Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-09-02
THE AARBOR OF WILMINGTON
Cen.W. F. Smiths Reply to the
Board of Trade.
NOW READY TO Be FORWARDED
The Engineer Interviewed on
the Subject.
Explanation Regarding the Government
Appropriations ami Their Expenditure
why Better Results Were Not Secured
Interesting Review OF the Work.

Gen. W. F. Smith, United States en-
gineer in charge of this district, will
make reply TO the allegations contained
in the resolutions recently adopted by
rhe Board of Port Wardens. Concern
ing the answer, which, it is understood,
he will forward to the special commit
tse of the Board of Trade, in an inter-
view with representative of The
Gazette, he spoke as follows:
''ln the report for 1883, of Major
Heuer, who was my predecessor, he
stated that to June, 1883, Sl79, 1876. So
had been expended on the Christiana
River and that the channel at that date
was 12-foot low water channel $50 feet
wide, extending from the mouth to the
Harlan Il Holingsworth Co. q shipyard,
thence 100 feet wide to the Delaware
Western railroad bridge, thence 80 feet
wide to a point 200 yards below the
pulp works, and thence 40 feet wide
through the remaining distance. No
work was done 10 the fiscal year 1884.
The last dredging that had been done
was between February and May, 1882,
when 38, 900 yards of material were re-
moved between point 500 feet below
Third street bridge and the pulp works.
i assumed charge about July gath,
1884. and my first report is that for the
fiscal year 1885. In the summary it
was stated; AT that date, June 30th,
1884, there was bar at the mouth,
carrying only 10 feet at mean low
water, inside Of which there was IA
channel extending nearly to Third
street bridge of IL feet. Beyond this
not more than 10 feet could be counted
on. The depth above given, 10 feet,
was manifestly an error, which may
have misled the Port Wardens. A map
of the commissioners appointed TO lay
out harbor lines for the city of Will
mipgton, from survey made in 1854,
shows channel with depth varying
between 10 and Is feet. Thers was not
a continuous 12-foot navigation be-
tween the Delaware River and Market
street bridge. Tbs l2-foot channel
where it existed had an average width
of ITO feet from the Delaware River to
the mouth of the Brandywine, and
thence an average width OF 10 feet to
Market street bridge.
make reference to Major Heuer's
report OF 1884 simply to show the
change that must have taken place be-
tween the time of his last examination
and the examination upon which the
COMMISSIONER map was made. Dur
ing the winter of 1S84-5 a cut was
dredged across the bar only for depth
of 10 feet, and in 1886 the channel was
dredged to the same depth through
Market street bridge, unly. An exami-
nation made by me in 1856 from Market
street bridge to the entrance showed the
channel to be as follows: The bar al
the entrance, counting from the 10. foot
nutai1a Tn thu al foot -,
side, was $50 feet long, with greatest
continuous channel depth Of IA feet
by 30 feet wide. Then the 10. foot curve
extends to the inner end of the lefty, a
distance Of loo feet, with an average
width of 100 feet. From here the chan.
mel was less than 10 feet for distance oil
l,600 feet, with 1919 feet greatest con.
tinuous channel depth. Then the 10.
foot curve extended 1,5O0 feet, with a
width of from 10 to l25 feet; then 4
less depth than 10 feet for distance O.
4,300 feet, and having IL feet greatest
continuous channel depth. Then thu
15-foot curve extends for distance o
2, 300 feet, the width varying from q
to ITO feet; then less depth than |;
feet for distance of 700 feet having /
greatest continuous depth OF 10 feet {,
Third street bridge: from here les
depth than 10 feet for a distance o
1850 feet, with greatest continuou
depth of nine feet to Market stree
bridge. Above there no examination
was made.
After this examination projec
was prepared and approved by th
chief of engineers, and contracts made
under which channel IS feet wide wa
dredged to depth OF 10 feet from Mar
ket street bridge to the outer end q
the jetty and on the rock ledge abov
Third street bridge depth Of l4la fee
was made. This was completed i
July, 1887. and the quantity of niateria
removed was l0S, S95 cubic yards Afte
the dredging was suspended surve
was made of the dredged enamel fror
Market street bridge to the entrance
and the results showed considernbl
filling in just above Third street bridg
and at the mouth of the Brandywint
The reasons then given for this shoal
ing were as follows: Tho natural slouin
of the sides OF the cut; vessels lyin
aground during low tiGe outside til
channel and forcing the soft mud ini
the channel; unreasonable speed of th
steamboats, navigating a stream 300 I
400 feet wide; washings from tn
streets OF Wilmington, and freshets
the Brandywine At the points wher
the channel had shoaled the depth
water on the flats had increased
Another examination, which wa
made in 1888, showed that the chanp
dredged in 1887 had ahoaled considera
bly, between Market and Third sire,
bridges. The depth from Third sire,
bridge to the entrance had been mail
tanned except for short distance oppr
site the mouth OF the Brandywine an
below the freight line bridge of the l.
W. IL q. railroad and at the shoal net
the outer emu of the ietty.
In 1889, under a project approve
By the chief of engineers for the q.
penditure of the funds available, Il
channel was dredged TO d width of /,
feet and depth OF 10 feet from I'll
l5-foot curve in the Delaware River
the Shellpot bridge of the p, w. a. |
railroad, across the Christiana Rive
distance of 1900 feet. From u
bridge and through the north draw
it a cut so feet 10 width was dredgt
in an up stream direction for a di
tance of 300 feet, until it intersect,
and led into the main channel aboy
This was completed on December 9t
1882 and l6J, pa cubic yards
material were removed. Dredging vi
resumed on February 18th, 1891, at Il
point where the operations we're gu
pended on the previous contract. II
channel was dredgsd to width OF Il
feet and depth of 10 feet at mean 10
water to the Pusey s. Jones shipyard
distance of G, 200 feet. This work vi
completed 10 August, 1891. and 302, 81
cubic yards of material were remover
THE next project ana contract vi