Evening journal., 1914-05-29
ENGINEER Wants
CLAIM RELEASES
Spurs DOveriteS TO Activity
Over St. Jones' River
Work
NOTHING SAID ABOUT
STARTING PROJECT

DOVER, Del, May %. Major f.. y.
Johnston, the Federal officer in charge
of river and harbor Improvement in the
Delaware district. believes that persons
interested in the st. Jones' river project
should obtain title to all of the sixteen
cut-ofrs in order TO make the improve
ment effective as planned.
This information, was conveyed in a
letter TO the Delaware State News,
which in part follows:
Absence from the office prevented an
earlier reply to your letter of the 18th
instant, relative to the improvement Of
st. Jones river.
"rhc clipping to which you refer did
not accompany the letter. but ! infer
that it related TO an amendment, in the
pending river and harbor bill. of the
provision of the act OF June p. 1910,
, which required that satisfactory title to
all the land needed for the necessary
cut-ofls shall be- transferred TO the
United States free of cost before any
work could be done. ! have read of this
proposed amendment in the newspapers
but have had no official communication
respecting IL.
"'The river and harhor act Of June %,
l9l, carried nm item as follows:
Improving Saint Jones River,
Delaware: For maintenance, and
continuing Improvement from the
mouth to Dover. in accordance with
the report submitted in House
Document Numbered Eleven hum
dred and sixteen. SiXtieth Congress,
second session. twenty-five thou
sand dollars: Provided That no
part OF said amount shall he eN
pended until a satisfactory title TO
the land required for the necessary
cut offs shall have been transferred
60 the United States free of cost,
and the United States shall have
been released from all claims for
/ damages arising from the proposed
diversion of the stream.
The river and harbor act of febru-
arv 27. 1911 contained the item;
Improving Saint Jones River,
Delaware: Continuing improvement
and for maintenance, eleven thou
sand seven hundred dollars: Pro-
vided. that NO part of said amount
! shall be expended. except for main
tenance until satisfactory title
10 the land required for the neces-
sarv cut offs shall have been trans
ferred to the United States free of
cost and the United States shall
have been released from all claims
for damages arising from the pro-
posed diversion of the stream.
'1n the improvement of the river con
templated i'm the acts above quoted, the
plan included the making Of sixteen cut.
offs. eight between Dover and Lebanon
and eight between Lebanon and the
mouth Since the passage Of the act OF
1910. efforts have been made TO secure
the required titles and releases. To dat
there have been sent TO this Office III
papers relating to two cut-olis belo'
Lebanon. and five above making sevel
in all out OF sixteen.
"Arley B. Magee, Esq, of Dover, ha
been handling the matter, and he latel,
informed this Office that there wer
five cut.ohs remaining for which tn
necessary titles and releases had no
been secured.
"lf the restriction contained in tn
laws relating to the improvement of -
Jones' river is removed. a partial inn
provement can he affected. but the it'll
TO all of the sixteen cut offs should b
secured in order to make the improve
ment effective as planned.
(Siencdl w. ~ Johnston.
Major, Corps of Engineers.