Smyrna times., 1928-01-04
DELAWARE BRIDGE PLANS MEET
ALL THE U. S. REQUIREMENTS
PROMOTERS OF SPAN ANSWER
CRITICISM j. HAMPTON MOORE
Philadelphia Is Afraid Travel Would
BE Shifted to Wilmington. 1t IL
Said-PT0ject Shows Progress

in All addres made by II Eaartoa
Moore, of Philadelphia pla iJaHt oe
The Atlantic Deeper Waite
ISOLATION, a EHas n@ .laola.
Congress shelId a t H -a
fol- more bridge lcro.= tlc na--W#
River unless ea tha6 theg Nil a1t
Interfere WitR navigation had the ct-
feet of aTou4ing renewed intereat in
the projeet to construct bridge
across the Delaware River below Will
mington Officers Of the Delaware
New Jersey Bridge Corporation, saw
in the interview Of Mr. Moore, a fear
that the bridge might interfere with
trade Of Philadelphia 1t was pointed
out that before a bridge can be built,
it must have the approval Of Congress
and the War Department and this
would prevent the construction of a
bridge which would in any way inter
fere with navigation.
Congress to Get Plans in Full Detail
1t was declared that the bridge-cor-
poratiOn, of which George A. Casey
IS president, Albert Bird, vice-presi-
dent, and Caleb M. Steward, treasur-
er,will submit plans which will be sat
isfactOry to Congress and the War
Department, and that ample capital
will be provided to defray the cost Of
the bridge and competent engineers
will design it.
It was intimated by the bridge com
pany representatives that unless Viii
mington gets behind the bridge pro
ject, that a number Of other proposed
bridge plans are likely to interfere
with this one and prevent Wilmington
getting the advantage. The bridge,
itwas declared, would not only benefit
Wilmington and the section Of New
Jersey across the river, but would
benefit the entire Del-Mar-Va PENN
suia. The Chamber Of Commerce and
other local organizations have approx
ed the bridge idea and the company
will work to obtain the necessary per
mission to build as soon as possible.
In his address Mr. Moore said: Since
the great Philadelphia Camden bridge
over the Delaware river had been con
structed and was SO successful at least
four private groups have sought
bridge franchises with the view Of
crossing the river. The latest Of
these, he said, had reached Congress
in the form of a bill introduced by
Senator Bayard, of Delaware, provid-
ing for a private bridge to cross the
Delaware at or near Wilmington. Mr..
Moore said in part: eff this bridge is
constructed it must be constructed to
meet every requirement Of navigation,
or the port Of Philadelphia will suffer.
It is an unheard of thing to erect
bridges over the Delaware south of
the big city, but two projects are now
pending, the one at Wilmington and
another at League Island. On the up
per Delaware two bridge grants have
already been made by Congress, one
at Palmyra, where the work Of con
struction is soon to begin, and an
other between Bristol and Burlington,
the plans for which are still spending
before the United States army en-
gineers.
eff these four bridges are permitted
over the Delaware in addition to the
PhiIadelphia-Ca Camden bridge the in
tere5ts of navigation should be care
fully safeguarded. Although the
Camden-Philadelphia bridge has a
height Of span Of 135 feet, Portland,
Ore, and Detroit, Mich, have already
fought down bridge projects which
proposed To give no higher clearance.
In each case the bridges were made to
60 up higher before the army engi-
.-- G-.ll-- a..tl,nriznL 90, ,,st,.lctinr,