Daily Republican., 1882-08-30
FOURTHEDITION
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
A Tour OF Inspection by PhIIadel.
phHa Merch ants and Business

4
A Tour Of Inspection by Phil adeI.
phHa Mereh ants and Business
Men.
A party of merchants and busines-
men from Philadelphia yesterday took
the a. m. train for New Castle where
they boarded the revenue cutter Ham
ilton, visiting the site of proposed i'm.
provements as the BuiKhead Shoal,
Dan Baker Shoal, the site Of the pro-
posed ice harbor below Reedy Island,
Cherry Island fats, Christiana creek,
Schooner Ledge, Mifflin bar and the
Horseshoe. One of the objects of the
Colonel Ludlow, heretofore in charge of
the river and harbOr improvements,
and welcome Gen. Weitzel, his success
sor. Colonel Ludlow goes I'd Washing
ton as Engineer Secretary of the Light
house Board. Gen. Weitzel was dis.
tinguished engineer and Soldier during
the war, having been chief engineer
under General Butler, and the
planner of the attack on New Orleans.
He also served as Chief Engineer of the
Army of the James during Grants
operations against Richmond, and in
command Of various divisions and
corps of that army, ultimately taking
command of all the troops north of the
Appomatox river during the final oper.
ations of the war, and of the troops that
! first entered Richmond.
Amongst the excursionists were
United States Senator Bayard; Con-
gressmen O'Neill, of Philadelphia, AID
Ward, of Chester; and Colonel Henry
| D. Welsh.
| Approaching the mouth of the Chris
tiana creek, the cutter was run close
in shore, at the request of Senator Bay"
ard, that view might be obtained of
the jetty that is being built there for
the purpose of removing the bar at the
mouth of the creek. The jetty is to be
extended several hundred feet into the
river and the bar dredged away, after
which 1t is expected that the NORTH
will be kept clear by the movement Of
the water. All alon4 his part OF the
river there are indications that it will
some day become the Site of great
manufacturing industries, and private
enterprise being united with that of
the Government, the river will be great
ly improved.
The river front is being bought up by
large capitalists and much waste land
reclaimed by the deposit of sand and
mud taken from the river bed in deep.
ening the channel. The next point Cf
interest was Cherry Island flats, where
there is a new channel, greatly i'm
proved recently by Colonel Ludlow,
Schooner Ledge, where rocks are being
blasted to clear the channel, and Fort
Miffin har, where dredges are at work
deepening the channel, we're the last
places where work is going on passed
in review on the voyage up the river.
At O'Clock the party sat down to
dinner rendered by the committee. Mr..
Joel Cook, who presided at the board,
paid high compliment to Colonel
Ludlow Tor the all he had rendered In
making the work of improving the
river and bay a LuCcess, and rendering
him the thanks of those representing
the commercial interests of the port.
Colonel Ludlow replied that he was
pleased to leave P6iladel phia amid such
expl essions of esteem from those with
whom he had been brought in contact
while conducting his work, and glad
that in relinquishinga his duties at the
port they devolved upon 80 competent
q successor as General Weitzel. The
latter said he did not feel as though
coming among strangers in taking his
place at Philadelphia. He would en-
deavor to carry out the work 30 ably |
planned by Colonel Ludlow, taking
counsel with those who could give him
the most valuable light upon the sub.
iect. Senator Bayard said the retire
ment of Colonel Ludlow and the success
sion OF General Weitzel pointed moral
applicable to civil service principles.
The former came to Philadelphia
simply because he was fitted in every
way for the position he occupied, and
left with the esteem or all with whom
he came in contact. What he had been
General Weitzel would be.
The speaker did not vote for the Riv-
er and Harbor bill, and had not voted
for one for ten years. He desired, how
ever, TO express his disgust at the un-
limited abuse heaped upon the bill by
those who knew nothing about it. He
believed many honest men voted for the
bill.
Congressman Ward of Chester, de-
Tended his vote for the bill, which he
characterized as the fairest of any SINH
lar measure which had preceded it. The
Presidents veto message he believed to
have been hastily prepared.
There was not an item Of appropria.
tion for which good reason could not
be given. Speeches were also made by
Congressman O'Neil, Commanders
Rogers and White and President Lex, of
Common Council.