The Washington herald., 1912-02-26
mo CHINESE WALL
AT ATLANTIC CITY.
Dr.. Edward Bedloe Opposes Plan
to Replace boardwalk with
Concrete Structure.

DR.. Edward Bedloe, of Washington and
Il Atlantic City. the well known traveller.
writer, and diplomat. is decidedly against
the plan to raze the present boardwalk
deck at Atlantic City and supplant II
with e concrete walk, and he gives some
very trenchant reasons for his opposi-
tion to the plan. which is reported to
be in course Of preparation by Engineer
j. w Howard, OF New York, son OF
the late Gen. o. o. Howard.
The name OF Bedloe has been on the
Troll of freeholders OF Absecon Beach
| since the fourth decade of the last CEN
| tury. and DIR. Bedloe is, therefore. Pc
| culiarly qualified TO express an opinion
! on the matter founded on an intimate
knowledge of Atlantic City and Its needs.
i DR.. Bedloe said: las a taxpayer, I
| am opposed TO the useless expense in
volved in the proposed construction OF
a concrete Chinese wall along the strand
! of our Fair City 10y the Sea- Its cost
would add TO the already high tax rate
| OF s2I5, the highest in the history OF
Atlantic City. II constructed II would
defeat the Improvement of the beach
/ front. The existing law provides for a
removal of the present boardwalk 900
feet outward toward the sea with the
accretion OF the land and the receding
OF the ocean.
1 CrueI TO the Feet.
Again an objection to concrete" said
Dr. Bedloe, SIS that II is hard to walk
on. There is no yielding or spring TO
IL as on the wooden deck OF ship.
Concrete is cruel TO human feet, and II
also absorbs the burning rays of the
sun. Note how eagerly visitors at At
lantic City leave the stone and concrete
sidewalks to enjoy the comfort OF the
cool and resilient wooden boardwalk.
"A concrete walk would not bring any
additional patronage to Atlantic City"
argues the world traveller and student
/ Of human nature. "a deeper channel to
| the inlet, however, would bring much
business and add to the citys attractive
ness. Taxes are paid by the working
man, the rent-payer. the clerk. and all
| the minor wage earners: in short, the
laboring people in general Down with
the taxes and the high cost of living
should be the cry and not UP with
them We hear OF the proposed loan
by the New Jersey legislature Of So O00.-
900 to rebuild existing roads. Similar
appropriations are proposed for the i'm
provement Of inland waterways of New
Jersey. and yet no consideration is mani
Tested TO aid the merchant marine to
get ships in and out of the waterways
\ from and to the ocean.
1 n
| fuge on the coast OF New Jersey between
Sandy Hook and the Delaware Break
water. There is no encouragement TO
| the existing transportation line plying
between Atlantic City. New York. and
Philadelphia. a deeper channel said
Mayor Bachrach recently, Is not only
needed for commercial reasons. but also
! for the accommodation OF yachtsmen
who would visit Atlantic City with their
pleasure boats, II assured of safe pas
sage In and out OF Absecon Inlet The
mayor makes a good point. The inlet
| Improvement should be done on such
scale as to make Il safe for our naval
ships OF deepest draft to enter and find
safe anchorage and snug harbor in
Absecon Bay.
Were Far-seeinE Men.
"a government appropriation. be-
lieve. could be obtained" continued Bed
loe Bey, provided the State. county,
and city would appropriate a similar
amount. DR.. Mahlon Pitney and his coll
leagues, who founded the Camden and
Atlantic Railroad, the first steam road
to Absecon Beach. were far-seeng men.
In 1854 they provided for the construc-
ton OF coal wharves at Absecon Inlet
to facilitate the transportation Of coal
from Pennsylvania TO sea-going vessels
and thus reduce expense in freight. save
time, and avoid danger in the Delaware
River route to the sea.
There should have been no opposition
to this project. For more than fifty
yeart efforts have been constantly made
TO obtain aid OF the national government
in deepening the channel OF Absecon In
let. The advance science Of engineering
would insure the desired result. A jetty
In the vicinity of Rum Point would
wash away the useless end of Flood
Point and divert the tide of Absecon Bay
and the beach thoroughfare so as TO
deepen the eastern channel and thus
wash the shoals ashore on to Abse-
con Beach, and thereby add perhaps
millions Of dollars in land value to At
lantic City.
wealth to Resort.
Let us urge said DR.. Bedloe, that
which will improve and bring wealth to
Atlantic City by making the harbor one
Of great commercial value. When Abse-
con Inlet is made a safe harbor for
seagoing and coastwise vessels our Wash
ington, Norfolk, New York, and Boston
steamers will make Atlantic City a
port of call.
There are several good ways Of do
ing a thing; a few better ways, but
only one best way. Zeba T. Moore's
Jetty project appears good. Assembly
man Emerson Richards plan TO deepen
the channel is feasible and practicable,
but to accomplish the long and much de-
sired result I beg to suggest that all
plans for deepening the channel of Abse-
con Inlet be submitted TO that acknowl-
edged expert and authority, Mai r. r.
Raymond, U. s. A, chief engineer of the
New Jersey coast department. I firmly |
believe Mai. Raymond win solve the per-
picking problem and make Absecon Bay
a fine harbor for vessels OF every and |
all descriptions"