The daily gazette., 1882-08-07
FOR LOCAL STREAMS
THE RIVER AND HARBoR Bill
As PASSED.
$4,000 FOR THE oHR1sTIANA.
Some Account of the Items Appropriated
for the Rivers OF Delaware and for Ice
AarbOrs etc., in the Delaware Bay.

The River and Harbor bill has become
law. II has undergone good many change
since passing the House, at which time ,
carefully prepared estimate of the allow
ances for Delaware streams as they ther
stood was given In the GAZETTE. Ths
entire appropriation for the whole district o
Delaware river aud bay and tributaries Il
90oO,OOO. Nearly $l 200 900 was asked for
and as 1t first passed the House something
over $70O,0O0 was appropriated, INC
pruning knives of various Congressional
committees have since cut it down To
$3.50 600.
The appropriation will be spent under the
| direction of General Godfrey Weitzcl. who
Will shortly succeed Colonel William Ind
| low, now in charge Of the United States En-
gineer's Office Of this city. 1t is presumed
That the proposed improvements will not be
begun Tor two months least as the appro-
priation will not be available before then.
The item which VIII he looked for most
eagerly is that for our harbor.
The l1-foot channel recently constructed
IN the Christiana River, at a cost of $S3, 500,
Is TO be further deepened three feet, at a
cost of S125,55l, of which S50,O0O has
already been appropriated. A ietty is being
built on the Delaware outside the mouth of
the Christiana for the purpose of protecting
Lhe river from the deposits of sewage from
the city.
The cut across Milfiin Bar is to be deepenfd
~ feet, and the Bufkhead Shoal is 20 have
channel through 1t of a depth of "A feet
which is to be widened as much as possible,
me Dan Baker Shoals, between Reedy
island and l-iston's Point, are to be dredged
NJ orttef TO construct channel 800 Yards
long, 300 yards wide and 2S feet deep.
10 remove the reef at Schooner Lodge
a' 3f1'OOO' mas been appropriated, which is $57,-
OOO less than the amount asked for the com
pletion of this work. Originally the width
ol The channel at this point was "a feet.
This has been increased TO 1856 feet, and IT Is
thought by the end of the present fiscal
year 1t will be widened 22O feet. This work
has been prosecuted at a cost of S25 Der
cubic yard, which required an outlay of over
$l7 900
For two years past the Government has
Deen at work constructing a channel, "a feet
deep at low water and 900 feet IN width,
through the Cherry Island flats SO far the
engineers have only attained width of 400
feet; Last year $9S, ,24l. % was used on this
work.
For the protection of the commerce of the
Delaware, ice harbors have been constructed
at suitable points tor the shelter of vessels,
When the ice breaks up and moves along
with the stream II is at times, from repeated |
packing, heavy enough to crush in the bows /
OF large iron steamers. There are four ice /
harbors IN the Delaware Bay. The princi- |
pal ones are at New Castle and Marcus |
Hook, which inclose six and eight acres
respectively. The Chester harbor is small, |
ana the lteedy island harbor has gone to |
decay, The sum of $25, 900 has been appro-
priated for the Improvement of the one at |
Marcus Hook, and like sum has been
given for building new one at the head of |
Delaware Bay.
Since 1879 the construction of an iron pier
near Lewes, has been in progress, but owing
TO insufficient annua, appropriations its
completion has been delayed, and the decay
)f the exposed timber has yearly entailed a |
big expense. 1t can be completed by the
outlay of 81, 900 whiehsum Is included in
he recently approved appropriation.
The shoals at the entrance to the Broad
Kiln River,a ARE to be dredged until the S. 900
is used up, though it was
tated before the appropriation was made
hat anything less than SIG, 900 would effect
10 useful result toward improving the en-
race OF this river.
The existing channel in Duck creek is to
Ne deepened from four to eight feet at low
water, with least width of 100 feet, for |
which the sum of 81, 700 has been appro-
'riated for carrying on the work this
ear.
The improvement of the Mispillion creek
las been under way since 1879, with the
esign of dredging a six foot low water
hannel, 40 feet in width, from the head of
ayigation to the entrance. 1t will take
q 900 TO complete the work of which 81, 900 .
lill be expended during the ensuing year.
An appropriation f$l0, 900 has been made
or the improvement of the Indian River |
nd an appropriation of Sc, 900 for the deep.
ming of the channel in Broad Creek