Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-20
DDGlS[AND Be
| Big SEA TERMINAL
ponald 8. Edmonds Stresses
Need Of Port for Keeping
Wartime Plant
rEvIvEs FORMER PLANS

Donald Spencer Edmonds. former
district counsel for the Emergency Fleet
C0rporation here said today that the
Impending snle Of Hog Island. the
world famous shipbuilding plant Of war
days, eventually might lead to its con.
~efSi0n into big marine terminal.
vastly increasing the port facilities OF
ehiladelphia.
Bids for the colossal shipyard. cover.
4n9 more than 1000 acres OF ground
mud virtually cleared of shipways md
Z ehopo, save for a cleaning-up job to
- finished by December 81, will he
hoked in Washington early in January.
Philadelphia capital, Mr.. Etlmonds
laid, no doubt could be interested in
md would undertake the project, pro.
Vidins an equitable price for the plant
Ne Il stands completely dismnntlcd could
Be reached with the United States Ship.
ping Board. in which title Of owner.
Vhip 10 5ested.
In his opinion, as regards the prob.
hhle use Of Hog Island as shipping
Ooint for overseas trade. Mr.. Edmonds
was sustained by Federal Govern /.
ment official thoroughly familiar with
marine matters, who expressed the be-
lief that leading steel companies. man.
ufacturers OF machinery and other in.
t1ustrial products destined for export,
would find the approaching sale of the
war. time shipyard great opportunity
to locate at this tidewater point and
no doubt would take advantage of It.
The particular inducements. nc
1pointcd out. would be the easier hand =
ling Of vessels, as Hog Island Is 10.
Gated directly along the main "o-foo'
channel at poi mt on the river tni
below the Horseshoe Curve. with its
attendant ice congestion during severe
winter weather. Also. he said. the
rail connections are all that could be
asked for the handling Of cargocs in
transit to and from finland points.
Big Terminal Ia Needed
The pronounced congestion of thu
,>ert OF New York and tine pre- .emptioi
q virtually all tidewater space from
New York Bay to the northernnos
yoints. both along the North and Eas
Rivers, in the opinion Of Mr.. Edmonds
Alone would Justify the projected ter
minal at Hog Island, as It would b
bound to divert much Of the traffic from
This thought was the basis for tn
urevious project for terminal Mt Ho
island, which, however. failed to ma
terialize because an agreement MS t
terms could not be reached between
the old Shipping Board and the, grou,
Of men ready TO finance the undertak
Ing, and who had made substantial
o6er for the yard.
Detailed plans for the proposed ter
ninel were prepared and called for tn
construction of marginal piers on tn
ate of the fifty shipways. includin
tie building Of ten s!x'story ware
Were to Handle Coal
Still another detail projected was th
eonstruction Of coal tipple to the rea
e the impounding basin. from whic
the coal cars could be run out on tn
6eslgnated pier by gravity, while eac
q the seven 1OOO.foot fitting. out pier
An addition to fast operating Rantry an
locomotive cranes was to have bee
Suuipped with pipe lines by means c
which vessels could rapidly be supple
With fuel oil drawn from storage tanks
erected at an extreme and safe inlan
point of the terminal.
All endeavors in connection with tn
proposed terminal were concentrate
on a determination to make the enter
prise work as fast and smoothly rs pos
dble, with view Of reducing the over
head cost of handling vessels and car
goes to the lowest possible minimum
In this connection even the operation
Of a terminal trucking system had beel
feckoned with so az to provide for tn
dtspatch Of n truck with freight fror
the yard and have the same truck re
turn with load Of inbound goods.