Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-12-26
uAnnANs & no11rNaswoRrH PLANT
Together with the tTndevelOped
Capabilities or tine wilmington


with the tndeveiOped
Capnb nbaiisies OF the Wilmington
clyde.
Edit0r Gazette: Every one who has
the interests of the city of Whining
ton at heart and who read Of the rnmored
removal Of one of its chief industries,
the Harlan " HollinSsworth Company,
must have been gratihed at the prompt
denial Of that corporation. All instinct
lively felt that the loss Of such q concern
would be calamity to Wilmington.
These works employ about 800 hands
and annually disburse about one million
dollars in wages, not to speak OF the
thousands additional which merchants
and other manufacturers here realize
from the sale of their merchandise. II
is safe to say that from 5000 to 1900
people in this city are absolutely depend
ent on this company for living. A
little ref ,ction and Thought would show
that it is hardly probable that the Har-
Ian & Hollingsworth Company would
move its plaut at least not without some
very tempting Inducements. In the first
place The company is constantly adding
to its plant and equipment here as though
no thought o. removal we're ever oontem.
pinted. New buildings 20 mp at very
short intervals and about iS35, ,00D worth
Of new and improved machinery wan re-
Gently added to the machine shop.
Then, contemplate the cost OF such
change, il one were made. Including
the land on both banks OF the Christiana.
the company owns d3 acres, of which
about seven acres are under roof. They
have over 50 haildings which could
hardly be replaced under half million
dollars. Then there is the big Simpson
dry dock which would cost a pretty sum
to movs and rebuild; the railway ssystetn
among the shops, which comprises -
miles of railway; the roadwsys, three
miles in length exclusive OF the street
ways; the new masting shears, believed
to be the only ones in the United States
capable of lifting $50 tons dead weight
without exceeding their elastic limit, the
extreme capacity of the shears being ths
enormous figure of 356 tons dead weight;
the numerous derrieks scattered through
out tho yard; the building, ways
and other improvements which would
cost much time and labor to remove to
Baltimore. Then, again, the company
has a water frontage OF 3, 1876 feet and a
building frontage of 5000 feet on the
south side, thus giving ample room FOR
| expansion. ThFee trunk Iine Eystems are
OF their very ooara and even enter the
works while their faciIitiaa for fscsiyiug
materials aud shipping gooda are unsur-
| passed in thia o. any ether city. Wages
are certainly as ia@ here SO in BaltimeTa
and Wiluiington has mover been seriously
hRmpersd WiGh labor troubldg, 80 that
this city IL as desirable piacs for q
manufacturing concern to locate as can
be foand on the Atlantic seaboard.
The only Fertous objection thst hes
been urged which would tend TO inter
fere with the oompany's prosperity, is
the doubt often expressed that they could
not build much larger steamships here il
required, because OF the narrownegs Of
this ChristiRna. pAis argument is rsiuted
by the Harlan n itollingsworth Company
itself ia the semi centennial memoir oil
tho company, published in 1886, which
is certainty authoritative and should be
conclusive. In speaking of the Chris
tiara, this book says: "The Gversge rise
and fall of the tide is but six feet, and
the average depth of water along the
whsFves of the company 10 from IL to IL
feet, with considerably more during {
larger part Of the year. ,lhe Christiana
river closely resembles the River Clyde
in many Of its features, asid;
from its great importance as COZ
nected with the industry CT irof
ship-building. tn width end flow
as well as the character Of its gsogrsphi
Gal lay and its current and tides, all beai
remarkable similarity 20 the famou
Scotch stream. The chief difference be
tween the two consists in tue fGct shR
the Clyde has had expended upon it vas
sums of money in dredging its channe
and in wslling up great stretches Of il
where the current operated against i'll
depth, thus rendering it most ayailabl
for the purposes OF shipping and ship
building, while the GLtistiena, with equa
natural advantages, has up to the presen
time been to greater or less degEe
abandoned to tho chances of time ant
the processes Of natare for itsproper deap
ening and widening. 1t may be added
! however, in justice TO the future of th
! stream, that should the necessity eve
arise for deepening and widening IT,
n reasonable expenditure of money wi
I serve to prepare it for all clasaes OF nav
cation, oven to such leviRthans as tb
!. Se,yia aud the City "a Rome. N
a Que woald hardly have the effrGnter
a to deny such statement made by th
corporation wlose ohief interest osptE1
(. on said stream. Il is q Rmentabla neg
/ lect that allows this stream to remain i
4 its present coalition without even syi
I temat.c t.Togt to widen, straighten an
y deepen Ii. AS for the Harlan u Holiiag
worth Company, it has been stated tint
the reaaon that the company does nj
build larger vessels is because i. fnd
X the smaller ones, such as yacht
/, ferry boats, river steamboats, and h
o like, much easier 90 build as we'll {
!. much more profitable. 1t is q noticesb
% fact chat they do not bid on big govern
d ment contracts because sad experient
d has proved that there is no money
II them. This Cramps arc sgia to be hearth
4 BiclI OF government contracts. They al
il rigidiy m4ie and all readers OF the dNi
70 newspapers know the cost, risk III
is trGubls involved before the governmei
Will aoaept Its yesssls Every body vi
70 be heartily glad to know that this b
1t cgrceEn viii rcm4iu ss one Of Wilmin
.e toms chief inlnassiss aud continue
Il carry hes name wdcrevar hrst'elass 81
fast bogts are appreciated. ARTlsAN.
WILMISGToN, December 18th, 1889.
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