Evening journal., 1904-10-11
CURRENTS NOW TURNED
INTO NATURAL SCOURER


fast as it is being dredsed out. Before
long the bulkhead will be filled and
something like 100 acres Of the richest
soil nature can furnish will be added
to the state of Delaware.
Passing Of the Flats.
At the present time the Edge Moor
bulkhead Is being filled up with mater
ial dredged from the Cherry Island fats
by the suction dredge Burton. Under
the Burtons persistent efforts Cherry
Island flats are rapidly ceasing to be
one Of the worst spots in the river.
At best however, the flats will al
ways be more or less a thorn in the
flesh Of the friends Of the deep water
channel. Several times they have been
dredged out only to fill up again. The
peculiar current conditions we're and.
10 some extent still are, such that they
we're a depositary for up-river mud.
One or two of the worst spots in the
river-where there are only twenty
three feet at low water, are at Cherry
Island flats. These places are fast dis
appearing
The suction dredge which was
brought here a. the suggestion OF Major
Sanford seems to be the best thing yet
devised to deal with these troublesome
conditions. The Burton is now work.
ing off Edge Moor. In appearance she
looks like a squatty freight steamer OF
powerful build. When she is in action
-as she is for twelve hours each day
she is as dangerous to go near as a
c1ff,an 1tcfrfbtfffucr funncfar
Great streams Of foul looking stun
shoot from holes on either side Of her.
At a casual glance it would look as
though the Burton was sucking up mud
only to shoot II out again from her
sides. This is far from the case. The
filthy looking stuff that pours back in
torrents into the river is merely the
refuse OF muddy water after the real
mud, that is the channel filler. has
been safely slowed away in the Bur-
toms big wells.
The Burton's System.
In her system Of attacking the river
bottom the Burton differs entirely
from the scoop dredges The latter re-
move the mud and rock by sending
down monster shovel or digger. The
big pipe. There is one of these pipes
on either side of her. The nozzle
touches the bottom OF the river and
the boat moves slowly along, while
powerful engines suck up the dirt and
rock and shoot 1t into the dredger's
hold.
An idea Of how much this big ma
chine can accomplish in a day can be
gained when It is known that it only
takes her thirty minutes to load up,
and each load means an immense
amount taken from the channel bottom.
She makes twelve trips a day to the
Edge Moor bulkheads, shooting her
load behind the mass OF piling and
rocks, where it is slowly adding acres
to the state Of Delaware.
1t is believed that the Burton is
going to do more to remove Cherry Is
land flats than has been done in years.
When the day comes that the entire
work OF digging a deep-water channel
is completed 1t is hoped by maritime
men that the Burton or some other boat
of the suction dredge type can be kept
here as a sort OF ounce Of prevention.
BY working up and down the channel
lit is believed she would remove danger
from future fills.
The Edge Moor bulkhead, too, is ex-
pected to do its share towards concen-
trating the forces of nature so that the
river will seour its own channel
The work in and about the Cherry
Island flats is one of the most import
ant that Is being done on the whole
plan of channel construction.
Vigorous critics have denounced the
theory OF bulkhead construction from
time to time. Particularly severe have
they been on the other big bulkhead
which is being built down near Reedy
Island.
This is one Of the most gigantic units
in the entire channel enterprise.