Evening journal., 1915-08-25
CHESTER MEN make
RIVER INSPECTION
City Officials Impressed Wit
Industrial Improvements
Along the Delaware
AS FAR AS NEW CASTLE
SEE POWDER PLANT

The city officials and newspaper rep
.resentatives Of Chester had an oppor-
tunity yesterday afternoon of viewing
the wonderful improvements that are
being made along the Delaware river.
between this city and Newcastle, Della
ware, says the Chester Times. The af-
fair was an informal outing and in
spection under the guidance Of such a
competent host as ]. Craig. Jr., of the
Chester Shipping Company, and Com
missioner Of Navigation of this city.
Mr.. Craig's storehouse Of knowledge
of former conditions existing along the
river and the changed appearance to-
day made the trip Of more than ordi-
nary interest.
What was seen was a revelation TO
most of the party and no place along
the river was given more attention
than at Carney's Point and Penns-
grove, where the DUPONT powder peo-
pie have lined the Jersey shore with
buildings for the manufacture of pow
der and homes for the employees of the
concern. AS an instance of what this
place is, 1t is only necessary to men
ton that yesterday was pay day and
over S500,000 was taken from the city
of Wilmington across the river on the
ferry to the big plant to pay off the
employees.
The city officials discovered what
golden opportunity was lost to Ches-
ter in not having proper boat COM
munications between this city and
some of those New Jersey towns.
Some years ago, Mark ]. Cummings,
h.
ment of a ferry line between Bridge
port and this city, with plans for the
future for the line TO be extended 10
other points down and up the river.
The matter fell through after
desultory trial, for at that time IT was
a losing venture; but TO-DAY the
| ferryboats plying between Winning
ton and Carney's Point, OF Penns-
grove, and the other places along the
Jersey shore have all the business
they can handle. AS an evidence OF
the great future that the large in
dustries along the Delaware hold out
to Wilmington, this city and other
places, there is hardly place OF
/ over two OF three hundred Inhabitants
that today has not some means OF
communication with the great DUPONT
plant on the Jersey shore.
The day was ideal for such a trip
as that enjoyed by the Chester offi-
cials. The finely appointed craft OF
conveyance was boarded at the Market
street wharf at IL o'clock and the
etart made down the beautiful Della
ware. The local situation along the
river was not at all uninteresting, ale
though most of the party was convers-
ant in a general way with what Is pc
ing done and proposed TO be done right
in this city The advantages tnat the
CITY still holds in the way OF fine river
front property, and the splendid sites
inst below the city we're talked over
and It was the concensus or opinion
that within short time there VIII Do
but little vacant land between THIS
city and Wilmington.
After the great oil industries at
Marcus Hook we're passed the guests
we're invited to the diningroom,
where a fine luncheon was served.
Before this was ended the party was
lapproaching the great DUPONT plant
and so eager were those on board TO
Wow this wonderful beehive OF war
making ammunition that eyes were
diverted from the tempting laden
table to the Jersey shore. Unfortu-
lnatelv for all on board, owing to the
linsufficiency of water, the boat was
unable to land. II was intended to
land at Pennsgrove and give those
ION board an opportunity to walk a
mile or so among the buildings to see
lust what has been done and what is
contemplated in the near future in
the way of enlarging this great
works.
The boat steamed on down as far
as New Castle and the party was
given an opportunity to view from
the river the government forts at Del
aware City. Here the start was made
on the return trip. While the entire
party was keen to the sights on both
the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Delaware shores on the trip down the
river, there was found aplenty on the
return trip to hold the attention of the
party. Many steamers were lying in
the river on their way to the great
oil plants or other industries making
supplies for the countries at war. In
this connection great interest was
manifested In the loading of a mass
i've steamship with the products OF
the Carney's Point plant