Milford chronicle., 1963-08-09

House.
The tract was declared sur
plus early last year and ordered
to be sold. At current prices it
would bring about So million
If bought by private interests.
Mcdowell, Williams and Sen.
j. Caleb Boggs, R-Del., all
sponsored legislation to have the
tract about half the total acre
age at the base returned to
Delaware at cost. The State
Planning Commission has al
ready mapped out detailed i'm
provement plan for recreational
use Of the area.
Part of the fort property was
donated to the government free.
About 500, 900 was paid for the
rest. The Army has not made
clear its investment for the por-
tion Of the land 1t made surplus.
Mcdowell said he will confer
with Chairman Carl Vinson, D.
Ca, OF the House Armed Serv-
ices Committee soon to obtain
a hearing on the bill.
Action may come sooner In
the Senate, however, Williams
and Boggs we're scheduled to
testify last week on their COM
panion bill, but the meeting was
postponed until this week when
the committee failed to muster
quorum.
While Vance's letter does not
specifically endorse the bills,
Williams said, 1t clears the way
for congressional action. He
added that he knows Of no de-
termined opposition in Con-
gress.
A public hearing on the ques-
ton Of whether Route "a shall be
the Cape May-Lewes Ferry ap-
proach road will be held Aug.
10 In Lewes High School.
William j. Miller, Jr., State
Highway Department director Cd
operations, has called the 7:30
pm. meeting to hear arguments
on the Route "a proposal which
he said is favored by the Della
ware River and Bay Authority.
Georgetown and Lewes leaders
are behind Route 18 as the ac-
cess road.
Miller said it is hoped that the
new approach road will be ready
in time for the opening Of the
ferry next July. He said the
cost of either route extension
will be a little less than 81
million.
The Lewes ferry terminal Is
to be built near the Coast Guard
station along Delaware Bay.
Three veteran steamers OF the
Chesapeake Bay may come bach
to the valley Of their "birth''
to the mainstay of the Lewes-
Cape May ferry. N
II the Delaware River and Bay
Authority purchases ships anc
equipment from the Chesape AXE
Bay Bridge and Tunnel District,
the Lewes-Cape May ferry viii
depend chiefly on two vessels
constructed in Wilmington anc
one in Chester.
They are:
SIS. Pocohontas, built in 194.
by the old Pusey and Jone;
Corp, Wilmington.
SIS. Del-Mar-Va. built Il
1888, by Pusey and Jones.
SIS. Princess Anne, built Il
1886 by the Sun Ship Building 4
Drydock Corp, Chester.
The Delaware River and Bal
Authority will decide by Sept
Is how many ships and how
much equipment OF the CheSa-
peake Bay Bridge and Tunne
District it will buy.
Now the vessels are being
used on the Little Creek-Kipto-
peke (Va.) ferry run and will be
replaced on March Is by {
bridge and tunnel from neal
Norfolk to Cape Charles, Va
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge
and Tunnel District has offered
the Delaware New Jersey
authority the following choice
Of propositions:
Five ferried Qncluding the
three Delaware Valley-built bay
steamers) and a tanker, plus
spare parts, docking bridges and
connected equipment for $3.s
million.
Or, all this plus two other
smaller ferries for 81 million.
Whatever the Delaware River
and Bay Authority decides, II
will depend chiefly upon the po-