Evening journal., 1897-08-03
MILLIONS TO BE ASKED
Astounding Figures on River
Improvement.
BOARD OF TRADE TO TAKE ACTION

GENERAL SMITHS WORK TAKEN
CoGNIzANCE OF BY THE BOARD
OF PORT WARDENS AT A MEET
ING HELD YESTERDAY AFTER
NOON.
An adjourned meeting of the Board
of Port Wardens was held yesterday at
Charles Warner Company's office a; a
o'clock. Those present were: A. G. Nc
Causiand, e. T.. Warner, A. r. Nor
rison and G. NJ. d. Cam.
On motion of Mr. Warner Mr.. Cam
was made secretary pro TEN.
e. II. Byrne, president of the Christi
ana Window Glass Company, presented
a plan of the new wharf il proposes to
build, and requested the board 10 ex-
tend the wharf line thlrty-ive feet out
in front of its property.
On motion Of Mr.. Morrison the board
decided to meet al the Christiana Win
dow Glass Company's wharf on Thurs
day morning, August 5, at II O'Clock, to
view the wharf line, and to consider the
advisability of extending the same.
"a report of the committee appointed
at the last meeting to prepare a pre-
amble and resolutions in reference to
the improvement of the Christiana
river, was read and accepted, and. on
motion CT Mr.. Morrison, the secretary
was directed to spread the same on the
minutes, and TO send one copy to the
secretary Of war, the Wilmington City
Council and Iohe Board of Trade. This
report was as follows
fXNhQs9oc Tho fIf.lftio ,,ao ,.trra,. ,,,tl
Wilmington harbor is seriously in need
and well worthy of improvement and
the best attention of the United States
government, and
Whereas, The engineer in charge re-
ports in June, 1896, that he has we'll
defined channel thirteen feet deep at
low tide, from the Delaware river to
the mouth Of the Brandywine, notwfth-
standing the fact that in June 1885, and
June, 1886, he reported that there was
a channel fifteen feet deep from The
Delaware river to Third street bridge
and since that time the United States
government has appropriated $780,
657.48 for the improvement of the
Christiana river and Wilmington har.
Dor. After the expenditure of which II
appears that the depth of water grows
less; that is, from fifteen to thirteer
feet in ten years. and
Whereas, In June, 1896, there wa.
actually only nine feet of water at low
tide between Third street bridge anC
the mouth of the Brandywine, insteaS
of fifteen feet as reported IN 1885, and
Whereas, The business appertainini
to the Christiana river and Whining
ton harbor is so managed that of tbs
appropriations made, and other money!
available, between June 30. 1885, anl
June 80, 1896, amounting to $3.50 657. a
only about S123000 has been used il
actual work, the remaining being re
quired for Office expense, said expens'
being about 35 per cent of the appro
| pIiations. Therefore be it
Resolved, That we petition the hon
| cradle secretary of war to Place thu
Christiana river and Wilmington har
Dor in the hands of some person VIII,
will thoroughly identify himself will
the commercial interest of Wilmington
and the needs of the Christiana rive
and Wilmington harbor, as we believl
this harbOr will never be properly i'm
proved, or a sufficient depth of waite
secured so long as its affairs remain
under the present management, and ar
conducted as they have been in tn
past: in exemplifcation of this. VI
have 10 say mat, according to the en-
gineer's report of June, 1885, there wa
an actual channel of fifteen feet o
water at low tide in the Christian.
river. from the Delaware river to Thir'
street bridge, and in June, 1897. ther
was less than nine feet between tn
same points.