Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-06-16

the christIana TO Wilmington.
speciai Correspondence Of c.azotfe and Journal
Warrington, Juna 10. The action of
Congress In ordering an appropriation
for the Improvement Of the harbor at
Wilmington to he inserted in the Sun
dry Civil Appropriation bill, will he
welcome news to all Wilmingionians,
who have been striving to have the gov
eminent appropriate sufficient amount
to uarry on the much needsd resulte.
In Offering the amendment for tho
appropriation 10 tho House, kepresen-
tative Handy said;
This appropriation is for m import
ant harbor, and il ia sorely needed
without further delay. This harbor lie
the second In importance on the great
waterway known rs Delaware River
and bay. The city of Wilmington has
some 10, 600 people, and they are busy
commercial aud manufacturing people.
The Chrlstiana River bears their com
merce for short distance out to the
deep channel OF the Delaware.
The commerce which thus floats
smounta to S26. 600, 600 in value every
year A number of great industrial es-
Establishments IRE located on the Chris
tiana at Wilmington. My understands.
ing ia that sl3, 600 10 invested in
the riants there. Five thousand en-
pluyes work there. IL Is easy to see
that the gentleman from Illinois Mr..
Canuun) Ia quite right in his opinion
that this is real river and harhor--one
where the business justiiies and de-
mands governmental improvement.
The proposition to improve and
deepen the Christina River and Will
mington harbor is not new one. The
government made its first appropriation
for this purpose as early as 1896. From
time to time since then money has hee
appropriated for this worthy purpose
Ia now estimated that 1t will require
e476, 625 more TO complete tho present
project and give q feet OF water an
mean low tide. We are spending mil.
lions to make a deep channel from thu
sea all the way up to Philadelphia. II
would be foolish to open the great chan.
mel and yet fail to open the harbort
which arc located on it. Any shiI
which can cume up the Delaware ought
20 he able to enter the harbor OF Will
mington.
would not press the war situation
to course Of reasoning to which II
does not properly apply, but feel jus
tilted in calling attention to the fac
that one OF tina largest and best
equipped shipbuilding CONCERNS in tn,
country Ia located on the Christiana
Tho Harlan & Hollingsworth Co. ar,
famous shipbuilders. They bid for thu
contracts to construct war vessels. The,
are now at work on torpeduhoat de
siroyer. At present they can not built
the biggest warHhirs because the deptl
OF water ia lacking between their shop
and the deep channel OF the Delaware
This appropriation will go to worl
which will open deeper water for thes
excellent shiphuiders. A new anu in
dependent bidder fur the contracts /
build the great ships Of the navy nigh
save the government large sums @
money. $1,000.
There is another view desire TO pre-
sent in connection with this Senat
amendment. This river and harbo
item Ia not pushing IN ahead of othe
river and harbor items Of tina sam
kind. Many districts represented q
this floor are waiting for river an
baYnor bill. / have many river an
harbor projects in my own district thf
are waiting in the same way, and vii
OF course, bs forced TO wait We ca
not properly push a few favored piac,
ahead OF all the others. aud woul
not venture to ask gentlemen to q
that but this Wilmington harbor
not, however, pushing ahead to lead Il
procession. 1t Is, in fact, straRgle
far 10 the rear OF its proper place.
is asking now for what 1t should pro-
erly have received two yeara ago.
In q certain sense l am asking yc
-. I'D In otI
item OF the river and harbor act of 1880
Congress- at that time atrove to provid
and thought it had provided for tn
work. BY q construction Of tina Ia
nut upon IL by the Engineer Depar
ment, which the gentleman from Illind
has explained, this work has not be-
done. There Ia no other river and ha
Dor item that know OF standing M
In exactly the same condition. !
willing to leave the whole caee witho
further explanation on this point th
has been made BY the gentleman fro
Illinois (Mr. Cannon).
Let me, however, call attention
the following formal resolution, viii
was passed by the river and barb
committee of tho House on April got
1898. 1t ia addressed to the appropri
lions committee OF the House, and
ne follows:
Resolved, That the committee
appropriations be, and they are here
requested TO agree to Senate amen
ment No. 176, which will carry out
intention of Congress- relative to
improvement of Wilmington harb
Delaware. in the river and harbor
of 1885,.
The river and harbor committee
this House have by this formal reso
tion asked the Appropriation Comm
Zee to concur 10 this Senate amer
meut The House conferees hi
thought best to submit the matter
the House itself for decision. I'M
the circumstances the resolution of
river and harbor committee just n
RmountH to request or recommen
ton to the House to concur in I
Senate amendment. Mr.. Speaker,
ask for vote.