Norwich bulletin., 1922-11-25
GIVE MANY REASONS FOR WANTING 16 FOOT CHANNEL IN THE THAMES

shipping interests of Norwich was pres ent Friday afternoon at 1.30 in the | common council chamber at the court | house for the hearing to be given ty Major, " l.. Peterson of the |. S. en-
 gineers office at Providence, who came
 to listen to reasons why the Norwich
 business men wanted the goverrment-to to | deepen the channel in the Thames river | to this city. 1 It was made clear at the hearing that | the present claimed depth of II feet IS ] short of what is needed in the river to allow the general type of present-day ] boats to get here with theII cargoes, and that the 16-foot depth with a 200 l foot width is the minimum required 1 for the channel if Norwich is to re-
 main classified as a port that can be-
 reached by shippers with the size boats l that are now available.
 l After the hearing Major Peterson
 told Secretary John J. O'Rourke of the l chamber of commerce that he could | compliment Norwich upon having the
 best prepared and best conducted hear ing he had attended for some time.
 Mayor Milo R. Waters sat with Ma ior Peterson at the mayors desk, when | Major Peterson opened the hearing
 with brief explanation of legislative 1 act authorizing a survey on the ques-
 tion of the deepening of the river to this city:
 i He said that he wanted to hear what
 was the exact nature of the improve
 ment required, what would be the bene- fits to eastern Connecticut what in-
 crease in tonnage might be expected,
 and why present facilities were made quate.
 Mayor Waters Speaks.
 Mayor Waters was first to Speak. He
 said that at certain winds and tides
 the vessels now running here could not
 reach the city The freight rate on
 soft coal has gone to the inland city
 rate in the past two years and there .s i fear that the rate on anthracite may be
 put on that basis. The channel is sup posed to be II feet deep. 900 feet wide,
 but that is not the actual worth. At
 the present time a vessel drawing 13 } feet has difficulty getting up the river t and other boats cannot Practically all the water shipment of freight for East l ern Connecticut territory goes through Norwich, he said. and the present con- l dition is a great handicap.
 ; Chamber of Commerce President. | Mayor Waters was followed by Pres.- | dent H. NJ. Lerou of the chamber of
 commerce who said that Norwich e wanted to make the greatest use possi- ble of it's river. President Lerou presented the situation
 as follows:
 In proposing the further development
 of the Thames river the business people
 of Norwich do so on the lines that it is : imperatively needed because water trans U portation today is becoming more and ! more necessary on account of the rail road Conjestions existing now and that = do exist periodically from time to time q The present depth of the channel from II Allyn's Point to Norwich varies from 1S t to 14 feet, the width of the channel can ,' not be ascertained fact. We re- / spectfully submit the proposition of a Is foot channel 200 feet wide from AL
 lyn's Point to Norwich.
 In submitting this proposition there
 are certain elements which we desire # to call to your attention. At the pres .- ent time Norwich is served by the l. Thames River Line which gives a daily O service through the operation of two r. boats. The Cape Cod has a draught ot n approximately 13 feet and the John M e Worth draught of approximately 10 fe feet. The Cape Cod finds it very diff e. cult to navigate the channel with a neal ,s tide and a northwest wind which make: Ie the channel very shallow causing the
 boat to drag on the bottom. This nee
 essitates frequent repairs to the Cap IA Cod which in turn is a tremendous dis i;o advantage to the shippers of Norwicl j., because of the crippled service cause, 1f by the boat betting repaired frequently 70 There is some question of the John M 1f Worth giving constant service through I out the winter months because of he " low draught in going through the soun Y, during heavy seas The Thames Rive h. Line cannot put on better boat be r cause of the present depth of the rive .: to AIlyn's Point and because of the lac ie of proper draught to operate through !, out the year. It must be born in min | |'+ that it is necessary for a boat with se draught similar to the Cape Cod to nav + igate the sound s especially during tn * winter season. Boats of lighte n- draught cannot make the passage. s This has caused situation which ha ,I been somewhat disastrous to the ship
 ping facilities by water to Norwich in dustries. Several Norwich industries wi = not ship their finished product to Ne
 York by the Thames River Line becaust
 of the inadequate service that this lin IS gives, so that the tonnage on the rive ch has suffered to very large extent frol at this phase of the situation1
 Water tonnage of lumber laden ves or sells has similarly suffered because "a has been found impossible to get coas ". wise vessels from the south which coul n, navigate the river. This situation prove +s beyond the question of a doubt that th ~ deepening of the present channel to l - feet and 200 foot width would doubl - increase the present tonnage of watel
 borne freight in this community. At th same time the tonnage for the past yea
 carried by the boat lines operating 0
 the Thames river is not a fair compal
 ison with a normal year. Two of ol by large shippers on the Thames River I4ir -e- practically closed for period of neal ct, ly twenty weeks which of course les. ap ened the tonnage normally carried. I zf date the figures from the Thames Rive sr- Line of normal year are not avail, V. ble.
 n5 During the past year a new boat lin N The Wilson Line, operated in Norwic
 for period of seven months. This boi rst me gradually increased a us ousness ar ,ar months carried approximately 1000 ton 0 ,0o The fact that the tonnage carried by u Ls Wilson Line did not in any way hampe " lessen, or hinder the tonnage carried [ ;le the Thames River Line seems conclusi1 oe' proof that the river tonnage would ee very largely Increased with dependab ne and proper boat service.
 1ul At the present tima The Ameriof to Thernoa Bottle Company is on the VefI tne of 8 Ehut-down, and they are nearly 10t by 900 bottles bahind their orders beeau eld of the lack of transportation faeiiiti af due te the emhaFgees on the raiiFea ees This company, with properly deveiep' Ind beat service, would af itseif vastly il e), crease fhe tonnage eH the Thames FiH ry= as it would be ia 8 position ta make es sk= staHt use ef water tFaasReFtatieR: me Fhe tetai taaRage af the Thames RiF Iad Liae fer the Rast year, which is net