Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-01-19

ter.
Most of the report Of the Boston
chamber of commerce just issued is de-
voted to interests of Boston harbor
your board of directors are happy
to felicitate you upon the favorable
prospect for the early and substan-
tial improvement Of Boston hsrbor
channels. 1t will be remembered that
lust prior to the reassembling OF Con-
gress in December, 1889, your directors
gave a dinner ct the Exchange CLUB
to the senators and representatives In
Congress from this STATE, and there
presented a request for resurVey OF
Boston harbor for a channel 1000 feet
wide and 35 feet deep. This PROPOSE
ton was later embodied in bill intro
duced by Congressman Lawrence, and
in April 1900, a large and influential
delegation, representing the state. city
and various commercial organizations
appeared before the committee on rlv-
ers and harbors at Washington and
presented the claims of Boston for in
creased channel accommodations. The
survey requested was ordered by Con
gress and an appropriation made
therefor. Much to the disappointment
of those interested in the completion
of the project, the expense of a chan
mel of the dimensions proposed WIS
found to be prohibitive and a materi,
reduction in the width was found nee
essary.
early in December a committee
consisting of your president and secre'
tary, the president Of the Merchants
association and member of the land
and harbor commission went to
Washington for conference with the
rivers and harbors committee and
urged with great earnestness the ap-
proval of the full project recommend
ed by the engineers. 1t was found to
be impossible, however, to secure the
endorsement of so large an eXpendi-
ture and a revised project providing
for width of 1900 feet from President
roads to the sea, and 1900 feet from
President roads to the bridges in the
inner harbor was agreed upon, the es-
timated cost being $S,OOO,OO0. The bill
as reported to Congress by the COM
mittee appropriates 100000 toward
the $8,00O,v00 project and authorizes
contracts to be entered into for 3d.
900 900 more. There is every reason to
believe that this item of the bill will
receive the favorable action of Con-
gress, and that the preliminary steps
toward carrying out the project will
be taken at an early date.
"Your board feel that great credit
for the advanced stage which the pro-
ject has reached and the favorable out
look is due to Congressman Law
renee, the Massachusetts member OF
the rivers and harbors committee. He
has worked unremittingly to secure
this result, and in his efforts has re-
ceived the active and powerful sup
port of our senators and the represen-
tatives from every part of the state,
to whom also our cordial acknowledge
ments are due.
"In order to provide accommoda-
tiOns at the Hoosac Tunnel docks for
the new steamer Commonwealth,
which arrived at Boston on her maiden
trip in October, your board petitioneG
the state land and harbOr commits
preparation sufficient to dredge the
shoal opposite the docks to such depth
as required to permit the safe en-
trance Of the steamer The request re-
ceived the hearty enforcement ef the
commission and an appropriation
therefor was granted by the Legisla-
ture, the work being completed in am
pie season to accomplish the end
sought.
I'm connection with the work of i'm
proving Boston harbor, the state Of
Massachusetts has an important duty
to perform. Second only in impor-
tance to adequate channels for the safe
entry and departure Of steamers Of
the largest class seeking the port, is
the question of convenient and COM
modious anchorage ground. In this
essential feature of a harbor Of the
first class the port of Boston is sadly
deficient.
"At the present time there is no
place within our inner harbor where
an ocean steamer can anchor in
emergency save in channel, and the
danger to a 60O-foot vessel swinging
at anchor in a channel 1000 or even
1900 feet wide, as proposed, Il; easily
apparent. Hand in hand with the i'm
portant work of improvement of our
channels, upon which the general gov
ernment is about to enter, the state Of
Massachusetts must plan and carry
forward comprehensive scheme for
providing ample anchorage ground,
not only for the smaller craft that to-
day necessarily encroach upon the
main channels while at anchor, but
also for the largest steamship that
may have occasion to delay entering
her dock or leaving port.
1T is work which the general gov
ernment cannot assume and for which
1t clearly devolves upon the local au-
thority to provide. So deeply i'm
pressed were your directors with the
Importance of the question of anchor
age ground that more tnan year ago
letter was addressed to the land and
harbor commission, urging that board
to take the matter up at the earliest
moment and report thereon to the
Legislature. The board did SO and
upon their recommendation the Legis-
lature authorized the board, as the
first step, to prepare and submit a
comprehensive plan for providing ad-
ditional anchorage ground and make
a sufficient appropriation for the nec-
essary field and Office work in connec-
tion Herewith. Upon this project it is
expected that the commission will rem
der a report to the Legislature at the
present session, with appropriate rec.
concentrations"