Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-01-25
IAE new BREAkWATER
1t Will Probably be Completed During tho
Latter Part of Tins Year.
nj -, nj. lut. :

-
IL Will Probably be Completed During tho
Latter Part of Tins Yenr.
Phila irlphIa Times Saturday.
The close of the present year will
probably witness the completion of the
great breakwater that is being con-
structed ON the west side of the main
ship channel at the entrance to Della
ware Bay. When this vast under talk
ing is finished the artificial harbor will
have protected anchorage area of 552
acres, having a minimum low water
depth Of 30 feet and an additional area
of 200 ACRES with minimum low-water
depth of "a feet.
These combined areas are sufficient
to afford at one time safe anchorage
to the entire fleet of the greatest naval
power in the world. The average depth
Of the harbor inside the old breakwater
ranged from 12 to 20 feet.
The site of the new breakwater is
about two and one-fourth miles north
of the present Delaware breakwater,
about three miles from the government
pier at Lewes, and 10 miles from Cape
May. The heaviest winds from which
it will protect the national haibor are
those that come from eastuortheast.
The mean range CT the tide is four and
one half feet.
The bgeakwater, which will be one
mile and half in length, is to be con.
structed entirely of stone, and when com
| pleted will have cost between So, 900, COO
| and $4,000, 900. 1t is estimated that at
| least 1884, 900 tons of stone will be
used. OF, this vast mass 1858, 600 tons
have been already deposited, the past
year showing a record of 420, 600 tons
| dumped into the sea. At the lower end
| Of the great hreakwater the depth is
from so to 55 feet, and at the upper end
| it is about 10 feet.
The work began on May 4th, 1897,
and has been carried on vigorously
since except in the winter months, dur
ing which the stone-aden barges can
not plow through the ice. Hughes,
Brothers & Bangs of Syracuse, N. ",
have contracted for the building under
specifications approved by Col. G. W.
Raymond, and the immediate supeivi-
sion of the work has been entrusted to
Ellis d. Thomson of the United States
Engineer Corps.
| The work is Of two kinds. The sub
structure is Of rough rubble, techni.
cally known as rip-rap, in which the
stones are dumped on the site from
| barges within space of 80 feet, and
up to level of Is feet below mean low
water level. Between the latter and
mean water level the width of the
breakwater is narrowed to Al feet. Al
this point the second part of the worl
| the uperstructure-begi 1t has
the width of Al feet at the base and
slopes inward to n top width of 90 feet
where it is IA feet above mean low
water. The superstructure consists o.
walls built of very heavy stones along
the sea and harbor faces, the space be-
tween them being filed with rubblt
stones varying in size SO as to form {
compact mass.
Surveys made at the close of th,
working season last month showed tina
stone has been dumped, and it was be
cause of this inadequate depth that th'
construction of the new breakwater wa
undertaken over the entire length o
the breakwater for the substructure
which has been practically completed
or the first mile. The remainder ha
to receive more stone to acquire thu
necessary width and slopes. The super
structure has been completed from
point 10 feet below tho northwest ent
to a point /, 800 feet from the same, ane
has been partially completed for fur
ther distance of 600 feet.