Evening journal., 1911-07-24
IMPROVEMENT
OF WATERWAYS
Major Raymond Reports Of
Work Done on State Rivers
During 1910
SUGGESTS DREDGING
PLANT FOR CHRISTIANA


compiled his report OF the various
rivers and streams in this district for
the year ending December 81, 1910
The report which is comprehensive,
will be forwarded to Washington.
The work Of the dredges at present
working in the Christiana river is re-
: viewed and the engineer recommends
that a dredging plant be stationed
here The subject will be inquired
into by the Board of Engineers called
: by the Chief Engineer. ia accordance
with an act Of Congress. The report
} is as follows
improvement of Wilmington Harbor.
l The River and Harbor Act OF June
, 25. 1910 appropriated 100000 for
, work of maintenance OF this improve
lment. A project for its expenditure
y las approved by the chief OF engineers.
} september 20 and proposals for dredg-
/, ing were opened December 10, 1910.
= Contract dated December 20, 1910
: and approved by the chief OF engineers
January Z. 1911, was made with the
American Dredging Company OF Phil
,, adelphia. the lowest bidder at "a cents
per cubic yard, place measurement.
the work to be commenced within so
t. days after notification Of approval of
contract which was given January 10
and TO be completed within 12 months
/, thereafter. Work under the contract
was begun March Is. In construction of
J., retaining walls. Actual dredging be-
e gan 'on April l and is still in pro-
z gress The channel was dredged TO
e a depth of lS feet at mean low water
d down stream from a point 400 feet
)f below Lobdells canal, the width vary
'e ing as follows 100 feet for a length
2 lof 735 feet; $50 feet for a length Of
II 1870 feet and $50 feet for a length OF
200 feet, and from a point about 500
L feet below the Baltimore and Ohio
l. Railroad bridge for a length OF 1000
t'et to a depth of Is feet and a width OF
re 200 feet. The quantity OF material
c. dredged is 217607 cubic yards meas
IN ured in place and consisted OF mud
r sand and gravel with some gas tar
e etc, in the upper river. It was all
3. placed above the high water line"
y, The engineer states that II III,
\, Board OF Engineers convened by IN,
N Act OF Febrary "a, 1911 finds II ad
y visable to locate a dredging plan
ne here ii is proposed to secure th'
plant
Money for improvement. ...... ...
The amount OF moneys received
from appropriations since the secon,
session Of Fifty-seventh Congress wa
$1.246,952: received from sales O
m rivers and harbor properties, S6C7 .,
L making a total OF 247.619.25. Re
turned to treasury. S247419: returne
TO credit OF appropriation for emerr
ms encies. s749.31.
Commercial Statistics.
re The total value OF both foreign an
ITS domestic shipments and receipts fc
no the year we're sS6,974 tons. valued q
De- S71.27s.S7s.
In addition to the various vessel
ny which have this port as their hom
sn there we're entered and cleared her
> not less than twenty foreign vesseli
the tonnage varying from 416S ton
~ downwards.
~ The report states that there ar
~ freight and passenger lines doin
~ business here approximately $4,000
- 600 a year. There Is invested 4
manufacturing and merchantile in
terests on the Christiana river. all de
pendent upon navigation facilities
s33.000,000 In addition there are nc
=, less then $1,000,000 In investment
N along the Brandywine.
The reports Of the vessels bull
here, as well as repaired. while in
ee complete is as follows: Vessels bull
"a wood, z; steel, Is: tonnage, 1885, 55
a. repaired, SO: tonnage, 45,097, 9s.
nS The report also deals with down
au State river improvements.
st. Johns River DOrk.
ne The channel of ST. Johns river wa
.5s dredged across the bar at the mout
,,o and shoals at five points in the rive
40 were dredged, resulting in an I'm
- proved channel not less than fort
"a feet wide at bottom and not lesse tha
!. six feet at mean low water from IN
ii- outer end of the cut across the fats {
~ a point opposite Trunk Ditch whio
- was as far as the funds availabl
~ would 60. The quantity remove
ab amounted to $4,000 cubic yards. Th
he total amount expended was S10S,85'
he Commercial statistics show that tn
nd total receipts we're 1851 tons {
,rv value of S5,SSS075.
BR0ADKILL RIVER.
The Chief of Engineers had rt
jected bids for jetty work at Broad
kill stream as being excessive an
through the river and habor act {
February q, 1911, $4,000 was al
II propriated for maintenance. This fun
L. has been added TO that already o
hand and the work OF repairing th
ietty and redredging from Milltow
IL. will be started soon. The total fund
ed available for the work Is S5q,03
ac- During the year there we're receive
III and shipped 1929 tons valued {
'se S320.105.
ne There are four vessels with an al
on create tonnage Of 445 engaged
on work there.
TN The report contains a stateme
an from the Milton Board of Trade tn
rs with improved navigation, a satisfa
ne tory boat service would be effected
sar tween there and Philadelphia, with
lea annual saving Of about 100000.
Ile' Smyrna Riye-I
ich No work was done on Smyrna riv
rd. during the year. The total amount
led appropriations expended was s121, 81
ne, A sub-project for the expenditur
'as of the funds available on Leipsic rive
was approved on August 20 last, al
on June 2, 1911 a contract was sign
= with the River and Harbor .Improv
ment Company. Of Philadelphia, q
lowest bidder at 81 cents per cub
- yard. Work was begun on June 26. th
III year. In cutoff No. 2, 200 lineal fe
~ dredged TO a depth Of four feet
- -