Evening journal., 1914-12-09
REHOBOTH CLEANS
UP AFTER STORM
Residents Talk of Building
Sea Wall TO Protect the
Resort
LAY DAMAGE TO
THE LEWES HARBOR
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.

wiped out the boardwalk and Surf ave-
nue.. The Town Commissioners and resi-
dents are determined to save the resort,
but it is admitted on all sides that the
possibility Of having another driveway
along the water front to replace Surf
avenue is remote. This fact was
brought out at a special meeting of the
Town Commissioners yesterday after
noon in Mayor w. r. Messick's office.
The meeting was attended by Town
Commissioners Robert Hinckley, Wal
ter Burton. p. c. Merritt. Frank c..
Chase, Of this town, and BENJAMIN T..
Straw, Of Wilmington, and Frank /.
Jones, of Georgetown, the towns attor-
neyi former Congressman Dr. Hiram II.
Burton, of Lewes, and Colonel John G..
Townsend, Of Selbyville.
In opening the meeting Mayor Mes
sick said it was called so that the
commissioners could consider the
damage done. Commissioner Merritt
said that several owners of property
along Surf avenue who had suffered
had suggested that a public meeting
be held. These owners, he said. had
expressed a willingness TO safeguard
themselves by erecting a sea wall
along the water front but they all
thought such a wall should be uni
form.
commissioner Burton, proprietor OF
the Henlopen Hotel said he owned
zoo feet along the water front that had
been damaged and he was willing TO
give $1,000 towards having wall
constructed
After some discussion IL was de-
cided to hold a meeting with the own
ers OF property along Surf avenue
next Saturday afternoon at 1 o'clock.
me commissioners will also meet on
saturday evening, when it is thought
the services of an engineer will be Sc
cured to ascertain just what can be
done towards saving the city from
storm damage in the future.
Ihe commissioners considered the
question of allowing buildings for
amusement purposes to be on the
east side of the boardwalk. This mat
ter was brought up when erection of
new boardwalk was under consid-
GRAFTON. Several of the commission
ers expressed themselves as opposed
to any buildings on the ocean side
of the boardwalk.
On motion of Commissioner Hinck-
ley, resolutions were adopted prohib-
iting the erection of any structures
on the ocean side of the proposed
walk. Under this nllng, the Hill
Dathhouses and les A. Horns
pavlilon, whi"' ,sre DESTROYED or
oauly ....-i"sed, will not be allowed
TO be placed on their former sites
During the discussion about the storm
damage, former Congressman Burton
informed the commissioners that
there was always a cause for everv-
thing and he thought the cause of
the damage done to RehOboth in the
past ten or twenty years was due 10
the erection of the Harbor OF Refuge
at Lewes by the government. This.
ne contended, had diverted the chan
mel and caused the waves to eat into
the shore from Lewes to Rehoboth.
AS remedy, DR.. Burton suggested
that the Town Commissioners confer
with the United States engineers i'm
charge or the rivers and harbors i'm
proVements and endeavOr to have
them erect sea wall from the shore
TO the Hen and Chickens Shoal. This.
II was believed, would stop the dam
age in years to come.
Colonel John G. Townsend. who
mas been erecting a section of new
boardwalk, said that he would
suspend work for awhile or at leas,
until the commissioners decided TO
rebuild the destroyed portions nearer
the present building line along Surf
avenue.
IL was brought out at the meeting
that under the present charter. the
commissioners have no right to con-
denim street or avenue, but they
can condemn property. Some of the
commissioners were of the opinion
that the remains of Horns pavilion
should be condemned. because of
the whobbly condition in which the
storm left it, but as II was not known
whether Mr.. Horn intended to rebuild.
no action was taken
Word was received bv the commits
sioners that the Joseph Harper cottage
along Surf avenue and several others
were to be moved farther back from the
line Of Surf avenue. Mr. Hincklev. a
commissioner and owner of the Belhaven
Hotel, said that while his property had
not been damaged he desired to take
steps at once TO remedy the destroying
OF the sidewalk. Mr.. Hinckley favored
the erection of a sea wall.
Although Horns pavilion. owned by
Charles $. Horn, has not fallen into the
sea, it is believed that the huge frame
building is beyond repair and through
out the day a large force of men were
busy removing the stock OF store goods
from the building. This was danger
Gus work, as the lashing OF the waves
under the building threatened at any
moment to destroy one huge piling that
appeared to hold the entire weight OF
the wrecked structure. This piling
moved over foot during the day, and
if it gives way the pavilion will settle
into the ocean.
Mr.. Horn had used the upper por-
tion Of the building for some time as
a storage room for his furniture saved
from the fire which destroyed his
home several months ago. A good
portion of these goods are still in the
building. and piano and several
pool tables that are in the structure
will have 10 remain there until Il set
ties On Sunday when the storm was
increasing a number Of residents
started to remove the goods from the
pavilion, but Mr. Horn thinking there