Evening journal., 1896-10-27

ANOhOhAGE tOR ONE THU
SAND VESSELS AT THE MOUTH
OF THE DELAWARE-THE PRES
ENT BREAKWATER MADE
QUATE.
The new Harbor of Refuge at the en-
trance to Delaware bay, upon which
the United States government is about /
to commence work will be one of the /
most extensive in the world 1t is in
tended for vessels of the deepest /
draught and the area VIII be sufficient /
to afford safe anchorage and shelter to /
more than 1000 modern vessels at
once. For years the Delaware Break /
water has been inadequate for modern
vessels. In the first place the area of
of the harbOr it shelters is not suffi- /
cient to accommodate the shipping
which at times seeks its protection, |
and its depth has never been great
enough for the deep draught steamers
of the present day There has also
been some shoaling since it was built,
decreasing the maximum depth of
about twenty-four feet at low water,
which existed nearly seventy years ago,
when the work was projected.
For long time there has been a de-
mand on the part of the maritime in
terests of the Atlantic coast for a safe
harbor at the entrance to Delaware bay
for vessels of the deepest draught The
locality is a central point, and, in ad-
dition to thousands of coasting vessels
seeking the shelter of the Delaware
BreakWater as a protection from
storms every year. many tramp steam
ers, with and without cargoes, anchor
inside the Delaware capes for orders"
These steamers, as a rule, draw so
much water that they cannot go behind
the Breakwater, and therefore, their
commanders are often afraid to anchor
within the capes in threatening
weather. One of the special advantages
of the capes of the Delaware is that it
is almost equidistant from the ports OF
New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk,
and not so very far from Baltimore, so
that a vessel seeking a cargo, and call
ing at the Breakwater "for orders" can
be despatched to any of the ports
named with the least delay. The ma
tional character therefore of a deep
water harbor of refuge at the entrance
to Delaware bay can be perceived by
anyone. At present the inadequate har-
Dor sheltered by the Delaware Break
water initiates against the locality as
a rendezvous for the largest ships.
The construction of the new harbOr
will be of immense advantage to Phila-
delphia and Wilmington, the nearest
ports. To have a large number of yes
sells lying 50 near Wilmington, wait
ing for cargoes, will naturally cause
them to seek this port if a cargo can
be secured, reducing ocean freights and
attracting grain, goods and other COM
modities for export to Wilmington. 4n
addition TO having deep water and a.
will be one of the best holding grounds
on the coast. 1t is even now a favorite
anchorage for vessels.
WILL BE LOCATED AT THE
SHEARS.
A commission Of United States engi-
neers, appointed under the provisions.
of the River and Harbor act of 1890. se-
lected the locality of the shoal known
as THE Shears" lying about three
miles off shore from Lewes, Del, as
the best place for the new Harbor OF
Refuge The shoal is of peculiar
shape. It's lower portion consists of two
long legs, between which is a wide
pocket of deep water 1t is on the
eastern leg of the shoal that the com
mission decided the great breakwater,
which will protect the natural harbOr
formed by the deep water pocket,
should be constructed. To the east OF
this leg is the deep water of the bay
The great breakwater will be 5000 feet
in length-more than a mile and
half. As will be seen by the chart, it is
not perfectly straight, the lower third
being tangent to Cape Henlopen, while
the direction of the upper portion is on
a line with the axis Ofthe eastern leg of
The Shears" shoal. The upper por-
tion, or long leg of the breakwater. will
be about 5000 feet long and the short
leg 5000 feet. One of the objects in
making the line of the short leg tan
gent to Cape Henlopen is to protect the
harbor from southeast storms.
The direction of the long leg will be
northwest by north and southeast bv
south. Its upper end will be on the
shoal in fifteen feetof water, and where it
joins the short leg there will be twen-
ty-fOur feet of water. The short leg
will lie north by west and south bv
east, and its lower end will be in water
fifty-three feet deep. In order to pro-
tect the harbor from the ice descend
ing from the river in Winter on the ebb
tides, a row of ten ice piers will be
built across the shoal about half a
mile above the upper end of the break
water.
The breakwater will be approximate
ly about two miles from the present
Delaware Breakwater. It's lower end
will be 1000 feet, which is a mile and
third, from Cape HenlOpen, on a line
with and a mile and a quarter from the
upper end of the original Delaware
Breakwater
Random stone in huge blocks will be
used in the construction of the new
breakwater, that being the same style
OF construction as the Delaware Break
water. The width Of the top of the
sub-structure, the top being at low
water mark, will be 40 feet. The slope
OF the sea face will be 1 foot in 3, and
OF the harbor face / in 1.35. For the
suh-structure the stone will be dumped
from the scows that bring it to the site
Oh the work, but in building the super
structure, above low-water mark. the
great blocks of stone will be laid even
~ TO height of IA feet above mean
low water. The top Of the brealxwater