Evening journal., 1913-07-11

struoted."
After visiting the War Department
washington, d. c.. March %. 1905
accompanied by Mr.. Barker. Pres
lueht OF the National Dredging Com
pahy' one Of the largesf littoral
landowners, seeking to have the
work or the bulkhead renewed
ana completed, William G. Mahafv
was ADVISED by a letter. from Mavor
Frederic V. Abbot March 25. 1905.
oy direction of the Chief Of Engineers
Ielerring to the conversation had
win win you during your recent visit to
Ihls once | have the honor to state
that under the circumstances as they
now exist IL is not the intention To
proceed further with the construction
OF lhe bulkhead near the mouth az
the Christiana river"
proposition was submitted Anrn
4 1908, by Mr. Mahaffy. claimine m
act IN behalf Of all riparian ow1ers
between the so-oalled Shellpot Canal
and tho lighthouse reservation. 80
cherry Island Marsh Com5anv IN
March ", 1905, having reversed itself
ana asked the government To COM
plete the bulkhead. 0
April IL, 1905, Mayor Sanford In
report to the Chief of Engineers
salo' III the bulkhead he
completed and filled in. Mr. Mahanv
ana associates would get $50 acres of
magnificent waterfront nroneriv
which l estimate would in few
years AT least, be worth 10000 per
acre. Any possible ADVANTAGE IN fha
government TO construct the hulk
nead' Is insignificant to the great ad-
vantage to be gained by the riparian
owners. 10 is my opinion these
owners should build the remainder
OF the bulkhead, or offer Inducements
70 lhe contractors 10 build H. Ia
elther case the bulkhead would then
ue completed with promptncss."
Mayor Sanford in another report
sald' do not believe Messrs. Mahaffy
ana smith intended to agree to pay ~
Ile united states anywhere near the
amount per linear foot the bulthead
VIII cost; the wording of their LETTER
OF consent TO purchase rather indi-
Gates their intention in this respect
ana he further said MY opinion
IN regard to the intentions uf tho
riparian owners has been formed
partly from interviews with William
g. Mahaiiy, president of the Cherry
Island Marsh Company, and one of the
riparian owners, and William Sellers
president OF the Edge Moor Bridge
Works.
The threat of the Cherry Island
Marsh Company. and their abject aud
iutiiely too late reversal Of Them
selves. after the government had call
ed their blum by stopping the bulk
head, arc definitely and clearly shown.
by the sublUined copies of the Cherry
Island Marsh Company's records.
In view Of these records of the my
.ernment engineers and of the Cherry
Island Marsh Company, and the pra
sumption that the Cherry Island pAo-
pie must all have known this rccord
it is somewhat remarkable that
the riparian owners and their advo.
Gates have, at times, pleaded ignor-
ance publicly. of the reasons Of the
governments stopping the bulkhead.
blaming IL on the failure OF tho con-
struction company, which never did
iall, and claiming that IL was not due
IN anywise to the riparian owners.
Mary such statements have been
made by that amusing and tiresome
Cherry Island Marsh lbut not river
tront) owner and persistent paragrapher.
George A. Talley, who has done their
cause mucll-more harm than good
The records also show. in the re.
fusals Of the government for almost
nine years past, To complete tho bulk
head how practically impossible it is.
aud would be foi Wilmington. ever To
get the Delaware river waterfront
through the efforts and interests of
these riparian owners, and particularly
remembering the prescnt-day demand
and condition that there must be public
y owned interest to benefit. to warrant
river and harbOr appropriations now.
lt Is regarded as very doubtful. in
decd, whether the government would
have recognized the proposed agree.
ment, OF last year, ns valid rea-
son for completion Of the bulkhe,d.
which only gave the city very small
percentage Of the land to be nlled. hus
saddled upon the city the responsibility
and the cost OF obtaining the bulkheai
and the land fill, by and from the gov
ernmcnt, without cost to the riparian
owners, as that agreement recited.
The wisdom Of Wilmingons voters is
confirmed, that they demanded and au
thorized that the city take all necessary
action to insure the waterfront, and that
1t ne Wilmington owned city-publiclv
owned WILMINGTON DEEP WATER.
FRONT ON THE DELAWARE RIVER.
The following referred to copies show
what particularly influenced the gov
ernment TO stop and refuse 10 complete
the bulkhead:
Edge Moor, Del. June 6, 1904
Major j. c. Sanford, Witherspoon
Bldg philadelnhia Pa
My Dear Sir:-On behalf Of the
Cherry Island Marsh COMPANY.
which company has charge of the
sluices and drainage OF the
Cherry Island Marsh. we are in
structed to protest against the
closing of the drainage Of the
marsh which always has been
into the Delaware River. and for
generations has been through a
sluice existing in the marsh bank
on that stream
We are not informed as 10 what
action the Government proposes
to take 10 care for this drainage.
but our representative was led to
believe from a conversation with
you had some short time ago.
that no provision has been made
by the Government in the
premises in connection with the
construction of the bulkhead now
being made in the river. The
closing Of this sluice, and the
preventing Of the natural drain
age Of the land will inevitably de-
stroy the value of a large amount
of property. and for this reason
we cannot consent or sit by while
such action is being taken.
Yours truly,
ChorrN Icland March Cnrnnanr