Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1927-11-04
HEARING TOMORROW
ON INDIAN RIVER
INLET OPENING
[Continnsd from first bagel

CONTINUED from first Page1
vessels owned elsewhere which
came there for lumber and wood
and were constantly using the
Indian river and inlet to the finan-
cial advantages of the merchants,
farmers and residents of that terri
tory.
Vessels had no difficulty in pass
ing into and out of the inlet, there
being from to 10 feet of water ana
these conditions continued until the
Assawamon canal was cut through.
Immediately thereafter the inlet be-
gan to fill and from then on was
found necessary to tighten part of
the cargoes in and out of the inlet.
Finally, conditions became so bad
that all of the vessel owners were
Obliged to abandon this traffic and
cease their activities entirely.
Indian river and Rehoboth bays
and their tributaries drain an area
of about 225 square miles. In 1852
the average fresh water dlscharge
at the inlet was calculated at 225'-
100000 gallons daily.
1.-THE average area affected by the
tide was about 20 square miles. II a
mean depth of the tidal prism OF
inches were obtained, the total con-
tents of the prism would be 139,S92,-
600 cubic feet, and adding one~halt
the daily fresh water supply, there
was an average discharge during
one ebb tide of 154,392,000 cubic feet
Assuming the average velocity Oh
the ebb tide to be three miles per
hour, this discharge would MAINTAIN
a channel 200 feet wide with a mean
depth of seven feet.
aTn 1882 the proportion of fresh to
salt water was 1 to 8, and the river
and bays abounded with fish, oys-
tiers and clans, and the community
was satisfied with these conditions
and enriched as the result of the IN
dustry. While the shipping records
are not available at Dagsboro, it IS
within the memory of R. D. Lingo,
as we'll as the railroad agent, that II
was not unusual to ship by express
from that point, before the inlet
was closed, upwards of 100 boxes OF
soft-shelled crabs in day.
"The railroad agent at Millsboro
reports that shipments of sott-shelI-
ed crabs since the inlet closed have
diminished almost to nothing, put
estimates that during the season OF
1924 upwards of 1900 boxes of soft
shelled crabs were shipped by ex-
press from that point. Since the
complete closure of the inlet, SOFT
shelled crabs are not obtalnaDle III
sufficient quantities to supply the
local demand, even at prohibltlVe
prices ranging from SO to $4 per box
of two dozen. He reports lO9,69S
mounds of fish were shipped during
the year 1918, as indicated from the
waybills which he has located. He
was unable to locate the records for
other years. but within his memory,
he REPORTS the combined shipments
nv the individual fisherman from
that point, of fish alone, for a single
dav have sometimes required the
full capacity of an express car. Now
he reports the shipments of fish are
scarce, irreuglar and of little con-
sequence.
''In 1882 there were in excess OF
so sawmills in active operation
along the banks of Indian river ana
1IS tributaries WlOoC NebAAJ
was from 1900 to 5000 feet of lumber
each. Averaging the products gave
54,O00,000 feet of lumber yearly,
which at then an average value OF
S17.5O per 1000 feet made $945,OOO
worth of lumber annually exported
from this region. Owing to the OBJ
structions to navigation, it is now
necessary to haul the shipments OF
lumber, mine props, piling and pulp
wood from one to Is miles to the
nearest railroad station. Were
navigation of Indian river so i'm
prved that vessels of sufficient
draught could reach the various
landings on the river, almost the
entire amount of lumber sawed
would be shipped by water, owing to
the cheaper freight and the dimin-
ished carting distance. The water
export of grain and the most valu-
able products of the region, namely
the fruits and vegetables were UNI
INSTRUCTED navigation provided
would provide for the farmers and
merchants of Selbyville, Millville,,
Ocean View, Frankfort, DagsbOro,
MillsbOxo, Lewes and Rehoboth, as
we'll as at least 500 people residing
on or near Indian river and bay, a
revival of the industry and be en-
riched thereby"
Mr.. Faucet is not the only person
who has recognized the dire need
of government aid. Nearly every
prominent person in this State has
come to the aid of the residents of
Indian river. Among them is Mrs.
Mary William Thompson, wife of
Colonel Henry B. Thompson, of
'Brookwood Farm" GreenVille, Del
aware who said in letter to Mr..
Faucet: 81 feel that our govern
ment goes out of its way to do such
unnecessary things and leaves IN
done the most obvious things which
would be of value to the community.
In a complaint to the Board OF
Engineers, DR.. James A. Belts, who
owns and operates a hospital at
Easton, Pa, and is property own
er in Delaware, said that the lives
of nearly everyone living near the
stagnated waters are in danger
from disease