Evening journal., 1895-05-31

~ Tue DeheHLh@ OF lhe CITY la likely
70 effect its accomplishment.
The city already has a street laid out to
the river. Fourth street is ia good CON
dition and simply lacks connecting with
the street on this sldo Of the Brandywlne.
Front Second, Eleventh and Sixteenth
streets have been surveyed, and have a
place on the city map. while South viii
mington reaches very nearly to the river.
During the past few years much has been
done towards reclaiming Cherry Island
Marsh. and owners OF the land now have
the satisfaction OF having mastered the
waters Of the Delaware and prevented ID
from flooding their possessions.
The Gordon Heights railway has solved
the problem Of how TO connect our city
With the river front. and has begun to pop
ulate the highlands there wiih these as
starters, It need not be very dincuit 10
extend to the river front. and once there
70 make Greater Wilmington a formidable
rival Of Philadelphia as sea port.
Wilmington lies some thuty-aye milea
nearer the head Of Delaware bay than
Philadelphia and this side Of some OF the
most dangerous points in the river to
larger craft
ln winter, especially. the passage Of the
river is fraught with much danger. and It
is due TO this fact that Marcus Hook has
outstripped Point Breeze as a port for the
shipment OF petroleum
The shipping which uses Baltimore as
It's port has 10 travel 195 miles down
Chesapeake bay to reach the ocean, while
Wilmington Is but sixty-fve miles 10 deep
blue water. SO FAR az natural and artificial
advantages are concerned. Greater VIII
mington has a more favorable position than
either Of these two cities. while neither Of
them Is located mere advantags1usly as
regards inland traffic.
BY both rail and water Greater Whining
ton can compete with either OF these met
ropoles, and can afford ample and cheap
transportation.
Greater wiImington's" Facilities.
Within the limits Of Greater wilmington
lie practically inexhaustable beds Of clay
and strata Of granite which cannot be ex-
celed, and which are always in demand
in the markets OF this country. while her
near proximity to the coal and iron beds
Of Pennsylvania would make her an im-
portant port for shipment
AS railroad centre few cities can rival
Greater Wilmington The Pennsylvania,
the Baltimore and Ohio to the Philadelphia
and Reading and Central Of New Jersey,
and the Central Pennsylvania through
the Wilmington and Northern. connect her
with the North and West and East. while
the Delaware railroad opens the South to
her. What more could be desired to make
Greater Wilmington ain important trade
and commercial terminal? And what
should prevent her with her grand river
front perfected from becoming as great.
aye. even greater, than Philadelphia?
1t is conceded that in time the entire
distance from Philadelphia to Wilmington
viii become one continuous city. Already
the line is thlckly dotted with pretty little
settlements, only needing short links TO
bind these into one unbruken chain This
may occur within the next five years. The
electric road now connects Chester with
the large city Of Penn and laps over to
the Delaware line The Gordon Heights
road reaches up towards that terminal and
will in a very brief interval clasp hands
with its neighbor The issue then will be
between aGreater Philadelphia OF a Greater
Wilmington, and who shall say but what
the odds will be with the latter2 Five
years viii show, and II the picture we
have drawn prove correct there will be no
doubt as to the result
Public spirit IS awake % this and local
enterprise and energy is being blended 70
evolve a Greater Wilmington with the
attendant prosperity.