Evening journal., 1911-11-14
NECESSITY OF
RIVER FRONT
Congressman Reald Says
City'S Development Must
be in That Direction
TALKS TO BROTHERHOOD
OF GRACE CHURCH

Congressman William II. Head was
the speaker at the monthly meeting
OF ST James Brotherhood Of Grace Nj.
4. Church. last night The meeting
was opened with hymn by the mem-
bers. after which prayer was offered
by Thomas Davis President w. H.
Riley announced that the annual din
ner OF the brotherhood will be held
on November 23 az Hanna's. Mr.. Riley
introduced Congressman Heald whose
subject was ''Waterways.'
Mr. Heald in the course Of his re-
marks referred to the methods OF
transportation available in this coun-
try Immediately after the Revolu-
tionary war, and dwelt upon the fact
that President Washington immediate
ly before becoming President and also
in the year 17SS had declared himself
as unqualifiedly in favor OF the i'm
provement Of inland waterways by the
Legislatures OF the various states,
pointing out as he did that more rapid
exchange OF commodities with our
NClNUuolS III Aht N'oN Nh' "'''A"NN's
necessary.
The improvement of waterways ap-
pears to be going hand in hand with
tho construction Of good roads, Con-
gressman Heald said. and today the
state of Delaware as much as any
other state in the Union is placed in
q position 10 be benefited by the mag
nifcent gift of a boulevard from one
end of the state to the other made
hv r. Coleman DUPONT who. more
than any other man at the present
time is working for the advancement
and welfare of Delaware. Mr.. Heald
called attention TO the fact that with
i'm the past ten years the organization
OF the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress, the Lakes and the Govern
ment Waterways Association and the
Atlantic Deeper Waterways Associa-
ton. Interested IN the project along
the Atlantic Coast, had aroused a large
and growing interest in this subject
all over the country.
Attention was directed to the COM
pletion of the canal across Cane Cod,
now being built by August Belmont
and his associates. only eight miles
in length costing twelve millions of
dollars. yet a deep sea canal with
minimum depth Of low water OF %
feet saving in distance &c miles be-
tween Boston aud New York by tho
inside route and 142 miles by the out
side route
The new proposed canal from New
York to the Delaware river was
shown to save 1S4 miles. The cost
of this projected improvement would
be all the way from ten millions Of
dollars TO twenty-sovon millions OF
dollars, depending on the depth.
Tho deepening OF the Delaware
rilar the purchase OF the Delawarl
's~~nd Chesapeake canal by the govern
men, and the immense saving to com
mcrce amounting to 800 miles be
tween Philadelphia and Baltimore
were preferred to by Congressman
Heald and also the completed anC
prospective improvements in the Vir
ginia and North Carolina waters. per
mitting vessels to avoid the danger
ous outside route around Cape Hat
teras.
Mr. Heald referred briefly to tn,
improvements in navigation about tC
be undertaken on the Mississippi
river and gave interesting statistic'
as TO the cost of transportation 10y
roadway, railroads, canals and oceaI
traffic.
He referred to the growing i'm
portance of terminals Transporta
ton over navigablo waters could noy
er become a monopoly, he said ye
that terminal facilities necessary {
the growth of this traffic were i'm thei
very nature a monopoly. was brough
10 the attention OF the meeting to A
lusirate the necessity OF a municips
ownership in docks and piers. TIL
experience of New York City in Il
continued acquiring Of dockage IA
cilities, Of Philadelphia I'm its reccr
construction of docks and wharvei
and the Baltimore experience sine
the fire in 1904, We're all referred I
and finally the interest OF Wilminf
ton I'm its water front IN the light
The experiences of these greater citiC
was shown 10 be in the direction of
municipal intrest at time when
could be least expensively done.
Wilmington is TO become a motrOpol
tan city. Mr. Heald said. Il must /
by extending its manufacturing an
commercial industries and this mul
inevitably tend toward deep wat,
navigation.
Congressman Heald stated that hi
present interest in the development
river front for Wilmington was M
particularly In the construction of
road TO the river. but merely in tn
taking of the pesent advantage offero
by the Improvement to the channel
the Delaware river whereby at a min
mum cost The larger portion bein
borne by the government, Congress,
man Heald pointed out the city
Wilmington should be able to interei
itself by co-opeating with the War ID,
partment so that Wilmington woul
not only have terminal facilities unds
the control of the city without goin
through experiences Of other and larl
er cities but at the same time woul
be creating property that in asses
able value would be a considerable al
set to the city of Wilmington.
Following the address Frank
Mason sang several baritone solos ar
later a luncheon was served