Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-01
CLAYMONT MAY BECOME A
COAL-DISTRIBUTING POINT
Latest Rumor Concerning the
sA Improvements There.
LARGE WHARvES MAY Be BUILT
Naaman's Creek Likely to be
.ss, n, Bridged.
The PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company, 1t
Is said, Contemplates Making the River
Front MT Clayinont One of the Chief
Points From Which TO Ship Coal.

A-reportis current at 0laymont 10 the
effect That it ie the intention OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Co. to make
that place'a central point for its coal
handling trade, which, II true. will
mako OIaymont one Of the most import
ant,placee on the great Pennsylvania
system. H. 10 rumored that that was
the object of the company in pufchas-
ing 30 much land recently. During the
pnst few months the company has
ACQUIRED nearly all of the land between
the Philadelphia turnEike, the present
railrcad tracks, the Delaware River and
NAHn1an's Greek, which is a very con
siderable tract. At the time the land
was being purchased it was given out
that the object was to get right of
way for q straight line. which would
enable the company TO abandon the
curve for passenger trains but it could
not be. understood why the company
wanted so much property for that pur-
pose. ls
Several people who had desire to
know Just what was up have been max.
ing some Inquiry, and, while they were
unable to obtain definite information,
learned enough to make them believe
that tho company had gigantic project
In view and that in all probability
CLAY mont would become great coas
distributing point 1t would be very
convenient for the company 10 build a
line oil wharyes and piers along the
Delaware River and make Mammals
Creek a harbor, where canal boats and
similar craft could be lUaded in short
order. The plan would probably be to
build bridges over the stream, upou
which the coal cars could he run and
the contents deposited 10 the boats be-
| low. The cars could be unloaded in
| that manner almost as rapidly as they
| could be run en- and off the bridges.
and less trouble would be ATTACHED to
that arrangement than to almost any
other. In this manner large number
1 Of canal boats and golfers could he
| loaded from the bridges in the creek,
while larger ocean craft could he loaded
from the wharves and piers on the river,
/ There appears to be magnificent OPP
portunity at Claymont for carrying out
such a project, as there is enough land
held by the 6ompany to give ample
| trackage facilities and the trains could
be handled as fast as they could be an
loaded, the company having practically
q four.track system TO Philadelphia.
/ Ehothoi NafuuthBo 10 lOuuh III tno
river itself. At that point the river is
wide and oan readily be navigRted by
all sortH Of boats under almost any con-
| ditibns, and there would be less trouble
1 from ice at that. point than higher up
| the stream, as the Troublesome part OF
the Horseshoe Bend is above and there
Is very little danger Of a tie-up, except
10 the most severe weather when, every
thing else is at q stahdstill. WharFes
at Olaymont could be reached many a
time in winter when boats, especially
those In tow, would find it impossible
to go further up the river.
i The coal industry is one of the
greatest features OF the Pennsylvania
Railroad Co.'s business and il Claymoni
should he made the distributing point
for the chief ocean trade it would be-
come q lively place.
i Work Is progressing rapidly on tbs
i Claynnont cutoff. Grading is being
done from both ends and rails have
u been laid from the northern end as fal
4 down as the Philadelphia turnpike, and
a car load of material was run over il
to the pike yesterday. The contractors
have put on additional men and now
have a force of about 100 The Western
N Union Telegraph Go. also has some
men at WORK where the railroad vii
GROSS the public road, changing tn,
positions OF telegraph poles to max,
room for the bridge abutments.