Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-12-07

lotus iooo, at poiub uppup u'o iooo
above Lobdell's canal, with the
hydraulic dredge Boston, and has con-
tinued, with some Interruptions during
the severe winter weather, to the
present time. The channel was dredged
upstream toward the p, w. Il b. rail
road cutoff bridge No. 3, until March
10th, 1898, when tho dfedge was taken
back to the plhce of beginning to work
downstream tn the Delaware River,
which curing the winter it had been
unable to do. This portion OF the
dredging was completed on May 18th,
and operations were then begun be-
tween the cutoff bridge and Third
street br idge, where dredging has been
carried on to date. The operations to
the close of the fiscal year consist of
the dredging of a channel 200 feet wide
and Is feet deep Mt mean low water
from just below the cutoff bridge TO
the 1871 foot contour In the Delaware
River, distance of 1893, feet; the
dredging of channel length of 2, 2l3
feet between the cutoff bridge and
Third street bridge to the full dimen-
sions, and 403 feet to but 100 feet wide,
and channel into the south draw of
the cutoff bridge, 100 feet long, OF
| which 80 feet is 100 feet wide and %
feet an average of So feet wide. The
depth vas Is feet at mean low water.
Upon the completion of dredging in
the section of the river, about l,aO0
feet in length, below the mouth OF the
Brandywire, now in progress, con-
| tinuous channel 200 feet wide and IL
feet deep at mean low water viii have
been dredged from the 18-fuot contour
in the Delaware River to above the
mouth of the Brandywine.
Under the contracts for rock removal
the entire area Of the upper ledge has
been drilled and blasted and most of
tho broken rock removed to the required
depth, and on the lower ledge an area
of 3,7.4 square feet has been drilled
and blasted, or about third of the
entire area. At the close Of the fiscal
year the maximum draft that could be
carried over the shoaest part of the
section of the river which has just been
dredged was Is feet and for the re-
mainder of the river, up to the pulp
works, 1t was 10 feet.
The river and harbor act of March
I'd, 1899, made provision for the com
pletion of the pre- iect as follows:
"Improving harbor at Wilmington
and Christiana River, Delaware: Con
tinuing improvement, S45. 600, of which
amount $50, 0G0, or SO much thereof as
may be necessary, shall be used fol-
maintenance, and the Secretary Of War
may enter into contract or contracts
for such materials and work as may be
necessary to complete the project OF i'm
provement, in accordance with the
protest submitted by the board OF engi
ueers, in its report OF October Sd. 1886,
, and including the removal OF rock from
the channel as recommended in tht
, annual report of the chief of engineer:
for 1897, to be paid for as appropria.
tions may from time to time be madt
by law, not to exceed in the aegI egat,
800, $50. exclusive of the amount herr
in and heretofore appropriated, tina
) being the amount repoi ted by the chic
of engineers as necessary to complete
said project.
Measures are now in progress looking
1 toward the completion of the project.
$ The tonnage and value of the leading
articles shipped to and from the port o
0 Wilmington in the yeal 1898, as re
2 ported by the Board of Trade. wer
3 61i,3l5 tons, valued at sl26, $40, ,675
$ Tho foreign commerce amounted t.
s4, $50, 500 additional. Between Sl3,
!, oOO,00O and Sl5, 100000 is invested il
: manufacturing and mercantile interest
:, on the Christiana River. These inter
1t ests, as we'll as the very extensive ship
!. building interests, warrant liberal ap
y preparations.
d The estimate susbmitted with thi
v report il for the amount required fo
# the completion Of the present project
Q in conformity with the authorization
; above quoted, and for maintenance
!. not embrace in the estimate for tn
It work July 1st, 1893, balance unexpeno
!, cd, "a cents; amount appropriated b
q sundry civil act approved July Isl
! 1893, S205, SAC; amount Appropriated b
10 river and harbor act nrproyed Marc
l. I'd, 1890, $4,000; total, S250,Si6 "a
8 June Both, 1899, amount expended du
10 ing the fiscal yeai, sol. 35s So; July Is
10 1889, balance unexpended, Sl99. 4SS. Il
W July 1st, 1899, outstanding liabilities
'r IS. $50; July lst, 1899, amount covere
I'd by uncompleted contracts, sl90,00t
't total, sl9s, 250 July lst, 1893, balan'
er available, s1,23S. 16; amount lest
y mated) required for completion I
III existing project. S2o5, 7S0; amount tn;
Mt can be profitably expended in the fisc
ed year ending June Both, 1901, for worl
in Of improvement, S205, ,720; for mai
AZ, tenance and imp 500, 600; tota