Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-13
HALF 4 MILLION FoR.THE HARBoR.

provement.
"The Board of Trade has decided to |
ask Congress to appropriate half mil
lion dollars for the permanent improve
ment of the harbor OF Wilmington.
This remark was made to q reporter of
The Gazette Saturday morning by Pre7i-
| dent Lawton OF the Board of Trade,
after he had been in consultation with
| other members Of that body. 1--WE will
| also ask the city," Mr. Lawton con-
| tinued, "to grant an annual appropria-
tiun of something like $40, 600, to assist
with the project and keep the harbor
in good condition after the work has
been completed. -
He stated that an examination Of the
4 Christiana River, which had just been
| made, revealed the unwelcome fact that
the Is foot channel which was recently
dredged averaged only about from 20
to so feet in width, instead Of $50 feet,
the original width made by the con-
tractor, the Now York Dredging Co.,
which completed its contract only a
few week. ago. The New York Dredg-
ing Co., Mr.. Lawton said, did its work
we'll aud made a channel the full width
and depth the required distance from
the mouth of the river up, but the
peculiar condition Of the mud in the
stream and also its odd shape had re-
suited in very rapid shoaliDg, which is
exceedingly detrimental 10 shipping.
The Bowers Hydraulic Dredging Co.
OF Camden, N. j., IL now at work on
2l-foot channel, and, as Mr.. Lawton
truly asserted, the shoals will be re-
moved aud in short time the stream
will have 81 foot channol, the re-
quired width, but that improved con
dition will be only temporary, and the
result will be the same as III the former
instance and in short time the city
, will have the same sort of waterway
!! that it had before the work begun,
with the exception, of course. of the
7 places where the improvements have
been made permanent; that is, at the
mouth Of the Brandywine, where a
jetty has been built, and at the mouth
of the Christiana, where an additional
. ietty has been put in.
. So it can readily be seen that it will
be necessary to keep on doing extensive
dredging year after year, just MS long as
the conditions remain unchanged. The
recent soundings were alarming. The
: shoaling was much greater than was
supposed. and there appears to he nc
I remedy except the bulkheading Of the
q stream. Consequently bill will be
2 prepared for presentation to Congress
| pTONtuiuR lub bulhuthulUR VI bus
stream from its mouth up as far as the
9 commercial interests Of the city require,
" and 10 order to meet the cost an appro
= priatlon of $500, 600 will be asked for,
3 1t Is not the idea of those interested tt
!, do the bulkheading along the hanks a.
= they now exist, but it is proposed tt
u have the bullxheading out some dis
y tanoe from the banks, so as TO make ;
q uniform width Of between 800 and 60t
~ feeh whereas atropresent the widti
V varies, In some places being 1,500 feet
u 1t Is believed that with narrower chan
y rel the results would be much better
ns The flow of water would be faster ant
ns most OF the sediment which is deposite'
o. in the stream would be washed out int
2. the Delaware River. A good dept
it could be easily maintained between th
10 bulkheads. The idea is to fill in bao
?, Of the bulkheading and make good fas
"a wharf land out of what is now marsh
he banks, and it has been suggested tina
K some of the lowland UP the strear
might be acquired with profit in cor
ck nection with the project. That is,
ne might be so arranged as to be auto
10. matically flooded when the tide
OF running IN and basins which would
ne made there would discharge their waite
re as the tide is running out, giving
ng greater force in the channel, which,
ire Is believed, would assist materially
washing out the sediment.
ne A bill will also be drawn up for pre-
iot sentation to the General Assembly |
no its approa ,hing session empowering tt
city to make an annual appropriate
me of 100000. Mr.. Lawton believes th'
OF it is only right that the city shou
make that outlay, on this ground tn
sewage and washings from the stree
are instrumental in the shoaling, ar
he doubts whether Congress won
old make the permanent improvement d
sired unless the city did its sha
Jay toward taking care of its sewage al
mn other deposits. After the bill is pr
10 pared by the Board Of Trade it will
me presented to City Council for the co
tne that il will receive the endorsement
the Council. 1t is Mr.. Lawton's opini
lte that the city will be forced to ia
ION that or some SIMILAR step at some futu
arm time, and he fears that il the plan su
ne gested is not adopted it may be niece
iho sary to build an intervening sewer
'ter the river at an enormous cost and
put annual expense for pumping of som
Mr. thing like $40, 600 or $50, 600.
olo According to the records in the off
was Of United States Engineer Smith, W
is ia charge OF the local harDor,
ex- annual deposit of city sewage and sire
ace washipgs in the Chriatana ri,
ms aggregates something like so, 600 cut
10 yards. The government enaineers ha
no. called attention to this and pointed q
,lor that 1t was great factor in the sho
Chs ing of the stream and suggested that
was the duty Of the city to pay for
removal. Up to the present time, be
ever, the city has done nothing in II
=, direction.
an AS to the proposed changes at Mari
ows street bridge, which the goyernm,
Y ~ has said must be made. Mr.. Lswi
vi.h said he was in hopes that the difficu
iien might be obviated by making tho
N. proaohss shorter and the draw long
ilns which, he believed, could be done
r ~ much less expense than by putting i
:. 'he new bridge Of different desigo. :"
y. must do whatever is necessary to
s ee,' oommodate the Harlan q Hollingswo
ooo; Co. - be said. "We are endeavor
anu to get new industries here, but we m
nere also keep those here that we now ha
VIII The business Of the Harlan & Holm
worth 90. last year amounted to
eeh, least 80, 900, 900, and we all know "
;ure ill.,, ~, ;,ons,li mants IN rema;n =
will hamper any such concern as I'll
Our watchword is progress and
n tho must offer every facility for progress
be t Continuing, he said: 1.-THE Diam
true State Steel Go. nut up its MANN