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F Ad%--f I- -- - -- q - -- - I, ----Iq~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES i Port of Philadelphia ITS HISTORY, ADVANTAGES and FACILITIES Issued by THE DEPARTMENT OF WHARVES, DOCKS AND FERRIES CITY OF PHILADELPHIA Sesqui-Centennial Year 1926 In a mcssage to City Council iin, 1925, Hon. W. Freeland Kendrick, Mayor of Philadelphia, said:- "rTHE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA jWILL BE CARRIED ON. WONDERFUL PROGRESS WAS MADE LAST YEAR, AND THE REPORTS OF THE DIRECTOR OF WHARVES, DOCKS AND FERRIES SHOW THAT THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA HAS TAKEN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS A WORLD MARITIME CENTER." W FREELAND KEjOR!CK EoWARo Loai MAYOR rCCRTARY CITE OF PHILADELPHIA OFFICE OF 'HE MAYOR November 12, 1925. Hon.. George F. Sproule, Dep't of Wharves, Docks and Ferries. Municipal Pier #4, South, Foot of Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa., My dear Director Sproule: It is with genuine pleasure that I write to you a few vwerds relative to the book on the Port of Philadelohia, which will be issued by the Department of Wharves, Docks and Ferries I not anly approve your very worthy under- taking, but I commend it to everyone, everywhere, who is interested in maritime affairs. The history, advan- tages and facilities of the Port of Philadelphia are well known in our City, but I often doubt whether our Port is fully appreciated, not only abroad but within the borders of our own country. The Port of Philadelphia has so many natural advantages, which surpass those enjoyed by any other maritime center in the United States, and anything your publication may do to bring these unsurpassed facilities to the attention of maritime men will be a great step forward in the progress of the City of Philadelphia. I can not conclude without saying a word or two concerning the very able manner in which you have handled the various affairs of the Department of Wharves, Docks and Ferries, and the great service you have rendered to Philadelphia in port development. The success of your efforts has been a great help to the present City Administration, and I am very proud of the achievements of the Department of Wharves, Docks and Ferries Again thanking you for this opportunity to briefly express my views concerning the Port and the plan of developments believe me Very truly yours, Mayor 181544 3 i S.L. BURGESS & CO. STEAMSHIP AGENTS AND CHARTERING BROKERS AGENTS FOR Scandinavian- American Line to Oslo, Copenhagen and Baltic Ports All matters pertaining to Charteringand Handling of vessels given careful and efficient attention 928 LAFAYETTE BUILDING Fifth and Chestnut Streets PHILADELPHIA 4 PORT OF PHILADELPHIA'S PAST PAVED WAY FOR PRESENT GREATNESS By GEORGE F. SPROULE. Director Department of Wharves, Docks and Ferries I N THIS volume there has been made an attempt to record some of the advantages of the Port of Philadelphia. Phila- delphia as a port prospered back in the early days, and since 1907 has been so modernized with piers, appliances and other facilities that today she stands second to none in this country or Europe. Philadelphians can today refer to their Port as in every way fitted to cope with any other maritime center. Time was when this Port was neglected. The period is well within the memory of the writer when our wharves, equipment and channel conditions were such that the large vessels of commerce could not be economically handled. With the establishment in 1907 of the Department of Wharves, Docks and Ferries and the State Board of Commissioners of Navigation, succeeding, as they did, the old Board of Port Wardens-a body which controlled the destinies of the harbor since 1766, under antiquated and obsolete laws-interest in port development was re-kindled and now we are equipped to handle ships of any size. Our Port is rich not only historically, but possesses such nat- ural advantages as must result in its constant growth. It was here many of the old Philadelphians amassed their wealth and influence as toilers and traders of the sea. Here were built the finest sailing ships in the early days when the United States was such a strong factor on the seas, and this reputation remains with us as the constructors of our modern Navy and the best and most durable merchant ships produced in this country) I have always been impressed with that description of a port given by a famous British author of sea tales-"Dockland," it is called: "The lure of dockland is akin to, yet subtly different from, the charm of the sea. The latter is in a sense impersonal, almost, abstract; the former is bound up with its human aspect-with ships and the men who sail in them. To the true lover of dock- land there is no land quite