The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-10-16
WILL BE OPPOSED
detiton against Movement
Tor Draw Bridge.
WOULD INJURE THE BEACH
Claimed That it Would Seriously
interfere With Schedules.

1t Would be Necessary for Cars to Stop
Both Going to the Beach and Re-
turning to See if Draw Was in Po-
sition-Property Owners on Beach
as Well as Consolidated Company
Will Oppose Putting a Draw in the
Banks Channel TrestIe - Only
Sharpies and Launches Can be Car
ried in the ChanAel it is SO Narrow.
The placing of a draw bridge over
the Banks channel, or at least requir-
ing that a draw be put in, is going to
be vigorously fought not only by the
Consolidated Company but also by
certain persons who are interested in
the improvement of the beach and be-
lieve that a draw bridge would be a
serious hindrance. A petition is being
circulated against the move and will
be presented to Major Winslow at the
hearing to be held in Wilmington on
the 18th in regard to placing a draw
in the bridge. The hearing is to take
place in the Office of the United States
corps of engineers On the third flood
of the p~ostoffice building. 1t is under
stood that if the war department sees
tit to rquire the company to put in a
draw where the bridge is now located
that they would also be required to
put n in were the line to be changed
SO as to cross the sound at Greenville.
The petition being circulated reads
DIS follows:
Wilmington, N. c., Oct. 10, 1906.
10 the United States District Engineer,
Wilmington, N. C.
Sir
The undersigned owners Of property
and summer residents of the town of
Wr1ghtsville Beach, having heard that
a petition has been made by certain
people, that a draw be ordered to be
put in by Consolidated Railways Light
and Power Company in it's trestle be-
tween the HammOcks and Wrights-
vile Beach, N. c., respectfully request
that said petition not be granted, for
that, If a draw should be put in this
bridge it would be a great in conven-
fence to the travelling public, to your
petitioners, and all residents and prop
erty owners of Wrightsville Beach.
and would be a benefit to but one or
two people, to-wit: the owners of one
or two sharpies, and we understand
that the owners of these sharpies are
not residents Of Wrightsville Beach
but simply come to Wrightsville
Beach for two or at most three months
during the summer for the purpose Of
carrying sailing parties. A draw in
this trestle is not a necessity, but upon
the other hand would be only a con
venience to these owners of sharpies,
and a great inconvenience to the pub
lie. There are cars running over this
trestle every fifteen minutes, running
on regular schedule, and connecting
with trains in Wilmington from and
for different points, north, east, south
and west, and this entire schedule
would be disarranged and could not
be depended upon if a draw was put
in this bridge, and would have to be
opened to meet the convenience Of n
or two persons, when vast public in
terests are involved in the use Of this
bridge as it now stands without the
draw and the bridge as it is at present.
is a great benefit and convenience TO
the public and has been for a number
of years, and the traffic and travel in
crease to a greater extent each year
and the inconvenience of a draw
would increase as time went On.
There is not sufficient depth of water
in the Banks Channel over which this
bridge crosses to be used for CONNER
cial purposes. or freight-carry!ng
boats or vessels 1t is only used by
small pleasure boats, such as skiffs
and sharpies, and this channel does
not connect with any other channel
that is navigable for any commercial
purposes. This channel does connect
with what is known as Moore's Inlet
leading into the cean, but MCore's
Inlet is not navigable except at high
, tide, and the channel through it to the
ocean is only fifteen feet wide. This
trestle connects Wrightsville Beach
with Wrightsville Sound Wrights-
vile Beach is a suburban resort and is
visited by thousands of persons daily
during the summer season. These
visitors come from all over North
Carolina, and from a great many CT
the southern states. There are during
the months Of July. August and Sep
TENDER large crowds of excursionists
coming into Wilmington over the diff
ferent railroads arriving at Whining
ton and go down to Wrightsville
Beach almost daily. These excursions
bring from six hundred to one thous-
and people upon each trip and these
crowds, with the regular travel be-
tween Wilmington and Wrightsville
Beach, necessitates the running Of a
quick schedule, which would be i'm
possible if a draw should be placed
in this trestle.
Wrightsville Sound is also a summer
resort and large numbers of people
i've there during the summer season.
and is the home of many people dur
ing the winter, and these people are