The daily gazette., 1881-01-19

, "u hnpioFeu Navigation aRAlne
preventable causes Of injury and do
terIoration.
The former consideration In state
merely as an ecor omical one. Tn
effect OF prolonging the time 70
completing the work would be a,
increased cost, even supposing tn,
second consideration TO have beel
fully met.
With regard to those causes q
injury. termed "preventable," nov
actively at work to neutralize tb,
public and private efforts to improy,
the navigation, the most obvious
and at present the most serious, art
the defective sewer and drainap,
systems OF Wilmington, which n
effect make the Christiana a cess-
pool for the reception of all the
street washings, ssser deposits
waste and filth OF !. city of over 40
600 Inhabitants and large manufac,
turing industries.
The Importance to the citv Of
Wilmington Of its water communi.
cations cannot we'll be over-estima-
ted. For some Of its most valuable
industries the navigation 10 simply
indispensable. For others the econ.
omical receipt and shipn ent of heavy
frelghts constitute the source of act
ual profits which disappear, were
the navigation seriously impaired.
Available water ways act as balance
wheels, regulating the charges on com
peting lines oftransport, and there Ia pro-
oabie not an industry or property-riOht
10 the city OF Wilmington that does NOT
directly, or indirectly, depend for its
value, In greater or less degree upon the
navigation Of the Cnristiana. Il Ia ma
tural In small though q growing city. 70
neglect sources Of possible future evil in
favor OF the readIest and, Temporarily
the most economical method of disposino
OF waste products, when the amount Of
these is small aud the capacity OF the
stream 10 absorb or scatter them il rela.
lively large.
But the stream remains the same, while
me city and its waste rapidly augment.
wilmington has reached that stage in
It's development when 1t is necessary 10
abandon Its primitive methods, take
advantage OF the accumulated know ladse
OF all civilized countries, and adopt suii-
able precautions to preserve both The
integrity oflts river aud the health Of Tia
people. The means Of doing this are TO
6e found In the elementary principles OF
engineering science.
Inc necessary constructions will. no
doubt, cost considerable sums, and n
would not be judi ious In view Of the az.
perience OF most other cities, TO calculate
upon deriving any revenue from the COL
lection OF waste, although Boston suc-
ceeds in doing so. The Expenditure.
part or THs'.; ha regarded a. neeessarv
its police or streGs ..s.s,- -~s.-
similarly provided for in the city esti-
mates.
Not to unduly enlarge the dimensions
ofthis letter would indicate the follow
points, as those covering the essential
features Of this matter:
l. The procuring of enaetments for
bidding, under penalties, the throwing
or depositing OF any solid m after in the
river.
Nearly all tlde-w ateY States and cities
have such laws. Those Of Pennsylya-
MIA, New Jersey and Baltimore are
good models).
3. The creation OF local authority 10
take cogniEancs Of all matter pertaining
To the navigation, with legal powers 10
enforce the laws and collect penalties.
These bodies In other cities are pilot or
harbor commissions or port wardens
with powers derived from the
State.
3. That the city OF Wilmington be In
cluded within the operation OF these
laws, and required TO construct such
drainage and sewage works as shall pre-
vent solid matter from reaching the river
through its outlets.
4. That manufactures be required to
adopt the same precautions.
8. That lines be adopted, called wharf,
harbor or port-warden lines, for Soth
banks Of tue river, and into the DeIa-
ware, above and below the month, con-
trolling the construction, direction and
limits Of all strucl ures, present or future,
which extend beyond higb-water mark
into the stream, including dykes.
The proper determination Of these
lines 10 dependent upon knowledge OF
river hydraulics. In order to establish
them satisfactorily and avoid influence
from local or individual interests, other
cities have procured the assistance of an
advisory board constituted Of United
States officers OF eminenee In this branch
Of knowledge, and such boards are now
acting for Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Norfolk and other
places.
There 10 no doubt that II such steps be
taken rs shall protect the navigation Of
the Christiana from present and future
injury, It's available depth can be in
creased from II to IL feet at low water,
at reasonable cost, and be thereafter
maintained. The economic value of o
navigation 10 calculated by engineers 10
vary with the cube OF its depth. Its in
crease, therefore, from IL TO Is feet, will
nearly double its value, and the expense
Of doing this according TO the estimate 10
less than per cent. Of the present
annual value Of river ireights, estlmat-
Ing these at SIS, 1000, 900.
The interest and action of the u. 3.
Government In the matter of the Chris
tiana navigation are subordinate 10, and
must, should say, depend upon the in
terest and action Of the city of Whining
ton. 1t would be unreasonable TO ex-
peet the United States in addition to
making the improvement (upon which
they hold, rs 1t were, but second mort
gage while furnishing all the funds)
to combat every element Of destruction
that can be brought against it,or to have
Al Ill M