Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-12-01
HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.
Proposed Deepening of the Chan
mel at Atlantic City.

Proposed Deepening of the Chan
mel at Atlantic City.
[Trom the Atlantic City Press, Nov. 20 J
Years of agitation to make Atlantic
City either harbor of refuge or a port
of entry is about to bear legitimate
fruit
Congressman Gardner, General Sewell,
United States Senators, Quay and Pen.
rose, and a number of prominent and
wealthy men of Philadelphia, have taken
hold Of the project and are actively
pressing forward the Improvement in
Congress.
Saturday Mejor Raymond, Govern
ment Engineer, whose headquarters alr
in the Post Office building, Philadelphia,
was in town and in consultation with
Mayor Stoy. He said that survey ors
had made chart of the Inlet and that
the improvement was possible without
the expenditure of q great deal of money,
Major Raymond told Mayor Stoy that
he desired. to obtain the sentiment of the
people ofAtlantic City on the question
SO that when he made report to the
Washington Department., he could use
their friendliness as an argument IN. sup
port of the improvement.
The Major wanted the Mayor to grant
or obtain for him the privilege of using
the City Hall in which public meetings
could be held to discuss the matter.
Mayor Stoy had to make the crestfallen
admission that as yet the city was
without such building, but that there
would likely be such structure here in
a very short time. He advised Mejor
Raymond to consult with the trustees of
Odd Fellows Hall and not unlikely they
would grant a request for the use of the
hail for such a worthy object. Major
Raymond desired to call meeting some
time during the week. and if necessary
to hold a series of public meetings. They
were to be held to ascertain public feel
ing and the advantages and disadvan-
tsges, if any, to be derived from the con-
templated improvement.
The location of Atlantic City, midway
between Philadelphia and New York,
and en- the path of a large percentage of
coasting traffic, has been in it's favor
whenever the question of harbor of
refuge on the New Jersey coast was dis
cussed in Congress and by the Bureau of
Navigation. There is not much ground
for the argument that the railroads
want to make the city tidewater end
for coal shipments, but which, however,
is quite feasible from an economical
point if the harbor is deepened.
When the date of meeting is called,
every citizen who has the least pride and
interest in the city wants to respond
and make it plainly evident that when
it comes to question of public improve
ment there is no faction or party, but
simply united whole, ready to promote
and sustain every movement that will
improve and advance the city in it's
onward and upward career.
The project is to run out one or more
jstties and thus deepen the entrance into
the Inlet Now only vessels drawing
less than eight feet can reach this city.
If the channel is deepened to twenty feet
it will admit of the entering of steamers
from large cities to this resort.
This is one advantage to be had from
the improvement. The idea, however, is
to give vessels an opportunity to put
into this harbor to avoid a storm or
when in disabled condition instead OF
compelling them to run down to the
Delawure Breakwater one hundred
miles down the coast.