Evening journal., 1896-02-22

and widening the channel, will speedily
cure that Ill. The other obstacle needs
more drastic remedies and In the admin
istration of these both the city aud the
owners Of the lands lying between the
city and the river, must take hand.
The Initial Step to Be Taken.
The initial step must be taken by the
owners of the riparian rights along the
river front, and of the two miles there,
the city owns good share A bulkhead
reaching from the jetty to Edge Moor
must be built, and the space behind IL
filed In. In this work the builders can
rely on the United States government
for the greater proportion, II not all of
the filing, IS the engineers in charge
have given assurance that the material
dredged from the Cherry Island fats will
be dumped there, providing the bulkhesd
Is built TO retain 1t. Once built, and a
solid front presented to the river, the
building Of docks, and wharves, ware.
houses and factories, termini Of great
trunk lines and the hundred and one
adjuncts Of a seaport would follow, and
the mighty. white winged messengers Of
commerce would seek a harhor there for
1t Is IS true In commerce as in mechanics
that movement seeks the line OF the
least resistance, and both In bound and
out bound freights would naturally seek
a port where the bsst facilities Joined to
the least expense are offered The creR-
tlon OF such conditions Is a practical
possibility, but to secure them requires
effort and the expenditure OF money
without the hope of immediate return.
The CIty's Part In the work.
The city's part in creating these condi
tions, aside from fulfilling her part In the
construction Of the bulk head. Inust be
to open up the river front, allowing the
outgoing and in-coming freights TO be
handled easily; to see that roads are
built over which not only the thorough
traffic can pass, hut by which the raw
material can reach the mills and factor
les and the finished products reach the
markets At present the territory
lying between the city and the river is
practically a barber TO the river front,
and is as q necessity worth little. Opened
up 1t would. 1t Ia true, become very
valuable, but there never was an advan-
! tage to the public that did not In some
way inure to the benefit of some
individual 1t is natural sequences and
no argument gainst advancement.
Philadelphia Alive and working.
The city of Philadelphia. with less
natural facilities than those possessed by
Wilmington, is alive to the necessity OF
not only improving her river frontage
but Of improving the approaches to her
hsrbor, and has succeeded In securing aid
that will open up 3 deep channel from
her doors clear to the sea; will remove
| the worst of the shoals and make navl-
cation easier. Every particle of work
done on the river from Marcus Hook to
the cRpes is 3 benefit directly to VIII
mingtou. A road opened and improved
between any two given points benefits
every intervening point on that road.
This much this city has TO be thankful
for, and this much comes without cost OF
expense.
Summing up-WilmIngton has total
river frontage of thirteen miles, with q
possible twenty 6ve Il has channel
to the ocean shorter than cities larger
and with very much greater commerce, a
channel the peer Of any In the world. II