Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-12
MuRDERKILL RIVER.
The Work of Improving That Stream TO DO
Commenced Next Week.

Inc WoFH ot Improving mat Streutn TO DO
Commenced Next Week.
Navigation on the Murderkill river,
which leads from the Delaware bay to
Frederick, one of the most important
towns In lower Delaware. is to be
materially improved, fact which will
BIO highly appreciated by residents OF
that town and others having business
on the stream.
Gen. W. f. Smith, the United States
engineer in Wilmington, has awarded to
the Atlas Dredging Co. of this city the
contract for doing the work. There we're
two bidders, the Atlas Co. agreeing to
do the work for 171a cents per cubic
yard, place measurement, while the
American Dredging Co. OF Philadel-
phia bid 90 cents. The bids were sent
to Washington, and the contract was
awarded to the local company, whose
bond has also been approved.
The work is to be commenced next
Monday. and it will be pushed as
rapidly as circumstances will permit
Betwoen 5000 and 80, 600 cubic yards
are to be dredged, and tho contract will
not be completed until some time next
spring, but it will have progressed far
enough by the opening of the season
to be of great benefit to people using
the stream.
For some time there has been a
troublesome bar across the mouth OF
the river, due to various causes. Where
the river enpties into the bay there ia
cove. which has had a great deal to
do with the formation OF the OBJ
struction. and it is thought that some
Of the material which forms the bar
has been washed out OF the stream and
found Judgment there. Consequently,
the first work to be done will be to
attack the bar and remove ii. Just
how much work is to be done there is
not known at this time but it is the
intention Of the engineers to make a
clear passage way, and in order to do
that tho entire bar must be cleared up.
The appropriation for the work is
sc, 500, and 1t is believed that only a
portion of that amount will be ex-
pended in opening up the mouth. and
should there be any money remaining
after that work is done, there are
several bars in the stream itself, at
various points between the mouth and
Frederick, which will also either be
entirely removed or so much reduced
as TO greatly improve the navigation.
There are about five of these shoals,
and il they are not Of too great magni.
tude 1t may be possible to clear up the
river for the entire length where it il
used by shippers.
People living in the vicinity of the
stream are Of course. materially in.
terested in the work, and should the
appropriation fall short of accomplish
ing what is absolutely necessary, the,
will exert themselves toward having az
additional appropriation made, in order
to insure them unobstructed com
munication with the Delaware bay.
Quite number of vessels plying OF
the Delaware river and bay are owned
by people living at or near Frederick
and some of them make regular trips il
and out Of the Murderkill. but since
the distractions have become 30 pro
nounced the movements of these. boat
have been necessarily uncertain. Witt
the Improvement of navigation it il
expected that some of the trade which
had been temporarily abandoned viii
be resumed.