The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-29

this point the Pequonnock river has a depth of IS feet and this wharf could be made a more useful terminal.
 The terminals owned by the city are plainly inadequate but there is no immediate prospect that the city will acquire more frontage or that it will improve it's present holdings. In a preliminary report recently published, the city plan commission suggests that the city should acquire a large tract of Iow-lying Ge nd in the adjoining town of Stratford, close to the water front, for development as industrial sites.
 The most extensive owner of water frontage at Bridgeport is the New Y York, New Haven & Hartford rail- road company, and it's subsidiaries. Of their entire frontage only a. part has been improved and is used for water borne commerce, the major part of this frontage being used as a right of way for the railroad, which passes through Bridgeport on an elevated structure. The principal terminal owned by the railroad consists of a wharf used by the New England Steamship Co. This wharf is improv- ed by a, frames he'd 700 feet in length and 30 feet in width and is equipped with two inclined moving platforms, on which trucks, boxes and packages can be conveyed from the hold of the ship to the floor of the shed. An other wharf owned by this company is equipped with coal hoist and is used only for soft coal brought in for. the company's use. Another terminal extends from the city wharf at the foot of Wall street to the Stratford Avenue bridge. This wharf is i'm proved by a frame warehouse and is used by the boats of the Port Jeff ferson Steamboat Co.,, which is believ- ed to be controlled by the New lHa- ven Railroad. It is also used at times by the passenger boats of the New England Steamship Go.
 Reference has already been made to the water-front properties of the Crane Valve Go, on Cedar Creek and of the American Tube & Stamping Co on Yellow Mill channel ana Cedar Creek. A large amount of coal as we'll as of finished products is handled over these wharves. BiIIets made at the 'open-hearth steel plant of the American Tube & Stamping Co. on boat to the tube mill of this company on Cedar Creek
 Large quantities of coal are handled over the wharves of private dealers. These wharyes are equipped with ef- fcient cOal-handlipg machinery Tn addition, considerable quantities of coal are handled over the wharves of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Go. on Cedar Creek and of the Bridgeport Traction Go. near the main channel.
 Type of wharf construction-The prevailing type of wharf at Bridge port consists of a stone or timber bu1khead filled with earth fIanked by 8 narrow pile apron. The wFarves are with few exceptions parallel to the channels.
 Port administration.-The admins tration of the port is under the super vision of the director of public works who is appointed by the mayor for two years, and of a harbor master who is chosen by the city common council for a term of three years
 The harbOr master performs the usual duties of that office and in ad- dition looks after the municipal wharf at Wall street. He has, however, no control over the city-yard wharf on the upper Pequonnock River which is directly under the control of the director of public works. The rates of wharfage at the Wall street dock, it is Interesting to note, are fixed by the harbor master.
 Port charges-Pilotage are not generally taken except by vessels subject to com pu1sory piIotage, those being foreign and United States regis tered vessels drawing g feet and over, if spoken. The following are the rates of pilotage: $1.50 per foot draft in- ward and $1 per foot outward; for square-rigged vessels, $2 per- foot in ward and the same outward. From November to April 1 an additional charge of 25 cents per foot is made.
 Harbor dues.-NO harbor dues are assessed at this port
 Dockage.-The only public termin- als are those owned by the city and two owned by the Crane Valve Co.,, at the head of Cedar Creek The municipal wharf at Wall street can