The daily gazette., 1881-10-05
"WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 8. 1851.
THR DELAWARE RIVER AND It's
LMPRovEMRHTs.-It was stated in tho

IMPRovKMRNrs.-I was stated in tho
GAZETTE yesterday that party. in
Guiding Senator Bayard and Con.
gressmen Z. l.. Marin and 8. ]. RAN
dali, and . number Of prominent gem
tlemsn Of Philadelphia, were on a
cruise along the Delaware from the
Breakwater UP, with view Of ascer-
tanning tho improvements most
needed that demands may be made
for. appropriations to make such
changes as the growing commerce on
the Delaware il demanding OF Con-
grsss.
The Delaware is soon to become one
Of the great commercial rivers of tue
world, and it ought to be rendered as
safe to navigators as the highway is
for lard carriage. In fact there is no
reason why its channel should not iu
. very short time be lighted from
Philadelphia 10 the Breakwatcr so
brightly that = pilots presence could be
dispensed with. Light can now be
swung on buoys that will throw a
light several miles and afford great
confidence to navigators.
The improvements of the Delaware
have only commenced. They will re-
quire annual appropriations for twenty
years before the river can be put in a
proper condition. In fact its improve
ment can never be discontinued.
Dredging will have to be kept up and
lights and piers built and repaired
and bars removed each year. Enough
Of mud and dirt will have to be re-
moved from the channel of the river
to build up all the marsh banks and
reclaim hundreds of acres of land,
ard turn it into good meadow.
All Congress has to do is to forbid
contractors putting the mud back into
the river. They will then have to
utilize it by building up banks or fill
ing up low marsh and changing it into
arabic land. Enough debris will be
required to be removed from the river
channel between Marcus Hook and
Fort Delaware in the next live years
to raise every acre of Brandywiue
marsh above the level OF the river
banks, and enough will have to be re-
moved from the channel of the Chris
tiana 10 make the banks OF all the
maish along the river below Della ware
junction secure from future breaks or
overflow, if properly utilized by ar
rangsments between the owners and
dredging contractors; and it is hoped
this will be done.
The Brandywine marsh will be sub
ject to overflow by high tides in con>
junction with fIeshets for years to
come. But these overhows may be
very seldom. II the waters Of the
Shellpot creek were led out to the
Delaware by means of a canal, the
marsh land about Twelfth and Thir.
teenth streets extended would be easil,
dried and made productive. 1t would
cost so little to do this that it is sur
prising that it has not been done b,
the owners by gradually ditching.-
Our marsh land has m ost eaten ITSELF
mp with taxes. Hereafter improve
ments erected upon it will be exempt
from taxation. Hence it may becom,
valuable. 1t is taxed as farm land
Five or ten acres of it may be bough
at lew rate, say $1,000 or $1,000; anc
should improvements be put on it t,
tho amount of $780, 900 no more ia,
can be added for ten years thereafter
Thus it will be seen it becomes a
once desirable. The same amount O
uplaBd would cost perhaps ave time,
as much and the improvements b,
taxed As soon as made. Il is Impor-
tant that This matter should be fully
understood abroad as well az al
home.
As the troops in and around New
York l0rhOr haya M ehan,a 60 t.L,