Evening journal., 1903-07-20
THE CHANNEL WORK
IS SATISFACTORY
Committee From Maritime
Exchange Makes Favorable
Report After Inspection

A committee OF the management OF
the Maritime Exchange, consisting OF
President j. $. w. Holton and several
members OF the Board of Directors,
have just completed an inspection Of
the various points mes. interesting 10
commerce on the Delaware River and
bay. Upon the whole, they are well
satisfied with the progress. and the
prospects FOR continuance of the
good work lnaugurated and now being
prosecuted by the United states Gov
ernment loking to thlrty-foot chan
mel from Philadelphia 10 the sea.
The report says in parts
The Harbor Of Refuge. with its mile
and hnlf bay front and its extension
In The shape Of fifteen (l5) detached
ice piers. situated al the entrance TO
Delaware Bay. is completed and avail
able for modern sized tonnage. seek
ing It's shelter Permanent light
houses and fog signals have not been
installed thereon as yet. and in the
meantime temporary structures ana
signals have been erected
The Maritime Exchange is now pre-
pared to communicate their views to
the Board of United States Engineers
as TO suggested possible additions or
notifications to the Harbor of Refuge
as at present completed next week
The trip of the committee up the
river afforded abundant opportunity
for reviewing the proposed additional
lighthouses and the various other aids
to navigation, which the Exchange IN
la communication 20 the Lighthouse
Board last year recommended TO be in
stalled, with "a view OF making the
thirty (30) foot channel when obtained
more thoroughly available for ship
ping by night as well as by day In
above connection, a bin viii be pre-
sented upon the convening OF Com
gress in December next. and at which
time % liberal appropriation win be
asked to begin the necessary work OF
construction OF lighthouses.
Through the medium OF the sundry
, civil bill, an additional liberal appro-
{ priation win be asked to continue the
improvement OF the work on the thirty
(3O) foot channel.
The committee had an excellent op-
portunty for observing the system OF
depositng dredged material by means
Of hydraulic appliances In artificial Is
land a." located below Reedy Island
the material referred TO being actu-
ally dredged from the Dan Baker ant
Duck Creek shoals Substantial pro.
gress was also noted In the construc.
tion OF the revetments for enclosinl
artificial island 3D." located two G.,
miles further up the river The latter
q construction, IL Is anticipated, viii bl
4 ready to receive material from dunn
q scows by the time island "a" Is file,
q TO its maximum capacity by the hy
a draulic pumps.
4 Work on the two co miles of bulk
n lhead, between Christiana River am
n Edge Moor. Is under way. but as We
no contract has been made for tn
a dredging of Cherry Island Flats, IN
\ material from which il Is anticipate
~ viii eventually be deposited behind tn
=. bulkhead above referred to.
= The work OF removing rock frou
i Schooner Lodge has not been place.
y under contract. ana IL remains to b
- developed whether the work will
eventually be let out to private parties
or whether the United States Govern
ment may be able to utilize one OF It
e. own plants for the purpose, and ais
3 of removing the outlying material re
& quired to be removed I'm addition &
d the rock.
n Upon the whole, the work Of advanc
ing the thirty (SO) foot channel ma.
p be considered as progressing satisfac
1 torlly although the rate of advance
:. ment cannot be too great for the bes
n Interests OF the commerce Of the Del
!. aware
Coming from the only body of prac
tical shipping men who are intereste
in this work. the report of this com
.- mittee, the members OF which hay
!. devoted much of their time and labo
:. to The betterment OF the facilities q
-. the port, viii be OF unusual interest.