Evening journal., 1912-04-29

stir has been caused and the deep
est interest has been aroused by the
disclosure through these columns on
Saturday of plan to try to have
Council to ratify, without the public
being fully informed OF It. an agree
ment for the development of the
Delaware river front, whereby the
Wilmington Terminal Company ana
other owners of river from. property
would be greatly benefited. and the
city would get 1400 feet Of the 10000
feet of frontage on the Delaware.
While some of the Counc'lmen say
they know of no intention to have the
i agreement between the city, the Will
mington Terminal Company and other
riparian owners of Cherry Island
marsh signed sealed and delivered
without the agreement being made
Z public i'm time for ample considera-
ton. there are other persons directly
+ concerned in the private conferences
8 that have been held between the land
y owners and representatives of the
y city and the Board of Trade who say
the plan to be followed was TO have
the agreement ratified without it being
& made public.
The object in following this star
q chamber procedure, it has been ex-
n planned, is that secrecy is necessary
8 If the Federal government is to be
a induced to finish the bulkhead from
Edge Moor to a point east of Cherry
Island jetty. If the Government
q should learn that the city is not the
4 greater beneficiary from finishing the
bulkhead and filling in back of It, the
II Government would not go ahead with
q the work it has been said.
Members of Council today said that
# Council tonight would not ratify the
e river front agreement. Councimeu
81 Stover and some other Councilmen, il
81 is known, believe the agreement
should be made public and not be
n finally acted on until after the public
"a can consider it. Some Of the Coun.
cilmen are i'm an unpleasant frame Of
mind over publicity given the plar
10 try to rush through ratification
Of the agreement. and may maxi
statements tonight in the Council
meeting denying any such intention
One of the men Interested I'm tn
Wiimihgton Terminal Company toda,
said he could not make public tn
agreement reached by the land owners
ard representatives of the city
Councils meeting tonight will b
. an adioarhed meeting from las
# Thursday night. ostensibly to dis
pose of matter relating to tn
recent bond issue of $4,000 to refunl
water bonds
]; also was intended for the Coun
cilmen to confer with City Solicito
hastings tonight on the Delawar
river front project The member
VIII discuss the subject. probably be
q .ofe the Council meeting The ripar
81 ian owners Of the river front will no
be present
Au examination of the records O
the city enEineering department show
10 just what extent the riparion own
sH ers OF Cherry Island Marsh. from tn
81 Christiana lighthouse to Edge Moor
VIII be benefited i'm event tn,
present scheme is put through Coun
ell.
what Wilmington viii get for IL,
work in inducing the Government tC
complete the Edgemoor bulkhead nov
now one-third built, is but a big build
ing lot compared TO the great expans,
the riparian owners will acquire.
According to the map of the rive
'front.' there is frontage on the Della
ware river from the Christiana river
north, of 10000 feet Wilmington
share of this front is to be a littl,
more than an eighth. Some of th
ground is owned by the government
but il is a trife compared with tn,
land owned by the members of tn
Cherry island Marsh Company ant
the Wilmington Terminal Company.
To Make 500 Acres.
In the event of the hulkhead beinl
completed there will be a stretch O
ground when filled in. extending frou
the Christiana to the north and be
tween the present bank and the bulk
head of 500 acres. The widest poin
between the present bank and th
proposed bulkhead if continued on
straight line would be at Fourth stree
where there is a width of about 800
feet This narrows down to a widt
Of between ZOO and 500 feet at IN
city line to the north.
On this new made ground whe
filled in by the dredgings from III
. Delaware river channel, the Cover
ment will get a portion extending OF
from the lighthouse at the mouth
the Christiana river, but the bigge
part Of it, by far, will go to q
TT; riparian owners. Just what the
have agreed to give the city has NJ
been given to the public as yet by III
(. committee conducting the negotiation
but il Is said that in addition
the fourteen hundred feet on the rivl
front Wilmington also is TO have
street along the bulkhead line abo
200 feet wide, and ground for stree