Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-10
HARBOR IMPROVEMENT
IMPORTANT FEATURE OF PLANS
FOR REBUILDING AT BALTIMORE.
Growing Demand for Increased Wharf
age-Height of Buildings Pro-
vokes Contention.
pecial Dispatch to The Evening Star.


BALTIMORE. March 10.-One of the most
Important matters to be laid before the
burnt district commission is the proposed
Improvement of the harbor. including the
widening of Pratt and Light streets The
demand for more street space TO accommo-
date the great traffic to and from the
steamship wharves is general among the
commission men, whose places of business
are near the water front and they re-
inforced by the business men in other sec
tons of the city who receive large con-
signments on the bay line and coastwise
steamers.
T. III. Evans. of the most prominent
commission men in the city. in discussing
the subject. said tc The Star correspondent
today:
Il am in favor of making the south side
OF Pratt street the harbor line from Light
street to Jones' Falls. and then fill in the
harbor sufficient to make Light street 1JJ
feet wide. and Pratt street should be widen
ed to the same extent. In conjunction with
some of my business neighbors We have
prepared a map showing the improvements
needed. Blue prints are now being made
and these will be laid before the commits
sion and the adoption of the plan strongly
urged
Grant Barber. another commission mer-
chant. said I'VE need sufficient doekage
on Pratt and Light streets to accommodate
all the smaller craft and bay steamers. and
the vessels of heavy draught could dock at
Locust Point and Spring Gardens. l value
my property as a business location very
highly. but | will cheerfully vacate the
pre- misses if greater and more commodious
Light street wharf can be secured
Demand for Greater Wharfage.
So urgent is the necessity for greater
wharfage facilities that john F. Williams,
one of the largest property owners on Light
and praft cfra ,tha
willing to donate their land to the city ie
the municipal authorities will widen these
two streets. The offers of property will be
laid before the commission this week. and
there is little doubt the improvement will
be decided upon.
Lumber dealers are also greatly interest
ed in the harbor Improvement plan and
delegation. consisting of Norman James,
Louis Dill, II. P. Duker. f. p. Gill and r.
n. Price, called upon Mayor McLane to
urge its adoption.
These gentlemen stated to me-, said the
mayor to The Star correspondent today,
that If the city assumes control of the
docks and makes the contemplated i'm
provements, the amount of lumber landed
here would be doubled. 1t is now about
$4,000 worth year and these gentlemen
say it could easily be brought up to $4,000
with proper facilities for unloading the
schoonnrs.''
There appears to be some likelihood of a
locking of horns between the mayor and the
city council the maximum height of
buildings to be erected.
Height of Buildings.
During discussion of the new ordinance
regulating the construction of buildings,
Councilman A. NJ. Sproesser, the republican
floor leader, said AS far as the mayors
desire to have the height of fireproof build
ing restricted to 10 feet and non-ireproof
to 70 feet. that makes no difference.
There is no use in making village of
the city. We can act for ourselves, or at
least the member from the twenty-second
ward (himself) The mayor represents
simply the executive branch of the city gov
eminent, and there is altogether too much
mayor heard from" AS agreement
could be reached on the ordinance, it went
over, and another skirmish is anticipated at
this evenings session.
A prominent member of the citizens
emergency committee. in discussing Coun-
Gilman Sproesser's remarks said: IF the
council feels there is too much MAYOR
then there is no one to blame save the coun-
Gil Something must be done, and the coun-
Gil has been holding nightly sessions to
indulge in child's play, and has permitted
others to do the thinking and planning.
City Must Not Suffer Paucity.
IF there is not force and brains enough
in the council to understand the duties of
that body, the members certainly cannot
expect the taxpayers TO permit the city to
suffer as a result If any councilman feels
aggr1eVed, let him show that he has the
ability to grasp the situation Instead of
too much mayor, there has been too little
council.
A report made by. the superintendent of
the nre alarm service shows that during
the progress OF the confiagration from Feb
ruary to February 8, forty-seyen alarms
and calls Were in fire Headquarters and in
no instance did they fail to register in the
BURNING area. This is regarded by fire de-