The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-01
TO APPEAL TO CONGRESS.
PhiIHdeIPhiHns Anxious 10 Secure
Hnrbor improvements.


PHILADELPHIA. Nov. The action
Of General Gillespie Chief Of Engineers.
in cutting down the estimates 20 De sub
mitted TO Congress for appropriations 10
continue the work on the 30-foot channel
Of the Delaware has caused a furry
among the commercial bodies which have
been active IL behalf Of the river inn
DrOyemenJs. and every effort VIII be made
TO impress Congress with the great he
cessity for pushing the work as rapidly as
possible.
The maritime interests here. il is claim
ed. have materially suffered from the
failure Of the last Congress- 10 provide
Tor the continuance OF the deepening OF
the channel, and with the prospect of a
decreased appropriation for the next year
there Is anything but a hopeful outlook
Advocates Of abe Improvement viii con
Ceutrate all possible efforts 10 have a con-
work provided for by Congress. This will
be the basis Of the argument Of the Phil
adelphia delegation before the Committee
on Rivers and HarbOrs.
The joint executive committee on i'm
prOyemeut of the rivers and harbors Of
this city. Of which Joel Cook is the chair
man, VIII arrange 10 be heard by the
Rivers and HarbOgS Committee early in
continuous contract for the thlrty-foOt
channel Inc surveys and plans were all
II been
no new plans Of the channel since Isgs. all
though the manner OF carrying out these
Is subject 10 changes.
The portion Jf General GiIlespi.'s re-
cent recOmmcndati0us referring to the
increasing Of the depth Of the SchUylkiH
River Is taken from the report made by
Col w c. Raymond in March, lNyS Con
grvss at this time failed to act on the
suggestion. and since that time the orig
iDdl report Is regularly referred TO by the
superH lsinE engineer L're- Colonel Ray
mond. in his report. figured on giving
q -6-fOOt channel. 400 feet wide from the
mouth Of the Schuylknl 10 tho Walnut
Street bridge This work, he estimated
could be- completed at "a cost OF SI52 o.
90 1t was ignored by Congress. and
VIII, In an probability. not be brought
zap again for some years. al least until
the Delaware River deep channel work
is well under way
The present work on the 25-foot chan
mol is being continued under previous APP
| preparations. but these are about ex-
hausted. and after the present contract
| has been completed nothing more can be
! done until Congress makes further ap-
I preparations. The " ork az R-edv Islam
/ being done by the Virginia Dredging
Company. should have been completed
! y'st erday. according 20 the original con-
tract.
Up TO the first Of the present year there
was a default In the work of $50 600 Gu
/ bic yards in the dredging This default
WAS { HaliZec IN the cor tract al uue-thiri
of IN original price, which was g cents
| a cubic yard. When payments were ask
| ed the Auditor Of the Treasury deducted
2 cents per cubic yard FOR The default up
10 the first Of the year
/ The contractors refused 10 accept this
and have continued the work without
| having nap tc ihis time. received a sim
gle payment from the Government Since
/ January ] the work has been pushed bv
| thu contractors, so that the work AT the
present time is practically where il should
have been at the first Of tho year There
{ was AN additional S25 90 cubic Yards t0
/ be- drydged BY October r. The c0utracr
/ has been extended To June J. 1892 but ii
/ IS expected that the present contract will
I he completed before the end OF the year
I The Treasury officials. however. will in
/ sist on the > cents per cubic yard penalty
on AN OF the default. The matter of set
| Element Will undoubtedly De taken 10 Tho
/ Federal Courts. as the contractors insist
| that the penalty is Illegal