like it. It is of no country, or rather it is of all countries, and is the same the world over." All ports have their past histories and achievements, but to me Philadelphia seems so rich in historic lore. Our Port stood up better in the pressure of war than any other American port, and during those memorable days there was never any conges- 5 L ine Quaker ine JOINT SERVICE Oriental Navigation Company, Inc. Columbia Pacific Shipping Company Forest Transport Corporation Sailings Every Ten PHILADELPHIA'S Days ONLY DIRECT Through Bills of Lading SERVICE to issued- to Hawaiian Islands and Far East Los Angeles Ports. San Francisco Loading Pier: Oakland 24 NORTH-Reading Co. Portland For rates and other par- ticulars, apply to Interocean Steamship Corporation GENERAL AGENTS THE BOURSE, PHILADELPHIA Lombard 8060-1-2 Main 3256-7-8-9 Pacific Coast Agents: Los Angeles-Williams, Dimond & Company San Francisco-Williams, Dimond & Company Portland-Columbia Pacific Shipping Co. 6 tion. Within my own days there can be recalled Hammett's Screw Dock, where the old sailing craft were lifted out of the water for repairs by means of screws; Easby's Smear House Dock; Old Davis Landing; Simpson & Neall's Ship Yard, below Queen Street, the old Navy Yard piers, where Sutton's once famous clipper ships loaded general cargoes for California; Queen Street Wharf-the terminal of the steamships of the old Southern Mail Company, and the only locality in our harbor set aside by a special Act of the State Assembly for the exclusive use of a steamship line. This locality has been wiped out in the con- struction by the City of Piers Nos. 38 and 40, South Wharves. There are few of the old riverfront landmarks remaining, be- cause they have been obliterated in the march of progress. 5~~~~ The piers of old-style construction which were on the site of the present Girard Group, north of Market Street Among the earlier piers built in Philadelphia was one in 1773, by Edward Pew, of the District of Southwark, who agreed to construct for the Board of Port Wardens for three hundred pounds and sixty gallons of rum a structure on Battery Island, to be sixty feet long and thirty-five feet wide. This pier, with its limited dimensions, it was calculated, was of sufficient size to accommodate any vessel that might visit here with cargo. This Department's last pier, No. 84, South Wharves, just completed, is a double-decked structure nine hundred feet long by three hundred and thirty-six feet wide. Its total cost was $3,662,424, and the contract has just been awarded for the con- struction of a pier to be known as No. 80, South. This structure will be one thousand feet long and two hundred and eighty-six feet wide, giving a very forcible .and concrete example of the modern day structures as compared with what was required a hundred years ago. 7 Southern Steamship Company BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA, PA. SAI LI NGS-WEDNESDAYS PIER 46, SOUTH WHARVES Foot of Washington Avenue -AND- HOUSTON, TEXAS SAILINGS-TUESDAYS MUNICIPAL WHARF No. 4 Freight Received for All Points in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and California GENERAL OFFICE 321 COMMERCIAL TRUST BUILDING PHILADELPHIA, PA. HARVEY C. MILLER GEO. W. DE LANOY President Vice-President and Traffic Manager T. A. O'BRIEN General Freight Agent 8 Some of us recall the old Powder Pier, owned by the State, lo- cated at Greenwich Point. There was the old Walnut Street Pier, now the property of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company, where the famous Cope packet ships landed their Liverpool passengers and cargoes; and the Lombard Street Wharf, where Penrose and Burton's packet ships loaded and discharged. At the foot of Race Street, Taylor M. Uhler operated a service of freight barges between that point and places on the Delaware and Lehigh Canal. The removal, in 1893, of Smith's and Wind- mill Islands from the Delaware River made possible the exten- sion of the pierhead line, and in a readjustment the City pur- chased from the TJhler estate the riparian rights of this property and extended into the river the pier at this point. It was recently demolished for the building of the bridge approach. Sixty years ago the riverfront between Race and Vine Streets was owned by John J. Ridgway, and two piers were located within this area. One was one hundred and eighteen feet long and thirty-three feet wide; the other two hundred and sixty-seven feet long and thirty-seven feet six inches wide. Delaware Ave- nue then was but twenty-five feet wide, and in order not to obstruct vehicular traffic along this marginal street, there was a regulation made by the Board of Port Wardens, then in power, which was strictly enforced, requiring the masters of all vessels lying at the piers to rig in their jib-booms.