Evening journal., 1907-12-11
CHRlSTIANA
IMPROVEMENT
Report Of Engineers Sub
mitted TO Board Of
Trade and Council
CONFER WITH LANDOWNERS

A lengthy report Of the unfavorabie ana
favorable conditions before the city In its
consideration of the project to establish
piers and a river front along the Delaware
river by city engineers marked decided
" progressive step in the work of the
combined coamittee Of City Council and
the Board of Trade. to which the realiza-
ton Of river front and the lettering Of
Wimington's river traffic has hesn con-
dded The report was made last night at
a meeting OF the committee Along win
tho paper from the engineers was submit
ted q careful sketch Of the land along
The river by architects interested in the
movement. The property on the north SIDE
OF the Christana river only was covered
bv the sketch A similar sketch will now
be made OF the south side and the com
mittee will then definitely consider
choice of location.
The next step viii probably be to open
negotiations with land owners along the
Delaware to learn what concessions the
city can take advantage Of if the proJec
is brought to a successful issue. 1t hs .
been decided to appoint a committee On
arbitration to confer with the landow n
ers.
The pl> n as proposed by the archits cts
eNowet a 10OO-foot wharf at the fool oi
Fourth street extended, and at the l1ast
of the pier a circular plot. 1000 fee In
diameter. to be used as a terminus. a long
the proposed river front extended a q rive
way 800 fset wide. and from the terrainus
extended to the north a 1o0-foot boulevard
to be known as the north boulevard and
connecting with vlandever avenue. To
the west extended another bou ievard
known as the Fourth Street Boulevard.
connecting with Seventh street. and tC
the south was the south boulevard, con-
Meeting with b steet extended TO ths
Chrstiana river
Tle citys property Is shown as 1000 feet
wide at Fourth street river front, ther
alternating to the north the city takes Coz
feet and the property owners take 800 feet
all the way up to Edgen,oor. The land
covered by the plot is at present under
water, which, however, is TO be reclaimed
and filed IN if the government complete.
the present bulkhead, making a stretch oi
more than 500 acres. The Eovsrnment WI
not complete the bullahead ard fill in th'
rear so long as private inte rests are tC
be enhanced thereby.
ln the report OF the ems dneers, al
though treating OF the norul and south
sides, neither was recommended by the
report, nor did they attempt TO esti-
mate the cost of the project, as it is
not yet definitely known what the
committee will want. The engineers
who compiled the report were Theodore
A. L.eisen, Harry l.. Maier, Matthew T..
NTar1r Howard
Grifiths and Alexander j. Taylor.
After going into the engineering phases
Of various routes, they say:
"The question Of securing a proper
route for travel between the city as
now built up and the river is necessar-
ny an important one. even -hough we
recognize that the major portion of the
traffic will be confined to the indus
trial plants which now exist and which
il is hoped will be erected on what is
now open land Both sides at present
possess poor facilities in this particu-
lar but the balance seems to tend de-
cidedly in favor Of the south side.
Christiana avenue is in fair shape TO
Third street bridge, as is also A street
leading toward Market street bridge
giving fairly straight broad avenues
connecting with Fourth street & and
Market street
The engineers say a new lift bridge
eventually win have to replace Third
street bridge. and Seventh street is too
narrow and has too many turns and
f-Nqks in it. as well as being unstable,
to the river front.
In the event of the failure of co-op-
Grafton and the manifestation of lib
eral spirit by property owners on
either of the sides TO be considered as
sites, the reportssays that the project
had better be abandoned so far as the
city's efforts are concerned, for if the
scheme is to be limited to one wharf
alone. even 100 feet wide, IL could not
compensate the city for the money to
be expended.
IN closing the report says;
I'VE feel justified in recommending
also that while every effort should be
made to bring to a successful issue the
contemplated river front improve
ment, we should not lose sight Of the
great advantage the Christiana river
offers for shipping facilities, and even
though the former project be real
ized. It should not be at the expense
OF the abandonment Of the smaller, but
no less important wharfage all along
the ChristIana river"