Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-19

A Proposition from Responsible Par
ties to Construct n Wharf and
Begin the Building OF the Road.

Begin the Building Of the Road.
From the Wilmington Sunday Star.
For 80 years or more, mid all the in
terest occasioned by the opening Of new
streets, extension of water pipes, new
reservoir, increase of the police force,
| Court House removal, fire alarm tele-
graph, new Board of Health, and other
stirring events connected with municipal
government, the subject OF ''road to the
river" has constantly kept itself in public
view, occasionally sinking almost out of
sight, but ever and anon assuming pro-
positions that fairly compelled the
people to seriously consider its manifold
merits. In this latter condition the sub
ject now is:
Before the war, Wilmington people
talked about road to the river, for the
purpose of securing for this city large
portion of the trade that passed by boat be-
tween lower Delaware and our big neigh
Dor up the river, Philadelphia. 1t was
not, however, until some years after the
''late unpleasantness" that the municipal
authorities considered the matter in serious
earnest, and began to propose plans for
making the project practical, convincing
fact. And when the city fathers did take
hold of the subject they were faced 10y
the same difficulty, the same clashing of
private interests; that the Councilmen of
to-day find themselves compelled to
wrestle with. Vandever avenue then
had its adherents, Eighth street possessed
its friends, while South Wilmington,
with its Christiana avenue, became so
strongly intrenohed in municipal favor,
that, in the course of a few years, it OBJ
tanned the fairly constructed but practi-
cally useless river road that exists within
its borders to-day.
The South Wilmington river road, con-
structed to within few hundred yards of
the river bank when times were flush"
but allowed to lapse into neglect since the
recent panic, has not, of late, been deemed
OF sufficient Importance to warrant its COM
pletion in first class, efficient manner.
Public opinion, which once pointed to the
South Side as the side of the citys future
greatness, has experienced change, and
there is we'll grounded conviction in the
minds of most thinking citizens that di-
rect route, by way of Seventh or Eighth
streets, is the plan that will be attended
with the most valuable and practical re-
suits. This at least is the opinion of
City Councils special committee on the
road to the river, as of the five members
composing this committee only one-Mr.
Paynter-is favorable to the South Will
mington route.
Much has been said in the daily papers
as to the deliberations, intents and pur-
poses of this committee, but The STAR is
in position to announce that the COM
mittee has had but two meetings since its
appointment last fall, and has not yet
agreed upon any feasible plan, much less
formulated a report to be presented to the
Council. But though the members of the
committee have been physically idle they
have been doing powerful amount of
thinking, and the chairman, Mr.. Rodney,
has been in consultation with the Dredg-
ing Company in regard to the construction
of wharf and the building of a road
about 100 feet wide from the river bank
across the marshes to the Brandywine, on
the line of Seventh street extended. The
practical results of his efforts in this
direction has been an offer on the part of
the Dredging. Company to do this work
for the reasonable sum of $4,000.
To bridge the Brandywine and bring
the road across the intervening marsh,
and through the Jackson & Sharp Com
pany's works to Seventh and Railroad
avenue, would, in the opinion of the
Committee cost from $40, 900 to $45 900
more, making the entire cost of the con-
templated improvement reach the rather
startling sum of $4,000 a sum, however,
that no one will say is too great to be
repaid by the advantages that would
accrue to the city by this long talked -oi
road to the river. 1t is more than proba-
Bile that the majority of the Committee
will present report to the City Council
next Thursday night, favoring the Seventh
street route, and giving detailed esti-
mate of the cost of the construction.
1t seems hardly the right thing to
abandon the South Wilmington route
after the large sums of money that have |
been expended in its construction; but,
it has so far failed to fulfill the promises
of its projectors, and been of no benefit |
whatever in opening communication be- |
tween Wilmington and the river front. |
Skilled watermen say that wharf in the |
Delaware opposite Christiana avenue |
would prove an obstruction to navigation, |
while, on the contrary, deeper water |
nearer the shore, and all other natural |
facilities are to be found on the north |
side.
AT any rate, City Council has evidently |
determined upon road to the river, and |
without trittering away any more years |
in deciding between the respective ad- |
vantages of north and south side routes,
will make a positive selection and start at |
once upon this important but long-delayed |
work. The STAR feels safe in predicting |
that direct and practical road to the |
river, combined with convenient wharf, |
will be an accomplished fact by the open
ing OF the summer season of 1882.