Evening journal., 1895-04-18
A PUBLIC CALAMITY.
Ford Morocco Co. Threatens
to Leave Wilmington.
A GREAT LOSS TO THIS CITY

the Largest ManufAotorles-It All
Arises From the Alleged Pollution OF
slverbrook -EiEhty-sieh ht Squares with
out sewers-President Ford Inter
viewed.
On next Monday Chancellor Wolcott
will sit aud at that time the Ford
Morocco Company will appear, through It's
officers, to answer to an alleged violation
Of an Injunction, secured by the JeHsup
and Moore Paper Company, which pro
hibited the draining OF the refuse from
the Ford Company's factory into Silver
brook.
The Jessup and Moore people claim
that the Ford Morocco Company runs
the oifal from their works into Silver
brook, which, In turn, emptiss into Mill
creek. from which the Delaware Pulp
Works located on the ChrisiAna, partly
takes its water, aud that the use Of
Silvsrtrook by the Ford Morocco Company
causes he water not only OF that stream
but Of Mil creek to become polluted and
renders 1t unfit for use In the manu-.
fsctufs Of paper
With = view Of Racertaining the situa-
ton a reporter Of the EVENING JOURNAL
paid a visit to the Ford Morocco Com
pany's works yesterday afternoon. This
immense industry, which is one of The
three largest Of Its kind in the country.
Z lies between Second and Third streets.
and Webb street and Greenhill avenna,
occupying the entire square. About 400
hands are employed the year round, aud
quarter OF million OF dollars are
yearly circulated by the company through
its payroll and expenditures In this city
alone.
The business done yearly amounts to
over a million and bali.
AS any clear headed man can see, this
places In circulation In Wilmington
thousands OF dollars every week. which
money is brought here from abroad.
The skins used come from frms all over
the world. Italy, Germany, Australia
South America aud China contribute raw
material TO this factory, and immense
storehouses we're shown the reporter,
packed with the dried aud baled hides
Ten carloads had Just been unloadsd,
while nine more cars, filled to the
roof, stood on the track, waiting 10 be
emptied.
Peter ]. Ford. the president Of the
company, was asked BY the reporter as TO
the alleged pollution OF Silverbrook and
the pending litigation He said;
In the first place, We do not run any
refuse or any deleterious matter into
Silverbrook and consequently do not
polluts It's waters Nor do we empty OF
drain any water or other material into
that stream that would injurs anyone.
the Jessup and Moore people least Of all
AS you have seen, we have a mammoth
1 Nr1m M nd I Aat
had better sewage facilities we could AM
would double our capacity. As It is We
have increased our business during th,
past nine years from 25 dozen to 60l
dozsn skins q day, and have begun the
. building Of new tanks and the erection
} OF nsw machinery which would practi
oally double our facilities for work
can this, however, we have stoppet
since this trouble came up, for II we Rrl
: TO be subjected to this continued annoy
} ancs we will b. forced to remove our
J entire plant to sons other city, where 4
will be better appreciated.
I'VE will have no difficulty In provinl
} to the satisfaction Of any unbiased persoI
that the water we run into Silvsrbrook Il
not Injurious. Here are three samples O
water taken from the stream"
The samples In question were taken
one from the stream Just as II passed thu
works and WAS clear but Of q deep green
ish hue; the second was taken a quarte
of mile down stream and was a yer,
pale green, while the third, hall mil
from the factory was clear and showed
{ no color. II was much clearer than th
water OF either the Christians or th
Brandywine rivers Continuing Mi
) | Ford said:
a 1--WE have no fear that after the matte
has been sifted by the chancellor that h
will decide against us bat should be d
, 20 and ne are prevented from dirposin
0 Of our dirty water one OF tw
n things must follow. Either th
y Street and Sewer Department q
6 rsctors will have to give us relief
d building a sewer, the plans for whic
are in their ofics and by the wa
Silverbrook has been condemned Rs
9 part Of that sewer, and culvsrts built /
's several places along its course or els
la we shall tear down our works aud tah
them away from Wilmington"
y The reporter asked II the oompan
would not locate in some other section
the city. to which Mr. Ford replied "W
certainly should not Ons of th
= great esst ntials for oparatin
y such plant is that We bRv
i coed railroad facilities. This we hsv
Il There are other advantages which IL
n not necessary TO name here Suffice It
say that II We are disturbed from whe
we are or are not relieved from th
trouble, we shall certainly pull up Al
j gst out. This is our ultimstum.
Id Take a look from these window
SO There are sighty-eight squares. thick
90 populated, and there ls not a sewer In 81
ct territory. There are two $50 600 scho,
ly houses, undrained. Now = word as
lg the nature of the drainage into Silve
to brook. The entire surface drainage
= this section goes into the stream abo
n and bslow us. Clear to Eighth and Sec
aa streets acts as q water shed to Silye
at brook. To the west there
Id another stream which drains I
IN barn yards and fields OF big stretch
country. All this goes into Mill Cree
be Bat we are three miles from the Jess
J, and Moore Works. silverbrook, as
cd have shown you by the samples. h
clear water two and half miles this 81
As Of Mill Creek. Then it mingles with I
nd waters Of the latter and runs mile o.
q half before it gets to the pulp worl
Shipley run sewer and the other I