Evening journal., 1898-12-22
nrEp wlArER ro THE BAY.

Wilmington VIII reap great benefit
from any success which attends the
Efforts OF Philade.phians for the for
maticn Of thirty foot channel. 600
feet wide, in the Delaware river, from
Philadelphia to deep water in the bay.
Work oc dredging the Christlana river
has been already begun, and with such
channel out in the Delaware we sha.a
be in a position 10 command our fair
share OF the commerce and shipbuild-
ing CT the Delaware bay and river.
COmmenGng on the proposition the
Philadelphia Ledger says.
A commletee, representing the busi-
ness interes.s of the port, maze al
appeal TO the River ana HarDor Com
mltkee Cl the House, 10 report in la
yUr OF an appropriation c1 about So
JuOUOU lor tn4s purpose, 10 be eonlin-
ued over a period OF six years, ana on
about 81 ,5UU,OOO for the improvement
of the Schuylkill. The present channel
OF approath To the harbor OF Phila-
de.ph.a has a depth Of ltus than twen-
ty-lour feet. while Norfolk has uwen-
ry-nine loot channel, New York one OF
/
deepen 10 khirty-fye; Baltimore one
OF thirty feet. and provision has been
made for a twenty-seven foot channel
for Boston, The modern steamships
entering New York harbor have dratt
ranging from twenty-eight to thirty
two feet, and experience has demon
strated that large vessels are the most
economical carriers. The commerce OF
.,fc u
to warrant generous provisions for its
necessities. The United States gov
eminent has in the League Island
Navy Yard the finest fresh water ma
val station in the country, where ships
may be kept in times of peace with
out the fourng and the destructive
agency of salt water. IN the interests
Of the navy, no less than Cf the re-
qulrements OF trade, the channel Of tn
/ Delaware shbuldbe deepened andlmain-
tained at a proper depth.
The greatest Ehipyards in the United
States are located on the Delaware
They have the capacity to construct all
kinds Of vessels. from a toy yacht tc
man-of-war from a flatboat 20 a le-
viathan OF the sea. In the interests OF
our shipyards. the Delaware river
should be so dredged ais to be capable
OF bearing en- IT'S bosom vessels OF the
draft of the monster freighters Of for
S eign construction that visit New York
q Philadelphia is the natural outlet Of a
number of railroad systems, butt owing
to conditions. one of which is the in.
. adequate depth Of the channel OF the
Delaware, much OF the tonnage .-a'
e should be embarked on vessels at this
81 port is diverted to other cities. Sim
6 ilariy our railroads are deprived o.
traffic that they would enjoy were yes
sells of deep draft enabled to enter ON
a harbor.
Philadelphia is not seeking chnrit,
or bounty at the hands OF Congress;
S S asking only that to which it is justin
4 entitled. AS said in the memorial pre-
eented to the River and Harhor Com
mittee:
: I'm 1897 the value Of the foreigi
!. commerce Of the port OF Phiadelphi.
+ as determined by the customs return
A was S95. 100000; the revenue cOl.ecte
4 was $13, 1923 600. The entire amour
appropriated by the government, fror
the earliest date. for the improve
Is ment of the channel OF the Delawar
n river has been S2972 900. From thi
II 1t lis seen that for each do.iar apprc
"a priated for the Improvement OF Tn
Delaware river by the government owe
s32 in value Of foreign freights passe
through these channels in the singl
year of 1897; and that for each dOlla
III which has been expended on it's in
4 prcvement the government collected /
a. revenues in the single YEAR Of 1S9
A. 81 7O-100. A similar calculation al
piled to the iast ten years shcw
that the value OF these foreign freight
Is has been 312 times the total appr,
rs priatiOns for the improvement OF II
is river; and that the revenue collecte
H. from customs has been. during Il
ve same interval of ten years. over fift,
r one times the total amount apprCpr
ne ated by the government for the in
provement Of the river during the la
ur twenty-six years"
nm There can be NO doubt that the IN
Cd mediate future promises a great e
nd pansion of trade for the United State
We Tho machine shops and ROLLING mi
Isl or Pennsylvania are filling orders fro
OF various parts OF the world, and loo
fly motives cf our build are about to
lm wade Great Britain. The acquisiti
IN OF the Spanish islands win natural
promote commerce. and il is neceesa
IL that the harbors OF our country sh
- be fitted for the increase in traff
A thirty foot channel for the Deiawe
Ois VIII only place Philadelphia where /
hy chief competitors now are, and il
gh- probable that before that channel
,od competed projects for giving otf
,ve harhoTs thiIty-five feet channels will
a., under way. When the members
'en Congress from Pennsylvania labor
IN concert they can exert great infuen
Tx as was ehown in the passage OF
de- M1suem bill. let them in comm
lrb with their associates from New j
aep sey and Delaware. manifest equal
terest in the appropriation for the /
prOvement OF the Delaware. and tn
lew Efforts will likely be crowned W
he success.
the -
his II the Dodge Commission has a
ing powers OF deduction It has not ae
uch made them manifest
nor "