Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-09-03

DrunuyWlne AT some point between the
present Market street bridge and the
northern limits of the city has aroused
the greatest interest in that temporarily
forgotten question.
Suddenly 1t has doomed up again in
all its importance. And as learned
throughout the city last night there ex
tsts the greatest interest in the matter.
The project is very important one
both to the citizens Of Wilmington and
~ the outlying district of Brandywine
hundred The city's progress and gem
eral advance is closely affected by the
question. The bridge being county
one, the expenditure upon it, which
Will necessarily be a very large sum,
will affect the farmers of New Castle
county as well as our citizens.
There are two main points imme-
diately brought in view-thc cost and
the service to be rendered. The latter
must be considered in its prospective
sense as well as its present advantage.
On Monday week, September 18th,
when the Levy Court committee, com.
prising all the commissioners, get out
on their journey Of inspection they will
be prepared to see big citizens corps
OF observation accompanying them. For
from what could be learned last night
pretty nigh every real estate agent and
each property holder who has present
or prospective interests on either bank
OF the Brandywine will be there to see
and probably urge their individual ideas
on the all-powerful county solons.
Meanwhile some incidental talk upon
the merits and dement's of the various
proposed sites for the bridge that is to
be ma, be found opportune.
The Washington street site, the one
referred to and advocated in yesterdays
petition, would be located little south
east of the Delaware Hospital.
There is no bridge across the Brandy
wine from Market street, or more ex-
actly speaking, King street, for in carto-
graphical description the Brandywine
bridge is only direct extension of the
latter street-to the old stone bridge at
Rising Sun, that is Of course excepting
the little suspension bridge below the
b. d o. railroad crossing. This fact
constitutes the actual reason for the de-
mand on the county authorities for ad-
dltional bridge accommodation. 1t Is
obvious that the Rising Sun bridge does
not afford the relief needed by the CEN
trail and western region of Wilmington.
In regard to the Broome street site and
the construction and engineering work
connected with the project, it is plain
on examination of the surveys at the
city engineering office that there is a
very steep approach on either side. The
city engineers datum shows an eleva-
ton of 1876 feet above low-water mark.
This is the grade where Broome street
crosses Lowering avenue and where that
part of the street which would Join the
proposed bridge would begin. Then, in
addition, it must be added, permission
to break through its property has to be
obtained from the Park Commissioners.
That body may constitute themselves "a
lion in the path" or they may not.
Citizens speculate upon that point every
way.
In regard to Washington street the
commission owns nothing south of the
race or any land along the direct APP
proach TO the river. Fifteenth street,
which converges into Washington, is
the point nearest the river in line
where grade is fixed. This gives an
elevation of rs feet above tidal level.
Following down from Rising Sun
bridge, which is one and half or two
miles by different routes from the city,
the first street within the city limits that
crosses the Brandywine, that is carto-
graphically, is du Pont street. This and
the streets following in serial order are
all out of the question, probably for the
next 90 or 80 years, as sites for bridging
the Brandywine. 1t might as well be
suggested to throw a flying high bridge
as big as the Brooklyn or the Harlem
Heights structure as to consider the
building of bridge across the Brandy
wine at any Of these points where
either side is naught else than the walls
of mimic canyon.
The first reasonable depression come
to in travelling down the Brandywine
gorge is at Rattlesnake run, where
Clayton street debouches. 1t would be
possible to get there from the city side,
but, standing at that point and glancing
across the river, ones gaze is broken by
the range of hills, whose difficult and
expensive engineering work Immediately
disposes Of any consideration Of that
me~. In fact, the crest of the hill rises
125 to 1870 feet back to Eighteenth street.
After Clayton, comes Rodney, then
Broome, in regard to all of which sites
the same Typographical criticism applies,
with the additional disqualification that
there is parallel rise of land on the
city side of the river.
A slight decline commences on the
farther side of the river as the line of
Franklin street appears, continuing to
Harrison, when there is break at Van
Buren,. There is similar low depression
on the city side of the creek as well as
on the Brandywine side. Continuing
Ton the north side) the hills appear
again at Jackson street, increasing at
Adams and jefferson until Washington
street is reached when the grade height
+, is as stated 70 feet.
THE POPULATION FEATURE.
In regard to the population feature,
that is to say what aggregat!ons north
of the Brandywine will be served by the
proposed new bridge, and to explain
where the houses are, il may be stated
that the city line runs at Il right angle
Just above du Pont street to Twenty
ninth, This strictly comprises all the
northern built-up portion of Brandy
wine Village and a great deal in that
direction that is entirely vacant and
without street laid out. Outside the
extension of the Van Buren, street line,
across the Brandywine, in other words
Wooddale avenue, there are not half a
dozen houses. Beyond it north there is
nothing but farms. Between Market
street and Wooddale avenue is COM
prised all the inhabited district north of
Market street that would be directly in
nuenced by the new project. This COM
prises some 400 houses at the highest
estimate. What is referred to is of
course north of the Brandywine.