The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-11
The WILMINGTON $
HARBOR DISCUSSED.
Resolutions Of Condemnation Withheld for
the Present. '
BOARD OF TRADE TO CONFER
Lengthy Discussion Held Last Evening
Over the Condition Of the Christi.
ana Creek. q


ana Greek.
Among those present at the meeting Of
tho Board OF Trade last evening were Gen
eral W. y. Smith, General Jailes II. VIII
son, Colonel A. G.. McCausland,. e. I.
Warner, Charles W. Pusey, George w.
Todd, George M D. CanG Captain Willard
Thompson, D. b. Purdy, George b. Moore,
Darrell W. Taylor Alvin r. Morrison.
In the absence Of President LAwton, @.
!. w. Pusey was OIL motion OF Il. 7. Warner.
called to the chair.
&The meeting was called for the purpose
of considering the sot Of resolutions adopt
cd by the Port Wnrdons. General Wilson
was tho first speaker. Ho held that every
intelligent citizen know that the Christi.
ana river needed improvement, but he coli
sidered that 1t would be unwise for those
who are not experts In engineering work
to pasS any such resolutions.
He had spent some six years OF his lifo
In this kind of work. He knew OF no case
where the engineers In charge Of United
States work had been guilty of malfeas-
ance In office or OF wasting the funds. Tho
fault in most cases Is in the system and
not in tho engineers. General Smith Is q
distinguished engineer. There IL nothing
easier than to criticise an ngineer nothing
moro difficult than to criticse AL epgl-
neer intelligentiy.
The United States officials have been
trying for years to remedy the defects In
the system. General Wilson alluded to
the old system, which was w8stcful. The
board Of engineers appointed to consider
the work made u report in 1895. Tho board
was composed ofintelligent men. The re-
port Is different from these resolutions
Before taking up tho last report, General
Wilson took up the report Of the previous
board. q - = - '-e-.-c n
He said that when the board was at work
he mad made an examination of the harbOr
himself, and he told the citizens that This
city should have tho same depth of water
as Philadelphia. He estimated that it
would cost $3.50, 900, and that s35, 600 n year
would maintain it, After a years work
the board reported that it would cost
$732, ,0o0 but it recommended that 1t not be
done until an intercoptng sewer about
the city Is built. This tied up the plan.
General Smith had nothing to do with this
condition.
Since 1889 this harbor has been calling
upon the government for help. According
to The report by the engineers, the harbor
has had $3.50 600 to s34O. 900. The people
themselves are to blame for only this
amount.
This Is because you have sent some man
u SUuBEebs, WIZ Uhlhou pUlltiCS hHt ulu
national business instead of the business,
he was sent there to attend to-. You have
sent some excellent men to Congress, but
they forgot their business. The engineers
have only been able to take out %, ,000 cubic
yards of material while 100. 600 cubic yards
go in. II tho proper effort was made the
necessary money to dredse out the whole
quantity could be secured The difficulty
Is not with General Smith.
He then took up the report of the last
bonrdof engineers. The report shows an
year. Tho total expense has been 1862 563.-
81. The report says that tho annual de-
posit In tho river Is about 100 600 cubic
yards. Tho report says that tho board
doubts whether the project can be carried
out under present conditions, and thinks
that the river is too narrow. 1t is too mar
row because men have built their wharves
into tho stream.
General Wilson in connection with the
report, read decision that no money
could be expended of tho s220 900 appropri-
ated unless the whole project could be
completed for the amount named. This
could not be done. Tho board in addition
failed to approve the project, and thore-
fore there is no plan Of improvement. Tho
board suggests several things. The project
recommended by tho board would cost
over 1877 900, with rock excavation admit
ted. Under this report no work can be
done
He did not SEQ why the resolutions
should be passed.. General Smith Is here,
and familiar with the work. He moved to
lay the resolu lutions on tho table.
Daniel Ross said that he was much pleas
ed with the remarks which had just been
made. He was opposed to the resolutions.
1t is not the fault Of General Smith that
the money is not available. He thought
that tho trouble was that too much had
been asked. 1t would do no good to get
rid of General Smith, An old West Point
engineer Is not going to De discharged to
please few people
Alvin X. Morrison said that General
Smith had both criticised and praised the
board Congress knows nothing of the
Christiana river, and must get its infor
mat ion from the Secretary Of War, who
gcts it from the engineers, He described
the project under which General Smith
had been working In 1891 General Smith
reported that he had 10 fcot channel. At
thai time there was less than ten feet On
December, 1885, he advertised for bids to
make 13 feut channel; when he reported
that he had l5 feet.
In reference to tho report Of the board,
Mr. Morrison said that two yeurs before
the board met General Smith was ordered
to mako project for 81 fcct channel
Tho estimated cost was II 2D) QUO. lncluu.
ing u flushing basin. Tho flushing basin
was not approved and this reduced the
amount S2Sj, ,OOO.
Mr. Morrison said that he had been in
formed that General Smith Lad written
and said that he had no project for the
money AMI wanted to know what he would
do with It,.
Then tho commission was appointed to
look into the matter. He had also been
informed that General Smith had written
to his supcriorS and recommended that no
contracts ior dredging be given out until
the city removes tho sewerage. Ho thought
that some ono interested in the commerce
of Wilmington should have charge Of the
work.
General Smith said that he knew what
tho condition of the Christana river was
when he reported it, and he had always re-
ported what was correct
He had carried out the project made out
by his superiors and could do nothing else.
He spoke of having recommended that
certain bids uf the Atlas Dredging Com.
pany be not accepted because they Wer5 too
high but he was directed to make the con-
tract. He did not think that anyone could
remove 100, 900 cubic yards of deposit with
$1,000 q yenr.
II. T. Warner asked General Smith to
explain how 1t was that 30 per cent of the
money appropriated had gone to other OK.
penses than dredging
General Smith replied that $4,000 went
for surveys ordered by Congress and $25,-
900 is still in hand. This leaves but about
$50, 900 for Office expenses and expenses of
inspection in thirteen years.
General Wilson said that tho high per-
oentage OF office expenses was due to the
faulty system Of government work.
Mr.. Ross again spoke on the resolution
and recommended that the board work
with General Smith
Nr. Warner explained some OF the fig
ures in tho report
General Wilson asked that his motion to
lay the resolutions on tho table be put
Tho motion was lost bya rising vote,
General Wilson and Daniel Ross voting
yes. There were nine nays.
Tho chair then stated the original ques-
tion.
Mr.. Ross said that 1t had been proven
that the figures in the resolution were
wrong.
General Wilson suggested that the men,
bsrs go to General Smith and get together
on this question.
Mr.. Morrison and General Wilson got
into discussion in which General Wilson