Evening journal., 1896-09-23
DIGGING AND FILLING.
The Majors Latest Move
Against Delaware City.
PAYS HIS OBLIGATIONS IN MUD

PAYS HIS OBLIGATIONS IN MUD.
ABOUT A MILLION CUBIC YARDS
OF MUD TO BE DUMPED IN THE
DELAWARE BETWEEN della
WARE CITY AND PEA PATCH IS
LAND. UPON WHICH FORT DELLA
WARE STANDS.
Major c. w. Raymond, United
States engineer-in-charge of the pro-
jects for the Improvement OF the Della
ware river and It's tributaries, seems to
be aetuated by motive to perpetuate
hie job indefinitely, and, at the same
time, 10 vent his spite agaist those who
have the territory to thwart, or en-
deavor to thwart him in his purposes"
said one OF the most prominent mem
bers OF the Wilmington Board OF Trade
10 an Evening Journal reporter this
morning.
In what way just at present?" asked
tho reporter
There is nothing especially new in
the first part OF my proposition" was
the reply. For a long while it has
been his policy to dig a hole In one
part OF the river and, with the mud
and stuff taken out of that hole, build
shoal In another part OF Il. II you
will inquire among men interested in
the commerce of the Delaware you will
dhd many supporters OF my declaration.
There Is a constant carrying OF mud
and other Obstructive matter from hole
TO shoal and from shOal to hole Were
it not SO costly it would be amusing
but the joke is about played out"
What do you mean when you speak
Of the major venting the spite against
certain localities?" asked the reporter
Just this" he said. When the mat
ter of providing river front
for the city of Wilmington
was seriously agitated, the
major was consulted regarding the
feasibility of the project He expressed
himself favorably to It, and said that
he would put the dredgngs from
Cherry Island flats on the lowlands
along the river front between the
jetty, at the mouth OF the Christiana.
and Edge Moor, provided the city
would erect a bulkhead to retain the
mud thus deposited. He prepared a
plan OF the bulkhead and intimated
that IL would be some time before the
government work on the fats would
require the city to act in the matter OF
building the bulkhead. Then came the
trouble at Delaware City. He wished
TO build a dixie from Liston's Point to
the lower end of Pea Patch Island
shutting In the west channel OF the
river at Delaware City, and forcing the
full volume Of water into the east, ol
New Jersey channel. There was a pro.
test made by the riparian owners, and
hal (trsuN cW.
Senator Higgins and other influential
citizens took the matter up, carried Il
TO Washington and stopped the work
the Delaware Construction Company
which had the contract, being indemni.
ned for its loss Of time. Without dis.
cussing the merits of the controversy
or the ultimate effect of the shoalinl
Incident to the completion OF that Lis
tons Point dixie, the fact remains thai
the riparian owners benefit but little
and Wilmington suffers much by rea
son OF the stoppage of that work. i
Major Raymond cannot I'LL that ives
channel up by means OF a dyke III
seems determined to do il by means o
a dump. and the river front OF vii
mington suffers correspondingly
contract for dredging in the channe
through Cherry Island flats, opposit
this city, has just been awarded by tn
mayor in his official capacity. II wa
let on September IA. Fully 10000
cubic Yards OF material will be dug ou
of the flats Will it be given TO VIII
mington to build up its river front
Not much. The major owes Delawar
City an undying debt for its interfer
ence in his projects, and he propose
10 pay it off in mud. The specihca
tions OF the contract provide that tn
quantity OF material to be remove
will depend upon the price at whic
the work is done, but II will not be les
than 100000 cubic yards as measure
in scows But this is not the worst {
il, so far as Wilmington and the ri
parian owners Of Delaware City an
vicinity are concerned. Section 43 {
the specifications, a copy OF which
have obtained from one OF the bidder
makes the following provision
'Dredged material shall be deposito
in the waterway west of Pea Patch il
land, within the limits shown on th
chart on file at this office. or at sue
other places provided by the contra'
tor as may be approved by the eng
neer officer in charge. The dumpin
ground at Pea Patch Island
from ten to twelve miles bl
low Cherry Island fats DO you 81
the outward and visible signs of II
inward and spiritual cussedness of thi
section? The major gets even wit
Delaware City and with Senator Gra
and ex-senator Higgins at one and Il
same time"
why don't the people make PR
test?"