Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-06
bridge MARKS NEW
ERA ON R|VERFRONT
Director Sproule Gives interest
Ing Review Of Changes From
Days Of Clipper Fleets
ONCE OWNED BY ONE MAN


riverfront has undergone such radical
changes in the last decade or two. says
Director Sproulc Of Wharvcs. Docks
and Ferries. as that between Race and
Vine streets whore the approaches of
the Delaware River Bridge, connecting
Philadelphia and Camden, will be
erected on the site now occupied by
Municipal Pier No. II North
The property which the Delaware
Bridge Joint Commission takes from the
city for this purpose was formerly
owned by Taylor VI. Uhlcr. who for
many years operated freight bargcs be o
tween that point and places on tue Del
swarc and Lehigh Canal.
In the readjustmpnt which followed
tho extension Of the picrhcad line, made
possible by the removal Of Smiths and
Windmill Islands, the city purchased
from the Uhlcr estate the riparian rights
OF this property and extended into the
river the pier which is about to pc re-
moved, leasing it to the Baltimore and
Ohio Railway Company.
In the photograph reproduced on the
back page of this paper today, says Di-
rector Sproulr, who probably knows
more about the Delaware waterfront
than any man in the city. the two
islands are clearly shown. The ono TO
the left is Smiths Island and the one
to the right is Windmill Island. The
pier extending into the river is the old
Chestnut street pier. and Market street
Is just about opposite the point where
the .ferrybOat in midstrcsm is shown.
Were Drawbacks to Port
These islands were the greatest
drawback to the development of the port
OF Philadelphia. and II was not until
they were removed that the possibilities
OF the city as n water terminus were
shown. When the fcrrybOats left the
Chestnut or Market street wharves on
the trip TO Camden they were obliged
10 20 through the narrow cut between
the two islands seen in the picture,
where channel had been cut and the
sides of the islands dykcd.
On the return trip they went through
the dyked channel shown in the picture
TO the left (nOrthl of Smiths Island
and there was frequently much trouble
on account of the ice in the winter. The
islands were removed in 1893 that is,
work began that year. but it was not
until 1898 that they were entirely re-
After this was done, it was possible
TO extend the pierhead line and build
piers which would accommodate the
mn nrine traffic of the city. BY the pier
head line is meant the distance into
the water which a pier is allowed to
extend.
The old piers mad 10 ne very short,
relatively speaking, because, of course
they were not allowed to extend into
: -the~water far enough to impede traffic.
There was obliged to be a channel be-
tween the piers and the islands sutt-
ciently wide 10 accommodate the yes
sells passing up and down the river.
When the removal of the islands was
accomplished the piers were Immediately
extended, and when this was done the
port began to boom.
Sixty years ago the entire riverfront
between Race and Vine streets was
owned by John ]. Ridgeway, Within
this area two piers We're located, one
lis feet long and 33 feet wide and
the other 267 feet In length and n
little more than 81 feet in width, this
latter being the largest structure in
the upper section of the harbor. This
was the extreme length which il was
possible to erect q pier at that time
and still maintain the necessary traffic
channel between the land and the is
lands.
OeluWaTp avenue, winch Is To-Day
100 feet in width, was then only
twenty five feet wide. In order not
to obstruct vehicular traffic along this
marginal street there was a regulation
Of the old Board of Port Wardens
which was enforced strictly. This was
that the masters of all vessels lying at
the piers were required to rig in their
jlb booms. As this was the day Of
3 the full -rigged ship, when sail and
not steam supplied most of the motive
power OF the marine trade. 1t often
happened that when the huge vessels
came alongside the piers jib boOms OK
tended entirely over the roofs OF the
: houses on the western side of the street.
as well as over the width of the street
itself.
This was the time Of the clipper ship
and these superb sailing vessels put the
American merchant marine far ahead of
nll the others in the world, by their
speed, stanchness and carrying ca
pacity. Until the speed Of the steam
vessel drove the clippers of the sea
lanes, this position was held by these
great ships.
Was Berth Of the Republic
The old Republic, which for many
summers ran between Philadelphia and
Cape May, had her berth Just below
the pier TO be demolished for the bridge
approaches and Immediately south Of
this locality, was the old Kerr salt pier.
This latter pier was always the scene
Of great activity until the passing of
the sailing vessels. 1t was invariably
the case that the great old American
clipper ships such as the State OF
Maine, one of the most famous or this
remarkable feet, the John A. Briggs,
N tho Tam O'Shanter, t. Gatherer, Eric
Vthe Red, Standard. Inuiana, Abner CO.
burn and the bark Guy G. Gross dis
charged and loaded general cargoes on
the Sutton Line for San Francisco by
way of Cape Horn, taking grain from
San Francisco to Liverpool and return
ing here with salt cargoes.
These were not only the romantic
lays of the United States upon the high
seas. but they made a very practical
financial return as we'll. The captain
OF great ship In those days was q big
man In whatever port he made,
IIl Along the locality where tho an
proaches of the new bridge are to be
erected the water is deep, 50 much so, in
iii fact that 1t is a matter of record that
Nj when the famous ship John Trux was
III cut through by the Ice and sank at its
moorings at the Race Street Wharf on
jlEebruary 10, 1868, It's topsail- yards
were not visible above the surface of the
water.
AZ a matter Of interest IL might be
nacalied that this famous ship was COM
SHanded at that time by Captain James
~. Lindsay, who in late years served