Evening journal., 1921-08-11
DIRT SOON TO
FLY ON CITY
HARBOR Unit
Continued From First Page.


s1,372.57e and a conference is be-
ing held this afternoon between the
commissioners and Mr.. Pierce to ar
range for closing the deal and sign
ing the necessary papers.
II is thought probable final action
will be taken tomorrow, and actual
work on the terminal may start
Monday morning.
Mr.. Pierce said he was not GER
tain how many men would be en-
ployed on the operation. I'VE shall
rush it forward as rapidly as we are
able to obtain necessary material, 4"
he said. I'VE are limited to twelve
months time in which to finish the
project, but 1 fully anticipate we
shall have It completed within the
time specified"
Mr.. Pierce added that he expect
ed at least 700 men would be given
employment on the job. and possi-
bly, several hundred more. Already
members of the engineering staff Of
the company are being assigned to
the various portnons of the work
they will do.
At a conference with City Council
lasting nearly an hour and a half,
last night, the Harbor Commission
ers explained in detail their work.
ing agreement with the Board of En-
gineers OF the War Department, and
told OF their visit to Washington
on Tuesday. Practically every mem
Der of Council voiced his hearty ap-
proval of the plans as made.
Recommendation for more than
100000 In improvements to tho
Christiana river will be recommend
ed to Congress by the Engineer
Board, which is more than the COM
missioners had expected to obtain.
Furthermore. il the new marine
terminal and harbor proves its
utility TO the section tributary to
Wilmington, cost OF maintenance OF
the Christiana channel will be taken
over entirely by the Federal Gov
ernment.
Under the plan approved by the
Engineer Board, the Christiana will
be connected with the Delaware by
a channel 25 feet at mean low water
and averaging 400 feet in width.
This channel will be dredged for a
distance OF 6OO0 to 1000 feet up
stream from the mouth of the Chris
tiana. In front Of the new terminal
a turning basin will be dredged out.
This will be approximately zoo feet
wide, giving ample room for vessels
such as ply the Delaware to use
the terminal facilities for unloading
and loading cargoes.
The Engineer Board also recon-
mends removal OF the present dyke
on the south side of the Christiana
at its junction with the Delaware
and its replacement with a modern
dyke 1900 feet in length. This mod.
ern dyke will serve to retain dredg.
ings from the channel, which will
be dumped onto the marsh lands OF
the Delaware river front of the har,
Dor tract, thus making land" fol
future expansion OF the marine
terminal plant
As stated, cost OF this work viii
cost approximately 100000, all OF
which is to be borne by the Federal
Government. In addition. It was
agreed that the government should
appropriate s65,O0O annually for
maintenance OF the 25 feet chan
neil In event the cost exceeds $685.
600, the government will pay one
half the excess cost up to 500, 600
the city bearing the other half
which must not exceed 317,5OO an
nually.
The commissioners also explained
that the Engineer Board had sug-
gested that a bulkhead be con-
structed on the north bank of the
Christiana facing the turning basin
This. the commissioners said they
would see would be done, il neces-
sity for It should arise.
In view Of the fact that the depth
Of the basin and Christiana channel
will be 25 feet instead Of 30 as or
iginally asked, the commissioners ex-
pressed the opinion that construc-
tion of such a bulkhead would not
be needed. In support OF this, Il
was pointed out that the present
depth Of the Christiana channe
ranges from IS to "a in the lower
reaches Of the river.
It was said unomcially today thai
the government engineers told tn,
Harbor Commissioners 1t was esti
mated it would cost $4,000 a yeal
to keep the mouth Of the Christiana
dredged properly IL a jetty or bulk
, head along the north side Of IN,
Christiana entrance were not built
. II this estimate should be born,
out, it would mean the city woul,
have TO pay half of the dredging
cost above s65.OOO annually O
from SCI. 900 to $4,000 a year as tn
city's share annually, unless a north
side bulkhead should be constructed
One OF the harbor Commissioner
today said the north-side bull1heat
e project was so far in the future tha
: nothing had been said about It, a
: conditions are such its necessit.
might never arise. ''rhe govern
ment has done everything we hav'
asked II to do" he added.
Q All the members OF the Harbo
Board and members OF its staff re
ported last night that the Board o
u Engineers had taken unusual interes
? in the Wilmington project. Tn
z boards decision TO recommend tn
y contemplated vast improvement I
:, the Christiana virtually makes 1t
part OF the governments harbor pro
= gram.
5, That the board decided TO recon
mend that the government bear tn
: entire cost OF 100000 which it
estimated it will require for tn
: completion OF the task is Of unusua