Evening journal., 1896-12-28
IMPROVING RIVERS
MORE APPROPRIATIONS FOR DELLA
WARE STREAMS.


ST. JONES RIVER TO RECEIVE
NEEDED IMPROVEMENTs-THE|
SURVEY WILL COST s1,O5O-AN
ADVERSE REPORT ON CEDAR
CREEK.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-St. Jones
river, Delaware, is another stream for
which provision is made in the River
and Harbor act for examination. Major
William r. Smith, who made the ex-
animation, reports that the demands
of commerce warrant its Improvement
and estimates the cost of a survey
at 1850. This recommendation is con-
CURED in BY the chief of engineers.
Major Smith gives interesting facts in
connection with improvements made In
st. Jones river during the past fifteen
years. He says: THE original project
for the improvement of this river was
made in 1880. It provided for three
foot low water channel 100 feet wide
across the bar at the mouth, protected
by jetty, at an estimated cost of 1885,,
600. The project was enlarged, in 1884,
to include the removal of the shoals
in the river to Dover to a depth of six
feet at mean low water, and it was
further modified in 1883 by dispensing
with the jetty and substituting banks
thrown up along the sides of the cut.
The improvements were begun in 1885
and were completed in 1890, and the
result was a six-foot low-water chan
mel inside the river. nowhere less than
forty feet wide, and a channel Of the
same depth and 100 feet wide across
the fats at the mouth, the total amount
expended being $4,000.
I'm 1892 the channel at the mouth
had shoaled again at the outer end to
four feet, and an examination Of it
having been ordered by the River and
Harbor act of July 13, 1892, it was rec
commended that it be re-dredged where
necessary to its original depth, six
feet.
"The River and Harbor act of Au-
gust II, 1894, appropriated $500 for
the Murderkill river, Delaware, and au.
thorized the expenditure Of $l,50C
thereof in removing the bar and OBJ
structions at the mouth of the st
Jones river. With this appropriation {
cut sixty feet wide and six feet deel
was made during the Summer Of lS9'
through the shoal portion Of the chan
mel at the mouth Of the river"
REPORT AGAINST CEDAR CREEK
Major Smith also made a preliminar.
examination of Cedar creek. Delaware
and reports that the locality is no
worthy of improvement by the govern
ment. Cedar creek is in the easter
section of Sussex county. and flow
northeasterly into Delaware bay. Il
about sixteen miles long. The lowe
four miles are navigable for small YES
sells at high water. 1T may once hay
been" says Major Smith in his repor
"a much more powerful tidal streaI
, than now, but IL has lost this powt
: and its capacity to such an extent ths
/ about twenty years ago its origin;
outlet, which was situated 1% mile
south of the present one, was nearl
closed by sand rolled in by the wav,
of the bay" In view of these fact
and Judging from analogous cases
Delaware, it is thought the small con
merce on the creek would not justil
5 any expenditure on it by the govern
= ment. Il do not know" says MajC
+ Smith, what improvement is desire
d but assuming it to be a channel Of Il
{ smallest dimensions for the schooner
It that are reported to ply in il, Il
II amount of dredging necessary insiC
the creek would be very large. and
would still leave the entrance unin
proved. which is at present obstruct'
by shallow mud flats extending f
? more than mile into Delaware bay