Evening journal., 1900-12-03
AbutmeRt a Grave Menace
to Navigation
ANOTHER BIG BOAT BUILDING
1t Is 400 Feet Long and Harlan and
IIOIlingSWOrth Fears She Will :
be Unable to Get Out
afternoon

Again on Saturday afternoon
was it demonstrated to many
persons, as well as the officials
Of the Harlan and Hollingsworth Com
pany, that the centre pier of Market
street bridge not only prevents big
cruisers and battleships from being
built in Wilmington, but is a menace
to any ship between 200 and 500 feet
In length. 1t required the greatest skill
and care to get the new steamer James
S. Whitney through the draw without
damaging it or the bridge.
Public sentiment is being aroused
that such small affair as the
centre pier of Market street bridge
should keep billions of dollars worth of
shipbuilding from this city Working
men and labor organizations in gem
eral are beginning to realize the eX-
tTeme Importance Of having a new
draw bridge over the Christiana river
at Market street.
In tow Of the tugs Meteor and
Amanda Powell, the 290-foot Whitney
was carefully taken through the draw.
Skill and clear-headedness were requi-
site to keep the boat clear of the CEN
tire pier of the draw on one side, and
Orange street wharf on the other AT
times the stern was within a few feet
of the wharf, while the bow was al
most touching the bridge pier. It was
apparent that it would be impossible to
have taken the boat through had there
been a stiff breeze. Persons standing
along the shore, as well as those on the
boat, when the Whitney passed through
Market street bridge, could plainly see
what a serious obstruction the present
arrangement Of the bridge is to naviga-
ton.
There is at present building in the
Harlan and HollingswOrth shipyard
steamer about 400 feet in length and
there are grave doubts as to being able
10 get her out Of the river.
It is realized by the officials Of the
Harlan and Hollingsworth Company
that they have big job ahead of them
when they try to take the big Mallory
liner (now building) through the
bridge. The steamer will be over 100
feet longer than the Whitney, and when
it is remembered that the Alamo. a
350-fOot boat, carried away portion Of
the fence on Blumenthal's Orange
street wharf while the boat was passing
through the draw, it seems almost i'm
possible to get the A00-fo0t liner
through the bridge. A person has to
be on a boat passing through the draw
to FULLY appreciate the structural i'm
perfections Of the bridge as it now
stands
The Harlan and HollingswOrth Com
pany Is nov bidding on work 500 feet
and over in length, and should the firm
OBTAIN these contracts the bridge OBJ
struction would be a serious disadvan-
tage to the company and its employees.
According to the recent explanation
and complaint made both to the u. S.
War Department and to the Levy Court
of New Castle county. by the Har-
Ian and Hollingsworth Company, the
trouble does not lie in the width be-
tween the centre pier and the land ap-
proach to the bridge but in the ap-
proach to the bridge by water, which.
owing TO the peculiar shape Of the
shores of the stream, makes it impos-
sible to get a big boat squarely into
the channel of the draw without foul
ing With a smaller boat like the
whitney it required considerable work
to get safely through the draw.
10 the Levy Court and to the War
Department the Harlan and Hollings-
worth Company has petitioned that the
centre pier of the bridge be removed
and such bridge substituted as will
allow the local company to bid upon
DIE ships Tor the government and big
ocean liners Of four, five and six hum
dred feet. The company has set forth
In its petition that its plant is fully
equipped to do such work and has alsc
enough water to float such big boats
having a uniform depth of twenty-on,
feet at mean low water, from the
wharves Of the company to the Della.
ware river but is prevented from
bidding upon the largest vessels ON ac
count of not being able to deliver sucl
boats safely through Market stree
bridge. Representatives Of the Harlan
and Hollingsworth Company say thai
in a number Of instances lately. ths
company was obliged to decline worl
Of this large class, although it could
have constructed the vessels to tn,
Same advantage as its competitors.
Resides the above arguments. tn,
Harlan and HOllipgsworth Company
has cited in behalf OF its legal right r
petition, the act of Congress of Marcel
3, 1893, entitled "An Act for the Pro.
tection and Preservation of the Navi
gable Waters of the United States, sec
tiOn 1S."
It is stated by the local company
that it disburses over s10O0OOO yearl.