The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-11-07
a ROAD TO THE RIVER.
Big Mass Meeting Held at the Board Of
Trade Rooms.


prominent citizens were present. It was
really an old-time town meeting, where
everybody was at liberty to speak and
suggestions from anybody were solicited
William Lawton called the meeting to
order and Washington Hastings was
chosen chairman and John c. FaTra Sec
retary.
The hrst speaker was General James H.
Wilson. He said that he approached the
subject with some difidence He was not
certain that he knew exactly the object OF
the meeting. He did know however. why
he was at the meeting. He was never in
different to the interests OF the town in
which he lived or the country which gave
him birth. When he was asked there
fore. to speak upon a matter which was
for the public good he could not decline to
be present.
What was needed in this case. he said,
was cooperative effort. This was needed
In great city or state and II was needed
In small city or state. Individual effort
could do little; united effort could do
much.
What was needed was that ell citizens
would work together without friction and
without faction. II the citizens of will
minEton had the proper energy and push
they could do what they wanted to do. He
understood that the object of the meeting
was to extend the city towards the Della
ware river. He did not know In what di-
rectioa 1t was proposed to extend 1t, but
for one he wanted to see 1t extended and
he wanted to see II grow.
prominent citizen had told him that
the proposition to make q road to the river
was all rot. This man bad spoken about
the difficulties of building on the marshes,
where piling would have to be driven thirty
feet to ind a foundation.
He General Wilson, had told this man
that much of the city of Chicago was built
on ground where piling had to be driven
ninety feet to fnd q foundation. This
same man had said that Wilmington was
only suburb Of Philadelphia anyhow, but
he had reminded him that Brooklyn and
Jersey City were suburbs OF New York
blsckwan was a suburb Of London and
Birkenhead of Liverpool.
He was In favor Of having a harbor.
HE thought II the people Of WILMINGTON
had been more careful about the selection
OF their representatives and had sent men
to Congress who would have insisted upon
getting money for the Christiana there
would now be q depth Of twenty-five or
thirty feet from the mouth up.
1t had been stated. he said, that there
was already q road and no other was
needed.
He believed In laying out streets a.
they were needed. The low-lying land in
the vicinity Of Wilmington, he said, was
well adapted for cotton mills Any of this
land would be worth from $4,000 to $4,000
an acre IL 1t was located at Fall River.
Massachusetts,. The oity Of Boston had
reclaimed land from beneath the tide
Whinh
The streets, he said, should be run over
the marshes and filled up. He had never
seen a city that was so we'll located as
Wilmington.
II he had his way he would build a beau-
tiful boulevard all around 1t. He believed
that the Third street route should be made.
and then IL more were necessary another
should be built along side Of it. Later In
the meeting General Wilson spoke about
the Chrfstiana. He had been In consulta-
tfon with the government engineers, who
had surveyed the Christiana, and he was
betraylng no confidence when he said that
the idea Of making tida1 gates had been
abandoned.
The cost of the gates, he said, would be
at least $500. 900. and tho interest on this
money would keep the stream dredged to
any depth needed.
L. G. VandeErlft was the next speaker.
He, too. was In favor of anything which
would advance the material interests of
the city. 1t was said that there were al
ready roads and ferries, but If those already
IN use had done good, Others would do more
good. He spoke about the good effect of
the agitation for improved streets and the
good result that had come from It.
He would hesitate before he would re-
command In
mon people should be made interested in
the natter He ethought that II a road were
built 1t would do little good unless the
marshes were Allied up BY the mud outside
the river banks. II something Of this kind
was not done II was his opinion that the
city would go to the river by the line Of
least resistance, and this would be by way
OF the fast land. AZ the conclusion of Mr..
Vandegrifts speech the meeting was
thrown open and everybody given permis-
sion to speak.
Among those who took part in the discuss
sion were: T. Chalkley Hatton, N. r, Ber-
toilette. A. G. McCausland, David Lemon,
John D. Kelley, Samuel A. Macallister,
Charles William Edwards, Pbilemma
Chandler, Daniel Ross and exLCouneilman
Wainwright. d. W. Taylor read a letter
from John L. Hadden Of Philadelphia.
"nlch Stateu Inat the writer had been in
terested in a movement to get a road to the
river in Wilmington atty years ago. Asso-
ciated with Mr.. Hadden were Logan Mark |
and A. Barrett. a charter was secured
and 1t was the intention Of the company to
cut canal from the Brandywine to the
Christiana near the point of rocks. Mr..
Taylor also made "a few remarks
The resolution recently passed by the |
Board Of Trade was read ait the opening Of |
the meeting and when the speaking was |
done Thomas ]. Talley moved Its adopdon, |
which was agreed to unanimously. The |
resolution was as followsi
Where's. In the opinion of this meeting /
the future progress of Wilmington would be |
advanced by the opening up Of that part Of |
its territory known as the Delaware river |
front; and
Whereas, The city In It's municipal gov
ernment has 1t in its power to bring the |
Delaware river front within easy access to L
Market street; therefore be 1t
Resolved. By the citizens Of Wilmington
In mass meeting assembled, that we do
hereby recommend and urge the construc-
tion Of a roadway to the Delaware river at
any point which will offer the greatest ad-
vantage"