Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-08
IMPORTANCE OF WILMINGTON
VIII be One of tina ostImport-
ant Eastern Ports.
IS MERELY A QUESTION OF Time
Strong Arguments In Favor of
This City.
Few Obstacles Below tho Mouth of the
Christiana and the Ice Biockades south
OF that stream Less Numerous and Less
Dangerous Than They ARE North of 1t.

II seems to be but question of time
when Wilmington will become one Of
tne most important ports along the
Atlnntic coast. Merchants in Phila-
delphia are fast realizing the fact that
In order to keep the Delaware river
nayigable to that city for large steam.
ships and sailing vessels money must
be Literally expended each year. Not
only is 1t necessary to have large sums
OF money to carry on the work, but it
is equally important that a constant
watch be kept over the stream.
One OF the most troublesome places
In the river is what is known as Cherry
Island flats, opposite Wilmington and
above the mouth OF the Uhristiana.
Several large ships have grounded there
recently and mariners now pass that
point in dread of encountering trouble.
In midstream, about half way between
the Delaware and New Jersey shores
10 shoal of no mean proportions. On
the easterly side of the shoal rocks arc
said to abound, while the PRINCIPAL
obstacle in the channel, on the west
side, Is mud. which appears to have
been accommodating rapidly recently.
Dredging must be done very soon in
order to keep the channel open Tor
boats proceeding to and from Phila
dslphia.
The Philadelphia Trades League has
taken the matter in hand and COM
munications have been sent to
the pilots asking for an express
sion of opinion on the recent
publications. with special reference to
the obstacles that confront vessels
passing through the cut at Cherry
Island flats.
Parties who have been talking about
the matter for publication have made
statements within the past few days
10 the effect that mud which had been
dredged out of the channel and thrown
up m the marsh had nearly all
found its way back to the place from
which it was taken, and il this were
true it would seem necessary that steps
be taken to prevent the return Of the
material taken out.
This seems hardly probable, however,
from the fact that what was taken out
must have been thrown back of the
embankment, and 1t is hard to dis
cover how it could find its way back
into the channel.
A local engineer, who was spoken to
about the matter, gave as his opinion
that the shoal in the middle ground
must be adding it's quota to the deposit
in the ship channel. IL this be cor.
rect, it makes little difference where
this material dredged is deposited SO it
is taken away from the channel where
there will be no possibility OF finding
its way back.
1t is estimated that several millions
OF dollars would be required to per-
manently remove the troublesome mid
die ground. il it could be permanently
removed at all.
This is one of the strongest arguments
in favor of loading and unloading large
craft at Wilmington where the trouble
some flats would not be encountered.
There are very few obstacles below
Wilmington, and boats of the largest
reaching our river front, for the pur-
pose OF loading or unloading.
Then again, in winter the ice block
AIDES above Wilmington are much more
numerous and dangerous than below.
There are times during tho freezing
weather when much valuable time is
lost by shipping in proceeding to and
from Philadelphia above this city.
while all this time would be saved il
these boats unloaded here instead OF
making an additional GO miles or more
to reach their wharves in the Quaker
City.
The railroad facilities here are of the
best and Wilmington could be made
one OF the most advantageous shipping
points in the United States. 1t seems
strange that some ship owners have
not ere this realized what saving ii
would be to transact their business
through the port of Wilmington.
A TIMELY WARNING.
The Sunday Herald. in commenting
on the suggestion to divert the channel
to the Jersey shore, which was exposed
IN Every Evening on Saturday, con-
aiders the exposure a timely warning
TO Wilmington people and expresses the
opinion that Major Raymond would not
sanction any scheme by which the
navigation Of the Christiana would be
impeded.