Evening journal., 1893-07-18
MARCUS HOOK VESSELS
They Should Clear From This
Port Instead of Philadelphia.
TOWNSEND DEMANDS A CHANGE.

IL Amounts TO About $4,000. 600 "A
Year for which the Philadelphia
Custom House Gets tho Credit Town
sends Reasons.
Collector Townsend, of the port Of
Wilmington, says the Philadelphia
Ledger of 90 day, called at the Custom
House yesterday in regard TO his claim
that vessels clearing from the oil works
below Marcus Hook should get their
clearance papers from the Wilmington
Custom House instead of the Custom
House in this city He saw Special
Deputy Crilly. who told him that the
officers Of the Philadelphia customs
district were anxious to do what
was right and proper, and If his claim,
chat the oil works were within the Della
ware district, was proven, would be glad
to turn over the business TO the Will
mington Custom House Mr.. Crilly sug-
gested TO Mr.. Townsend that he write
letter TO Collector Cooper, bringing the
matter before him I'm an official manner,
upon which IL would be investigated
The limit Of the Philadelphia customs
district is said to be the boundary line
between pennsy lvania and Delaware.
Practically, Special Deputy Crilly said
Yesterday. "Naaman's creek Is the limit
and has long been recognized as such.
Naaman 8 creek flows into the Della
ware about three quarters of mile
below the oil works committee Of
the Maritime Exchange was recently
given the information at the Custom
House that Naamans creek was the
practical boundary of the Philadel
phia district, which includes Camden,
rs we'll as Chester and Marcus Hook
The oil companies Interested are the
Bear Creek Rofning Company and the
Crescent Pipe Line Company, corpora
lions of allied interests About two
YEARS ago these companies began the
construction of their plant, which is
located just below Marcus Hook, near
Linwood Station, ON the Philadelphia,
Wilmington ana Baltimore Railroad,
and have been exporting oil for about
u year The pipe line company owns
a pipe line running across Pennsylvania
from Pittsburg through which petro-
ieum is brought TO the rehneries at
Linwood.
It was the desire Of the companies to
have the oil vessels clear from Philadel
phia, where their offices are located, and,
upon making inquiry, they understood
that their works were located within the
Philadelphia customs district The
state line runs through the property
Upon the Pennsylvania side are all the
refining works over ia Delaware there
are several storage tanks, two or three
store houses and the shipping wharf
Last fall the Inter State Boundry
Commission appointed to verify and
mark the boundry line set no the East
"A Of
Mile Circle" which forms the boun
dry between Pennsylvania and Della
ware, on the property Of the oil com
panies. close TO the shore of the Della
ware, about 300 feet, more or less, north
Of the wharf
The Wilmington collector evidently
has quite recently discovered that the
wharf from which the oil vessels are
loaded was within the Diamond state.
The collector of Wilmington does not
receive a salary, but is paid by fees
About 100 vessels a year clear from the
OH works. with cargoes valued at about
81 0O0 COO, just how much this would
add to the value of the Wilmington col.
lectorship could not be ascertained The
patronage would be something, for he
would have the appointment of two or
three deputy collectors and surveyors
10 Is said that the Secretary of the
Treasury can arbitrarily fix the limits of
the customs districts and the claims of
the Wilmington Custom House may
eventually be referred to him. A de
eislon ia favor Of the Wilmington
Custom House would cause Philadelphia
90 loose the credit Of about 100 clear
ances of large vessels annually with
cargoes Of refined oil, aggr sgating prob
ably 500 coo or more barrels, valued at
over So OOO. COO