Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-08-12
WANT A PILE Dixie BUILT
Proposed Permanent Improvement al
the Mouth Of the HiSpilliGl.
THE ESTIMATED COST, $5O,7OO
Work Must Be of a Substan-
tial Nature.
OTHERWISE TRADE MAY Be DIVERTED

OTHERWISE TRADE MAY Be DIVERTED
movement has heen started to have
the government oilicials devise some |
plan whereby a permanent improve
ment can BIZ made at the mouth of the |
Mispillion River. Work has been, in
progress at that point several timea |
and surveys were made, but the |
peculiar conditions at the streams |
mouth have stood in tho way of any |
good result being accomplished. There
is some important trading done on the |
stream, and vessel men state that at
the present time it is almost impossible
to get vessel in or out of the river.
In tho report submitted by Gen.
Smith last year he said: Attention
| was called iu the last annual report TO
the necessity OF modifying the present
project so as TO include the construction
OF pile dixie to the six-ioo depth in
Delaware Bay. the estimated cost of
which il $40, 700. Without the dixie the
| improvements cannot be SUCCESS nor
can they be made even partially avail
| able for navigation until they arc nearly
| OF entirely completed. +" Persons directly
affected by the condition OF the stream
will make an effort to have the pile
| dixie built nr come other scheme carried
nut that will give the same relief. 1t
| ia necessary that substantial work he
done at the mouth of the stream other
wise trade may be diverted from ship
| pers who now use it.
BY requirement of the River and
| Harbor Act of Congress of September
18th, 1890, and By letter of the War De-
partment OF November goth of the same
gear, the local engineers were directed
to maze a survey and project with
view of improving the mouth of the
river, the idea being to create siS-foot
channel in the navigable portion to the
Delaware Bay. Engineer Stierle OF the
local office, who was detailed on the
work. reported on October 3lat, 1891.
recommending s65, COO project au being
practicable and fully meeting the re-
quirements, the amount of tho estimate
being made up by allowing S2l, 600 for
dredging a cut and el3, 100 for jettie5
on the north and south aides, to protect
the mouth from filling in with the
movable sand on the beach.
Gen. Smith recommended TO the War
Department on November 9th. 1891,
that the cut be made and a mud wall
be built on each side of the mouth OF
the stream TO protect it. which he
estimated would cost s2i, 600 The pro.
ject was adopted in 1892, and in the
same year Congress appropriated Sl2,
600, with which to begin the work. On
October gath of the same year con.
tract was made with Chester t. Caller
of Norfolk. Va, for dredging the chan
mel as far as the funds were available,
: operations being started on May 25th Of
| Al I'll F.t.
, work il was found impossible to keep
the dredge atloat, as the oiredged material
; thrown over would continually, under
} the effect Of the strong cross currents
return into the cut. On June 2lst
! 1898. Gen. Smith received authority to
stop the work temporarily until some
protection could he devised, after having
dug about 1000 yards, nearly all OF
which had worked back again.
On July Sd, 1893, the War Depart
. ment approved Of a project recon
Q mended 10y Gan. Smith, to cost about
\ So, 00O On August 18th, 1898, CON
3 tract was made with Sanford & Brooks
4 of Baltimore, Md, for the work, which
n was completed on October 9th. On
q October goth the dredging was resumed
I and the contract was terminated On
November Both of the same year On
b August 18th. 1891. Congress appro.
+. priated another $40, 600, making s22
600 Of the S24, 900 which had been
asked for to complete the project. Or
April goth, 1893, bids were received tC
= continue the dredging, and that oil
. Fred l.. Somers of Philadelphia, being
Q tho lowest, wgs accepted
o On june Both, 1885. lien. Smith re,
! ported as follows; Experience in tbs
u expenditure OF the appropriation OIL
IS 1892 had shown Il that 1T would bt
q useless to excavate channel mo-
n covered by good dixie of piling, thu
n cost of which would, be far in excess o.
n the original estimate for this improve
% ment, which was but S24. coo: and t2
! that AZ the water flowing from thu
Mispilion needs a more contracted
channel above the lighthouse, a de
flecting dixie about $40 feet in length
!, should be built on the south side OF tht
II channel from high water near the ligh
house. 1t was therefore recommendeC
y to the chief of engineers, and approved
by him, that the dike--a crib dike--b
u built and that dredging be carried oil
u to the contemplated depth only to tn
:. end OF the dixie built on tho north sid
- of the channel in 1893 The cost wa
= estimated at 81, GOO. The remainder o
the appropriation was recommended h
BIZ retained until Congress- should Sc
proper TO appropriate the sum necessar
10 complete dixie and excavation t
of the six. foot depth at mean low water i
" the Delaware Bay. the estimated cost 4
X. which is $50, 700. "
* A contract was made with B. i
Us Sweeten 81 Son of Camden, N. j., t
,u build the dixie recommended, the esti
Il mated cost of which was 81, GOO III
~ contractor began building the cribs o
re shore OH July 10Th, and had them read
rn to be launched in August, but wa
ly delayed until October, awaiting dradg
ci for sinking them. On November l3t
ou the dixie had been put in position il
full length, the cribs hallasted wit
stone, and the superstructure, cxendin
m to one foot above high water level, hull
,e over it. A trench 80 feet wide, built [
an receive the dixie had, however, not Doe
n retilled along the sides OF tina dixie, an
az in consequence strong nortnpasterl
n storm, accompanied by heavy swell {
rn the sea, upset the structure, except tn
n outer end, the following night. liz
sn dredging contract was completed o
ce February 2lst, 1886.
m So it will be seen that the Mispillio
River has been a source of almost cor
tinuous trouble, chiefly in consequence
of the peculiarities at it's mouth, mn
It's the engineers have spent great deal {
W. time in endeavuring to devise plans IL
cd improvemeut. Now il will probably /
I'M NECESSARY to fortify the mouth OF Ill