The Wilmingtonian., 1884-06-14
THE CHRISTIANA JETTY.

In a special article, published in tins Jour-
nal some months since, reference was made
to the rapid shoaling Of the Biandywine
and Chrstiana Creeks, and it was plainly
pointed out that the time had come for the
adoption of energetic measures to preserve
the navigation of both streams. In TINS
article, published in our issue of March 9Th
last, we thus spoke of the state OF the
Brandywine Creek:-
''The present time is peculiarly opportune
| for the consideration Of the best means oil
| improving the navigation OF the Brandywlhe
| Creek, which, after rapid diminution oil
! efficiency for the past ten years, looks very
much like being closed up altogether within
year or two at farthest'
"There was a time when the BrandyWlne
was nayipable for vessels of considerable |
size as far up as Lea aad Sons Mills, and
even forty years ago it was considerable |
stream. Among the farsighted men OF that
generation was Jonas p. Fairlamo, City |
Surveyor, who constructed the basin, sit
mated where the Court House now stands, |
which formerly supplied the city with water
In 1912 Mr.. Fairlamb turned his attention
to the shoaling of the Brandywine and the
necessity of providing a better means oil
access to the Delaware River. MIR. FAIR
lambs plan, as prior in order OF tlme' ana III
our Judgment the more likely to give satls-
factory results, may be thus described IN
detail:-
"On the tongue of land between the Jack
SON & Sharp Co.'S. Frontage on the Brandy
wine and the Mccullough Iron Works on
the Chrstiana an oblong basin is to be eXca-
waited Of sufficient depth to accommodate
any vessel navigating the Delaware. Into
This basin the waters of the Brandywine and
the Christiana are to be conducted at the
angle at which they naturally approach each
other at this point-say 45 degrees. The
u,uted streams are conducted from the basin
to the Delaware River by a canal oO0 feet
wide, crossing the present bed oil the
Braudywine just below the mouth oil the
, Shellpot and thence across Cherry Island
Marsh in direct line to the Delaware River.
The whole of the curve (save the small por-
tion utilized to form part Of the canaD, is
then TO be filled in, and provision made ior
i carving the water of the Shellpot into the
o canal at slight angle, so as to obviate any
9 tendency to the formation of an eddy. Inc
Christana from the mouth Of the Brandy
wine down to its own present outtall at the
n Government ietty, would by this arrange
J. ment he converted into q narrow bay or
g. arm OF the Delaware River, and would pe
| a -, IN pf nlYiun
tion, so far as the city of Wilmington is cen
cerned."
I IIs- 1t has neeome abnntantlY evident that tn
( 7es Oh riatiana Jetty, far from cutting ava.
the bars at the mouths OF the 'BfaiTdywiil
:, and Christiana Greeks has sensibly contri
buted to increase the mischief in both cases
The theory of the jetty was that by con
tractng the mouth of the Christiana i
would lead to an acceleration of the outflow
+. of the stream, and would thus scour on
Il the accumulations of silt and mud which
had formed in the eddes along its course
" So far observation shows mere trflins
81 diminution of the bar in the Delaware, whi
o. the increase in the deposit at the mouth o
the Brandywinc has virtually closed tina
~ stream completely.
10 In conversation with river captain
o' employed by the National Dredging Com
'o pany a representative of TUE WILMINGTON
Nv IAN elected some very significant facts. TIL
u captain gave as his opinion that the remova
'n of the deposits in the Brandywine Creel
e would fully absorb the government grant,
W not more. He added that the work wou
''e that in his opinion the entire plan of til
"o Christana jetty was faulty; that the direc
" tion of the curve should have been in til
'' opposite dlrec. ion to that chosen, and tina
he the remedy suggested by Mr.. Fairamb wa
~ the proper one.
~ There would be one great advantage i
'i- this scheme, that it would not only give
ho broad, open dock, with a channel CONSTANT
ns secured by the waters of the two stream.
'io but it would also give waterway to til
~ river parallel with, and in immediate pro,
unity to, the continuation of the Fourt
nu Street Railroad to the Delaware shore. I'll
'nV amount of money proposed to be expende
by Government in patching up'' IL
III navigation of the Brandywine and Chr
'0' tiana, supplemented by liberal contribute
0os from the City would assuredly do away wit
- the whole difficulty, and give the Shil
A'0 builders and Transportation Companies
"a the city swift, short, easy and CONSTANT
e' available means of reaching the Delawa
V''o River. Let us open our eyes to the fact th
- dredging is n faulty and costly expedel
for opening the navigation of streams with
Dio slow current and winding channel, and th
"O in these days of advanced science mi
~" should become the master and not the Sc
'o'i want of the photographed resources of Il
Po' land he inhabits. What the Suez Canal h
NJ done for Egypt the short cut across Il
NE marshes would do for Wilmington. 1t
io' alike the practical and the economical sol
fe- tion of difficulty which threatens not on
iii' the future prospects but the present trade
''' the city.