Delaware would make her one O
the most prosperous of eastern cities; Il
e d rectly connect that pier with the coal re
t gion would make her the great coal depo
and shipping point In the country. Their,
are two great rival reutes over which
! coal Is transported and shipped To- for
: eign poris One of these Is the Penn
syivania Railroad to Philadelphia; th'
other, the B tlumOre and Ohio Railroa'
= to Baltimore. There Is another route
down from the ShamOkin, Shenandoah
and Lykins Vall-y region BY the Read
n ing Railroad to Philadelphia; this Route
q though, Ia connected with The Delawar
& Western Railroad, and In any case
8 Necessity Is accessible for the tr8nspol
@ tation of coal from that section. AT pre-
sent the much nearer route to the sea
of the two routes first mentioned IS tina
" over the Pennsylvania and De!awar
Western Railroads. Let the GOAL tina
now goes over the PennsylvaDia II I'll
e road TO Philadelphia be hipped dow
p down the Delaware Western ~ Tue
Delaware and you have shorter 1m
IS nv rail than the BALTIC. Il Ohio Railroad
are nearer the sea than by IT anu tort
miles closer to the sea than BY the Penr
,r sylvania Railroad, itself. But leavin
q the advantage that would be had owe
u the b B o. Railroad and speaking o
n the merits of the project as compare
with the existing method OF shipn,G
he over the Pennsylvania Railroad, wi
re- mington is forty miles down the rive
49, below Philadelphia, and hence lori
ey miles nearer to sea. Were the immenS
- amount of freight that comes down th
-, Philadelphia over the p. X. II. ana
w shipped to Europe and elsewhere