Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-27
ME|GS EXPLAINS
HARBOR PROJECT
Engineer Who Drew the Plans
Tells What the City is
About TO Do.

article TO the current issue of the Delaware
Magazine from which the following ex-
tracts are taken:
Wilmington, Delaware, occupies the
anomalous position Of being a seaport
community-or at least community
located on a deep water channel removed
but a few miles from the open sea-with-
out possession of shipping or shipping
interests, except OF minor character en-
gagged IN the river trade exclusively.
!" = .
An outline plan of port development
WAS drafted several years ago. which con-
templatcd the utilization of the south
hank of the Chrlstiana river at It's con-
fluence with the Delaware river. Subsc-
Qucntly these plans were expanded INTO a
more concrete plan for the comprehensive
treatment Of this entire area, and IN the
fall Of 1919, at the earnest request of the
Harbor Board, Councils authorized an
issue of two and one-half million dollars
worth of city bonds for the actual com
mcncemcnt Of construction work on tins
this project
Along the south shore Of the Christiana
river. and the west shore OF the Delaware
river, extending from the Lobdell Car
Wheel Works-the location of which is
well known to all Nilmingtunians as
being the :irst industrial development on
the ChristiaDa above its junction with
the Delsware-a series of long piers will
be constructed, connected together at
their rear ends by marginal way or CON
meeting avenue, running parallel to the
waterway, on which avenue will be
multiple system OF car tracks connecting
TO the piers, and fianked with car storage
and classi cation yards for the reception
snd distribution of railroad freight.
In the rcar of the marginal avenue,
blocks of warehouses viii be constructed
in which freight beng held for either in
ward or outward shipment. or in bond,
may be stoned for short or long periods of
time; and, still farther removed from tho
Waterfront, between tho next series of
parallel streets, eventually there VIII be
constructed factory buildings for the
accommodation Of various industries, sup
piled with power from central plant all
under the jurisdiction Of the Harbor Board.
The piers themselves VIII be large and
conmodious, capable of dlSposIng Of
cargo from full-sIzed oos,an carricrs with
despatch and economy, and viii be equip
ped With the most modern ireiCht-hand-
ling equipment, 10 enable 4he turn-aruund
or time IN port, of vessels dong business
tnerrat to toe reduccd to the lowest pos
slhlc minimum
With adequate and up-to-datc cargo
handling equipment on these new piers
for taking cargo and ample space for
properly dlspos.ng Of it: convenient rail
road connections to the nam tracks 0f
thrCr trunk-linc railroad systems; and To-
csted on broad, deep-wateS channel,
within TO miles of the open ocean, Viii /
mlngton Will ofier advantages which can
not Dc excellcd by any port on the At
lantic coast, bar none.
This development comprises IN its
entirety ten or dozen large, substantial
piers, corresponding number Of multi I
ple-story, concrete warehouses, which,
with the auxiliary factory developments,
power plant, car yards, etc, provided II
rear thereof, vii involve the expenditure {
IN tune q fifty million dollars or more.
now IT Is FINANCED.
With the two and one-haf million
dollars now available for general port
purposes, the Iarb0r Board has wisely
acquired. Us The .rSt Ste9 in the enter
pnSe. the entire property between the
Iobdeil plant on the Chrstiana rlver, and
a point midway between the south en-
trance PETTY Of the Chrlstlana and the
Pigeon Point per on the Delaware river
The municipality nov owns : sufficient
srea-about It's acres of fast land and 100
acres of land under water a total Of aD-
pr0Xmateiy Z05 acres-and s sufficient
waterfront OF about > 400 feet. to permit
the working out Of 4 large proportion Of
the compreherSlv" plan projected Tor the
development o. thIS entire section Of the
city.
With the balance Of the money left
after the purchase Of this site,
and the construction a small produce
wharf at the foot Of Church street,
MINOR Improvement i ], proposed 10
Construct the trst l.tIt 81 tho greater de
vclermenf Thi> uut vii consist Of one
bllkheaG Tiar about 2fh feet long; a pier
: t5eC ard storage warehouse three stories
hca - -,t .de ~ too feet lJag and an
pca vtar. area boJ feet long and 600
ieer n n r ~ d.pta. tor the storage Of
heavy telA rarE of unporIshabie nature,
Dot requiring u be housed under cover Tor
- pratte1en Auxiliary 10 tl.se wharf
nd stcd structures VII be Land the neces-
.aC rali- ~ tracks tar serving be piers
lnd warc. l~es together with properly
lraportnae8 car ards for holding and
,la-ssitNlng tat ea-- necessary N cCnncc-
don VT. TIC eperauou oi the waterfront
actAties.
ndivlcuII operation VII bc balanced ]
s'thu t~sli arc nd,peI.dent for the time !
,ciug 9 any 1t III, aGosuonal develop
neuts shown en- fho con preheI.sIse plan,
III vii llEf into the gene raj deyC lopuent
steT and become an uteg gTal part Uf IT,
.biS dew loputut W biie K would be foliv
Q prcclc' .l-t Il WI place Whining gton IL
uccesstui con pstltiJn a. ro CARDS volume !
i business with the other and longer |
stahhsaed ports Of the Atlantic seaboard
i1li certainly CLatlr i 10 take lL5 place as
small tut Well-equpDed and highly !
z cieIt port ard 81 least uarh the first
tep toward the establishment Of the
cpItat0u Oi the cIt} Is . maritime center {
LAEGE FINANCIAL RETURNS ASSURED. !
Among the financial returns % be look
q iOrW ard T. by the community from this
itestment, OUTSIDE % the mere rentals on {
be pier ahd war, house facilities. will he \
be inevitable attraction of new manu-
actunng enterprises 0i class 70 which Q
roumitN 81 Vattr-fr0ut Is j benefit, and {
~ consequent enhancement Of property
aiue~ ana increase Of tax-payIng rat z
Dies at 81 which wal inure largely to 4
b, bcneiI OF the community Tie IN /
rel.scd revenues from these latter sources s
one VIII Carrl TIT per investment cost
ANY times over. arr tie moneys paid III /
ages e. the operatives 81 new factories L
instructed II the vc.nlty Of the port I
improvements Alil become immediately a
ar o. the circulating medium OF the &
immunity and wlll materially increase q
: total wealtE al