Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-18

iulIeu uePtn' pnucT supplBHcnNF)
contract the bar at the mouth of tht
river was also dredged, having shoalet
considerably during the past four years
The total number of cubic yards Of ma
terial removed under the dredging con
tracts was 72,9sG, and under the contrac
for removal OF rock, 467.
with the exception of a ledge o
rock just below Third street bridge
over which there is 12 feet Of water, ant
for the removal of which to 10 feet, {
contract has been made, the channel il
the rlveris now completed in accordance
with the project from the Delaware
river to Market street bridge"
GENERAL W. +. SMITHS REPORT.
The individual report of Genera
William Il. Smith upon the work of the
Improvement of Wilmington harbor i!
as follows:
-" The river and harbor act OF July
18th, 1899, appropriated $4,000 for con.
tinuing Improvement Proposals fol
dredging between the Third street
bridge and the pulp works, and for the
removal Of two ledges of rock, one
above and one below Third street bridge
were opened November 11th, 1892. The
lowest bidder was the Atlas Dredging
Company of Wilmington, Del, with
whom contract was made November
10th, 1899, at the price of 1877 cents per
cubic yard for dredging, and $l4 per
cubic yard for removing rock, both
measured in place.
The beginning of operations was
delayed by the severe winter and did
not take place until March 23d, 1898,
when the drilling and blasting of tile
rock above Third street bridge was
begun. Subsequently on April 7th,
dredging was commenced. At the close
OF the fiscal year the proposed channel
in the river had been dredgeI for a
length of 2,015 feet, beginning abreast
OF Pusey & Jones shipyard and ending
20 feet east of Market street bridge.
"For distance of 450 feet the
channel approaching the bridge was
gradually widened TO 200 feet; 60,9S6
cubic yards of material were removed in
this section.
early in the season an examination
of the bar at the mouth of the river was
made, the channel dredged there four
years ago having been reported as
rapidly filling UP. Its condition was
/
submitted to the department on March
3Oth, recommending that the bar be
dredged in accordance with the general
project the expense to be paid from the
available appropriation. A supple
mentary contract was made with the
Atlas Dredging Company, dated April
Gath, 1898, under which they agreed to
do the dredging at the mouth of the
river at the same price and under the
same conditions prevailing in the con-
tract covering their work Of dredging in
the upper river. The contractor sus-
pended dredging in the upper river for
the time being, and between June ist
and 18th removed the shoal at the
mouth of the river by dredging a chan
mel as agreed upon, 150 feet wide and Is
feet deep at mean low water The
amount of material removed at the bar
is 10000 cubic yards.
dredging in the upper river was
subsequently, resumed and will be COM
pleted during the coming fall. The
contractor was granted three months
extension of time for completing the
contract At the end of the fiscal year
the rock above Third street bridge was
entirely removed, 467 cubic yards having
been taken out, giving a minimum
depth of 10 feet at mean low water.
Preparations are now in progress for
the removal of the rock below the
bridge. .-...
"The approved project for improve
ment is for 10 feet low water channel
$50 feet wide from the mouth of the
Christlana river to the rolling mill wharf,
which is 4,750 feet above the outer end
of the jetty; 100 feet wide from this
wharf to the Delaware 81 Western rail-
road bridge, and 75 feet wide from this
bridge to the pulp works; also for
channel 12 feet deep and so feet wide
from the pulp works to the Delaware
railroad bridge and for the construction
of a jetty 1,740 feet long on the north
side of the mouth of the river.
The board of engineers recommend
ing these improvements in 1881 estimated
the total cost at S175,551. The construc-
ton of the jetty and dredging operations
were begun the following year. A re-
vised estimate for the completion of the
project was submitted in 1883. This
estimate increased the channel width
from the rolling mill wharf to the pulp
works to 150 feet, and the final cost to
$l91, 1884, exclusive of the expense of
the jetty, which was then nearly COM
pleted, and for the channel above the
pulp works, which was stricken of. A
MODIFICATION of the plan of the jetty
was made and approved in 1884, provid-
ing for an additional height Of A feet
and an extension of 322 feet. The
former work was done the following
year.
"Up to the year 1871 the general
government had at various times ex-
pended S32,356 in the improvement of
the Christiana river, now Wilmington
harbor. Between the years 1871 and
1881 improvements were carried on
under II project for a 12-foot low water
channel from 100 to 200 feet wide. The
project was completed in 1851 at total
expense Of $83,5OO.
under the project adopted in 1881,
$215,S40 has been expended up to the
close of the present fiscal year. The
amount asked for, if appropriated, will
be expended in completing the project"
The report then continues in state
ment OF the detail of expenditures. The
report closes with the following state
ment; Vessels built and repaired in |
Wilmington, Del, during the year end
ing June Both, 1898; built, %, of ton
mage aggregating 18,372; value, $685.
600; vessels repaired, 1856, value, $685. |
900.
SOME BETTER FIGURES.
Through the courtesy of Collector
Townsend of this port, the following
more recent figures on the commerce of
Wilmington, covering the past three
months OF the year just closed, will
afford the citizens of Wilmington a