Evening journal., 1903-10-03
SANFORD FAVORS
|. BINGHAM 5 PLANS
Government Engineer Heart
lily Endorses Thirty-hve
Foot Channel
SHOULD Be FINISHED IN JULY 1906
Work of Renewing the Mud at Cherry
Island Flats Was Begun by the
Dredsc Boat Cape Fear This Morn
irc

Captain = C. Sanford. the United
States engineer in charge Of the work Of
deepening and widening the river Della
ware, has been the recipient Of many con-
eratnlatory letters and messages since
a couple of weeks ago he expressed his
opinion that the channel should be ex-
tended to a depth Of thirty-fve feet and
to a width Of seven hundred feet II the
port Of Philadelphia IS ever to be a great
one and to hold the position Of the At
iantic httoral which nature intended her
to hold.
The Endorsements of nearly every busi-
ness organization in Philadelphia have
shown how intensely Captain Sanford.
Expressions have echoed the thoughts and
wishes Of commercial Philadelphia. On,
apparent hitch alone remained, and thai
was suggested in the interview with Gen.
eral Bingham recently. 1t was TO the ef
feet thar The thirty-foot channel now ir
course OF construction must first be com
pleted before Congress can be asked foi
a new appropriation for a thiriy-hve-foo
channel. In this regard Captain sanfor,
says:
Thirty Feet in Two Years.
'The General is quite right about that
but there is nothing TO prevent our beinl
prepared to place Congress in possession
Of the facts Of the ease at the earlies
possible moment after the thiriy-fooi
channel is completed. II everything goes
well with our present arrangements ant
calculations the thirty foot channe
should be finished by July. 1905.
Now, very naturally, before we can ex-
pect or hope that Congress will give US an
appropriation for new enterprise, W,
must conclude the one we are presently
working UPON. SO 1t may be with some
safety stated that when the bulkhead,
are completed. which will be about mex
July. our work should be plain sailing
and by the end Of two years we shoul,
be In a position not only to ask for fur
ther improvements. but 10 be ready will
survey, plans and estimates. so that al
Congress would have to do would be Z
consider our propositions and decid
whether they win grant our prayer.
a Simultaneous Survey.
'-The actual time likely to be empioye
lin making the new survey would be.
should say, less than three months. Yo
see, when the original survey was mad
the river had to be taken in from ban
to hank and right down to the cape;
Now we would not have to go furthe
than the head Of the bay, or nearly oppt
site Bombay Hook, about fifty miles an
we would simply survey the existin
lchannel and a margin on either side Of
to make the necessary width. The tota
lexpense could hardly be more than 5000
probably less because It can be don
while the present work is going on.
AS to the cost Of again deepening an
widening the channel after the presen
work is completed. that is something O
which I must not speak for publication
Int Is strictly against the rules Of any de
lpartment for any one to make estimate
until instructed by the department Itself
but. apart from this have not even 70
my own satisfaction. taken the troubl
as vet to make estimates for work tha
lis at the present speaking so far away
Let me say here how deeply gralufied
am at the many expressions Of congratu
llation I have seen, heard and received a
the result Of my expressing my own opin
don a short time ago. 1t Is always
ldeep pleasure to feel that one is under
stood and appreciated"
The dredge boat Cape Fear came up IN
river last night ITO Cherry Island Flat.
where the mud has silted until 1T is no.
twenty-five feet from the surface at hig
water. The work Of removing this mu
was begun this morning.