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150 is engaged not only in the transporta- tion of ocean freight and passengers, but also in selling the fruit carried with- in its steamers. The table below indi- cates that investments in conservative and well managed shipping companies are desirable: 1913. 1912. 1911. 1910. per per per. per Company. cent. cent. cent. cent. Oceanic Stm. Nav. Co. (White Star Line) 65 30 60 30 Ellerman Lines...... 22712 13 ae Cinardita eos et 0 10 74 71% N. German Lloyd... 8 7 5 3 Hamburg American.. 10 10 9 8 Holland American... 15 15 ie 15 American Hawaiian.. 8 8 7 7 United barit aise. 10 8 18 18 Peninsula & Oriental Stm. Nav. Co... 15 13 13 13 *+ 100 per cent bonus. Philadelphia is distinctly a river port, and an important tidewater railroad and pipe-line terminus. The distance from THE MARINE REVIEW In the river and harbor act of 1899, congress adopted the project for a chan- nel having 30 feet minimum depth and 600 feet minimum width from Chris- tian street, Philadelphia, to deep water in Delaware bay. The estimated cost of securing this 30-foot channel was $5,- 810,000. Thus before the 26-foot chan- nel was completed, the 30-foot chan- nel project was begun. The 30-foot channel was completed in 1911, 12 years after the passage of the act of 1899. It is interesting to notice that the project calling for a 30-foot depth was inau- gurated 14 years after the adoption of the project for 26 feet depth. Ask Further Development In 1910, just before the 30-foot proj- ect was completed, the United States army engineers stated that the “Dela- April, 1916 Schuylkill rivers, bordering on Philade}. — phia. Within the municipal limits of — Philadelphia is a total frontage of 33° miles on rivers with a depth of 18 feet and over. The Delaware river front. age is 18.8 miles. North of the city limits, the Delaware is said to have q depth of 15 feet at mean low water for a distance of 15 miles, while on the oe Schuylkill front a depth of 18 feet ob- — tains on each side for 7.3 miles to Wal- nut street. Delaware water frontage is included in the eight miles between the Reading terminal at Port Richmond at the north- ern end of Philadelphia and the Penn- sylvania coal terminal at Greenwich Point, near the southerly end of the city. There is a vast area of unimproved land at the southerly end of Philadel- FIG. 2—FRONT VIEW OF NEW DOCK STREET PIER a 35-foot depth in Delaware bay to Allegheny avenue, Philadelphia, is 63 miles, of which about eight miles have an existing depth of 35 feet at mean low water, leaving 55 miles to be improved to secure a continuous depth of 35 feet. Philadelphia is 86 miles from the capes of the Delaware. The federal govern- ment has done a great deal of work in improving the Delaware river, as, or- iginally, obstructions at several places limited the navigable depth to 17 feet to 20 feet between the city and Dela- ware bay. Increase Depth of Channel In 1885 the project of securing 26 feet minimum depth at mean low water, with a minimum width of 600 feet was inau- gurated. In 1899 the minimum depths varied from 23 to 26 feet with minimum widths varying from 200 to 600 feet. ware river is worth the improvement from Allegheny avenue, Philadelphia, to the sea with a view to securing a chan- nel 35 feet deep and 800 feet wide, at an estimated cost of $10,920,000, with $300,000 annually for maintenance.” It was doubtful whether the estimated annual maintenance charge would be sufficient. This work of increasing the depth of the channel to 35 feet is now under way, having been carried on since 1910. It is not expected that the 35-foot chan- nel will be completed before 1920, and it 1s generally conceded that the annual appropriations are too small to carry on the new work expeditiously and at the same time maintain the existing 30-foot and new 35-foot channels. The port of Philadelphia, in so far as the customs are concerned, includes the navigable waters of the Delaware and delphia which offers large possibilities for industrial and commercial develop- ment. League Island, owned and con- trolled by the United States navy, lies at the extreme southerly end of the junction of the Delaware and Schuyl- kill rivers, and was ceded to the United States government in 1868 by the city of Philadelphia. It consists of about 900 acres, and the presence of the navy yard is of great value to Philadelphia. Must Have Longer Piers A study of the shipping facilities on the Delaware water front, shows that before Philadelphia can expect a large increase in its ocean and domestic com- merce, it must have larger piers equipped with adequate freight handling devices; an extended and better operated belt- line railway connecting with a greater number of piers than at present; more The principal part of the