Evening journal., 1899-04-14
THIRTY FOOT CHANNEL
Surveys and Costs Considered
By the Board Yesterday.
COLONEL RAYMOND EXPLAINS

FROM THE PRESENT OUTLOOK |
THERE WILL BE NO WORK UNTIL |
NEXT FALL AT LEAST, AS GER |
TAIN NECESSARY INFORMATION |
MUST BE SECURED.
The Board OF United States Engineers
on the thirty foot channel for the Della
ware river held a long session at the
office Of Lieutenant Colonel Raymond, |
United States engineer. in Philadelphia,
yesterday. and late i'm the afternoon adj
journed to meet again when certain in
formation deemed necessary by the
board before its report can be prepared,
has been secured. 1t was decided by tho
board that st would be necessary to have
new surveys made of the Bombay Hook
and Reedy Island reaches Of the river,
which include Dan Baker shoal and Duck
Creek fats the broad shoals at its mouth.
In addition, information is desired con-
cerning the work performed by the city
in the removal Of rock from the channel
at Schooner Ledge shoal, below Chester
The city contractor of Philadelphia Is
sth working with the leisure which has
characterized his entire performance at
this point. and the members of the board
fear that there win be more delay In Sc
curing the information at Schooner Ledge
than at the two shoals named, because
the data cannot be secured until tho
work Is completed
The decision of the board means that
there will be no actual beginning Of work
on the thirty foot channel until next
year. The information which is required
will. it is expected. be ready In July. The
report OF the board. with a new estimate
Of the cost Of the work and certain modi-
hcations of the project will then be pre-
pared and submitted TO the secretary OF
war As soon as the report has been APP
proved by that Cabinet officer proposals
can be asked for the S5OO,OOO of work on
the thirty foot channel authorized by
Congress and the contract can be award
ed. 1t IS probable that this preliminary
work will require practically the entire
Summer and that Autumn will have ar
rived by the time the contract has been
awarded. Everything will then be clear
for an early beginning in the Spring Of
1900.
Lieutenant-ColonelG Garrett j. Lydecker,
the president Of the board, left yester-
- ldg hIAtlMQNM A0i " AHllAlAH ANlls AAdlNA " 81
H. Bixby. the third member. went TO New
York last night Lieutenant-Colonel Ray
mond, the second member of the board,
in discussing its decision. at his office. in
the Witherspoon building, Philadelphia,
yesterday, said;
COLONEL RAYMOND's EXPLANA-
% TION.
"The River and Harbor bill.in authoriz-
ing a continuing contract OF S5OOOOO for
y deepening the channel Of the Delaware
river to thirty feet. required a board OF
y engineers TO make new estimate Of the
: cost Of the entire work. The surveys or
-. which my estimate was made were I'm
;, ished in 1897. No doubt some changes
have occurred since, and the board wants
to know where they may have takeT
place 1t is thought that the creates
changes have taken place in the Bombay
Hook and Reedy Island reaches, at thl
mouth Of the river which include Dal
3 Baker shoal and Duck Creek fats. Tn
r only other part Of the river where addi
r tonal information is needed is a
Schooner Ledge shoal. where rock is be
rs ing removed under contracts with tn
n city of Philadelphia. The deepening o
Lllt EndUutl al LlllH HbllA 10 AlAA ~ ANNA q
low water will be very expensive on ac
at count Of the rock which has to be re
a moved. Until the city has completed II
by present work. which consists Of maxim
e. final survey the board will be unabl
nd to make an estimate of the entire cos
sc The city i believe, expects that the wor
80 at Schooner Ledge will be finished
ey June. AS soon as we get the results c
the survey on its completion, the boar
r. will have all it wants for the new est
ed mate required by. Congress. 1t will n'
ur take more than two months TO make
rs resurvey of the lower reaches Of N
nut river. Three surveying parties win
he put to work at once.
,se If the board directs, a $4,000 contra'
ar can he made for work on the 30 foot char
H. mel before Congress assemblies but v
be cannot begin actual work this season.
do not think that will make very muC
EN- difference for we shall go ON during Il
Of present season. and spend money whiC
cir is available on the improvement Of Il
rot present % foot channel / am much e
couraged. for ! was at frs; afraid tn
Congress had so tied up the authortz
ton of the beginning of work on the
fu- lOOt cudnnel Win pIoNlooo lldt We MNN
err be unable to do anything until the ma
rk. ter had again been referred to Congres
"a, THE QUESTION OF PRICE.
3. THE question of prices must be car
rk; fully considered. hope they will he
ol- higher than in my original report.
7. first ! was afraid that the authori
An- given was for a contract Of such smi
ius amount. when compared with the enti
old cost Of the work, that we would not
md able to get very low prices. / thin
acc however, we have gotten over that dif
the Guilty. and that the new estimates OF ec
will be within the original estimate ma
in January. 1898. The River and liarh
bill required that the new estimate
ses the entire cost should not exceed /
tho original estimate which was, in rou
fed figures. S6OC0.OOO. If II should exceed
low old estimate. / believe the whole max
the would have to go back to Congress.
ee. zone of the questions 10 be consider
met is where work under the contract OF 80
The 600 had best be done. 1t is very SIN