Evening journal., 1913-08-20
MIsDIRECTED ENTHUSIAST.


TT the Federal Government follow the advice Of its
retiring Chief Of Engineers, the inland waterway
from Boston to North Carolina will be assured fact
within few years Brgsder-General Bixby, Chief Of
the Engineering Department. recommends that s3oooo
600 spent by the Government for the acquisition and
improvement Of the Delaware and Rsran canal
across New jersey and the chesapeake and Delaware
canal the state Of Delaware ami the Eastern
shore of Maryland. 1t is proposed that the former
canal shall be Of tho lock tyne but that the
this Peninsula shall he of the tide-wster type.
The proposition is that the Chesapeake and Delaware
canal shall be- initially ninety feet wide aud twelve
deep but that it will be susceptible
of endorsement to width at the bottom Of l25 feet
and depth twenty-five feet In other words If the
government act favoraby upon General Bixbys rec
concentrations the canal will be large enough to ac-
commodate any craft that naturally would it in
making a shortcut between the Delaware and the
Chesapeake The great expense involved will pre-
vent the time being least the conversion of the
canal New Jersey into tidewater channel
In vew of the above the people Of Wilmington
quite naturally arc eager that the work Of developing
the Delaware river waterfront of Wilmington shall
proceed as rapidly as possible 1t is recognized that
II our city is to obtain any substantial amount Of traf
fc growing out Of the opening of the Panama canal
and this inland waterway it must have wharves and
freight handling facilities the Delaware river Such
traffic will not the Christiana and the Brandy
apprcciaDlc extent and III is useless 10
pect IL to do so; but II wharves and warehouses be
built on the Delaware and placed under intelligent pub
lie control only shall obtain fair share Of
the Panama canal and inland waterway traffic but
also much moro of tho transatlantic trade than VIC
ever can have with harbor cramped within the
limitations Of tho Christiana and Brandywine. The
flow Of such traffic is not going to be diverted from
the broad fairway of the Delaware into the two COM
paratvey small streams which now reach our city. II
will IN and PHILADELPHIA
doing now, unless we go to the Delaware river water
front to meet II and intercept It.
We il announced quite solemnly that the Pub
iicty Department OF the Chamber Of Commerce. re-
CARDS the Bxby recommendations being great inn
porance to the future of the Chrlsana the Brandy
wine The Chamber is unfortunate in having a de-
partment which is so blind to the commercial oppor-
tunities of city that it the Delaware
realize its Importance However the spirit that
anmates that department is the spirit that made
rutess effort to defeat the waterfront refer
endum movement which by a vote of to
one we do apprehend that It will make much differ
either to the public to the Christiana and the
Brandywne. The people of Wilmington want water
front the Delaware. They have said it, and they
mean IT, It is useless for the Publicity Department OF
the Chamber of Commerce to attempt to lose sight Of
the fact or to work itself into paroxysm OF enhus-
relative the great effect IL inland waterway is
going to have upon the Christana and the Brandywne
The Delaware river waterfront IS something tndt Will
not down and that will not be sdetracked by any
Chrstiana and Brandywine mrages that may be con
iured up by anyone, matter whether they be vol
unteers in the employ Of those who hope TO gel
away with the citys waterfront the Delaware
The Chrstiana and the Brandywine all right al
far they 60 but the Delaware river offers the rea
solution of the commercial future of Wilmington and
It's participation in the commercial benefits which are
sure to come through the opening Of the Panama ca
nal and the inland waterway. If the publicity de
partment of the Chamber Of Commerce fit to waste
its time in tanning air and endeatoring to convince
the people Wilmington that the Delaware river wa
terfront does not figure materially in the commercial
development plans and that the Christiana and thu
Brandywne constitute the real key to the situation M
one need object The thing has been done be
fore and the best answer to IL found i'm the bao
boxes in this city June We suggest however tina
| the Chamber is unfortunate in having publicity dc
partment that work itself into lather Of enthu
siasm about the Christans and the Brandywine an
ignore entirely the fact that city limits run on
TO the channel Of the Delaware, one of the most mas
nihcent rivers in the world II is misdirected enthl
siasm and waste OF energy