Evening journal., 1906-08-17
CAN SPEND MILLION
ON DREDGING NOW
Government Report on Chan
mel Work Says That Amount
CanBePrOfitabIy Expended
FIGURES OF LAST YEAR

Lub ACTUAL Wvlh VI ultNbihb "a lit4A
ty-foot channel in the Delaware river
from Philadelphia to the state line
has been begun by dredge Hell Gate
on a section" east Of Tinicum Island.
where 100000 cubic yards OF earth
must. be removed.
The section" to be dredged by the
Hell Gate is $500 fet long and the
average depth to be dredged is six feet
The Hell Gate will begin i'm the middle
Of this range and move down river.
There are fve SECTIONS" TO be drug
between the State line and Christian
street. and Major Sanford, who has
charge OF the work for the government
estimates that 5.50o0OO cubic yards will
be taken out.
OF the bids received that Of the
American Dredging Company was low
est This is for work in conjunction
with that done by the government. The
specifications permitted the bidders 10
say whether they would dump the
dredged material within the limits Of
Pennsylvania territory or at places
provided by the contractor in Penn
sylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware.
The American Dredging Company
made the lowest bid, offering TO do the
work for a lump sum of s43O.400, or at
the rate Of IS ss7-lOOO cents a cubic
yard, with the privilege OF dumping in
New Jersey. Pennsylvania, and Della
ware. If restricted to dumping in
Pennsylvania they bid S456300.
In view of the fact that the actual
work Of dredging the Delaware channel
has been started, the last report of the
United States Army's Chief Of Engi-
neers on the progress of the Delaware
River improvements is timely.
This gives S1,OO0O0O as the amount OF
money that can be profitably expended
in the year ending June 30, 1907.
Amount That Has Been Spent.
The report shows that the entire
amount expended i'm this way from
1886 TO June 80, 1905 under appropria-
tions for special localities and the gem
eral river Improvement, not including
Philadelphia harbor, was $6,279. .27S.97
Of which S12i,5OO was expended on the
part of the river between Trenton and
Philadelphia. '
The total amount expended on the
26-foot project since its adoption iH
1885 was Sl532, ,6SS.8l of which about
100000 is estimated to have been ap-
piled to maintenance. In addition to
this expenditure Sl46 9G3 26 has been ex-
pended since the adoption of the 26-
foot channel 1885 on special locali-
ties the rver under appropriations
made for the purpose.
The report shows that work under
the exstng project was begun under
I Ia.s. . No..
] River and Harbor Act of 1889. In 1900
S2705O0 was appropriated for continuing
the Improvement; in 1901, S61i5OO; IN
1902 100000. with authority to contract
| for S2400.0OO additional i'm 1908. S500,OOO
with authority to contract for Sl,OOO,-
0OO additional The report continues:
"Up TO the close Of the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1905, the sum of s3,-
247626.9O was expended on the work
Of the existing project in surveys, in
operations at Baker Shoal. Duck Creek
Flats. Salem Cove Flats Shoal, Cherry
Island Flats. Deep Water Point.
Schooner Ledge ana Tinicum Island
Flats. and in the construction OF bulk
heads for the reception Of dredging
material A suction dredge is under
construction.
'None of this amount is considered
as applied to maintenance. as the orig
| inal project estimate includes mainten-
ance until completion of the work.
The Work Summarized.
The report also SAYS
at Baker Shoal the work OF bulk
head construction has resulted in the
completion Of 30627 linear feet OF
structure. At Cherry Island Flats the
work of the bulkhead construction has
resulted in the completion Of 4.5S5 lin
ear feet of structure.
"The work of dredging. under the
thirty-foot project, has resulted IN the
formation Of a channel 30 feet deep at
mean lown water. about 2O5OO feet
long and with an average width Of soc
feet through the upper part of Baker
Shoal, a channel of the same depth
with length of $4,000 feet and 600 feet
/ IN width through Duck Creek Flats
! Shoal and a channel OF the same
depth and 500 feet IN width for a dis
tance Of 1850 feet through Salem Cove
FLATS shoal
"The channel through Cherry Island
/ Flats. Deep Water Point range and
Tinicum Island Flats has been deep
ened ard improved by suction dredges
"The greatest draught Of water that
could be carried at mean low water on
June 30, 1905. over the shoal and the
part OF the river below Philadelphia
was about % feet at a short shoal near
the lower end Of Schooner Ledge
range.
Freight Movement on Delaware.
For 1890 the total foreign freight
movement on the Delaware River wa.
estimated at 2.92S.994 tons, and the to-
tai domestic freight movement at s..
1892 tons; total 11.356.270 tons Foi
1904 the total foreign freight movement
was estimated at 8609.413 tons. and tn,
total domestic freight movement al
i9,763.623 tons. total. 2S372,Os6 TONS
THE additional work proposed In thi
approved project and for a part o
which funds We're provided by thl
River and Harbor Act Of June 1s
1902 by sundry civil Acts Of March 3
1903 and April 2S. 1894 and by tn
River and Harbor Act Of March 3. 1906
is necessary 10 make the improvement
availsble and will largely benefit com
merce."
A table is given showing the foreigl
commerce Of the Delaware River 70
1903 and 1904. 1t gives the imports 10
+ 1904 as 1,05734s tons. as against 1851.
( $40 In 1903. and the exports as 2552. 06
tons in 1904 as against 2.37S,So7 the pre-
] vious year.