Cape May County Time

Vol. XXXIII. No. 15

CAPE MAY COUNTY, (Sea Isle City P. O.) N. J., FRIDAY, KJARCH 29, 1918

5 Cents a con’, $1.50 a Yeap

The All-Resort Ocean Boulevard Work Progressing

AD-Resort Boulevard of Cape May is rapidly taking shape. For nearly twc the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the , which constitutes the county’s official body, have been planning and workthis great public improvement. Its con--n is now well advanced and its compleaasured. »n«v involves financial and engineering ■ of no mean order, as the difficulties vercome are numerous and obstinate, ambitious nature of the project has com- 1 widespread public attention and as the ogresses and the superb boulevard betake shape its fame is spreading and the prestige of the county grows also, it is not asserting too much to say that is no public improvement being underby any of the 21 counties in the State of ^ equal to Cape May com.ty’s Allwhich is compaAble only to State enterprises which are now and which are destined to afford between New Jersey and its neighStales of New York and Pennsylvania. vital avenues of communication are -i Hudson River Vehicle.Tubes and the Delaware Rive/Rridge. Their coiwtrucmatters of interstate actwn. They are ilt by the State governments of New New York and Pennsylvania jointly, ons that they will cost will be paid for State taxation. These sums, while enorby no means as important to the of these States as are the moneys be raised bv the courageous people of • county in the construction of their -Resort Boulevard. THE ALL-RESORT BOULEVARD ANS TO CAPE MAY COUNTY. Hudson River Traffic Tubes, the Dela«ver Suspension Bridge and the AuBoulevard of Cape May county are all •n« of the Great National Good Roads t inaugurated with the popularization tomobile over a dozen years ago. as the Hudson Tubes and the Delaware Bridge will facilitate access to New Jer- : the populous cities of New York and gland on the one hand and Pennsylthe South and the Middle West on the so will Cape May county’s All-Resort prove the magnet which will double, yes, multiply a thousand fold—the travel into Cape May county from American Good Road system which is

to it.

at harid, and therefore' of the first - ag the feeder from which Cape May will derive the greatest benefit from its -rt Boulevard, is Atlantic City, with ity r population of 800.000 daily and Philawith its permanent population of -tic City is a scant eight miles distant by ficent bridge and boulevard system fnftn May county. Philadelphia, less than 70 And the Great Work! Metropolis. New is less than five hours from Cape May as motorists travel in this year. 1918. * are the important facts to be rememin considering the All-Resort Boulevard bearing upon the prosperity and develof Cape May county’s great Resort In- , which is the basis of proeperity of the JnsporUtion brings population and popucrentes real estate values’’ is a saying over and over again to the people of May county—proven by the main seashore proven by the Holly Beach Boulevard— by the Stone Harbor Ocean Parkway— by the Avalon Boulevard—proven by Isle City Boulevard—proven by the City Boulevard—and proven A THOUTIMES BY THE OCEAN CITYRS POINT BRIDGE IN SPITE OF TOLL-GANTLET W'HICH MOTORISTS E TO RUN BEFORE THEY CAN COME

THE COUNTY!

LROADS, HIGHWAYS AND W ATER- ' These are the paths of progress which ually traversed by the tens of thousands —mar visitors who visit Cr.pe May county 1 whose presence in the summer resorts “h dot the sea islands of her ocean front re$0 the benefit of the banker, the farmer, the "rr and the business man from the head of triver to Cape May Point. is what the All-Resort Boulevard means

May county!

IN AND ROUTE OF THE ALLRESORT BOULEVARD, for the Boulevard, itself, it is no more nor [ than a series of meadow roads and bridges ^ing the various "beaches'’ of the county i or across the inlets which separate these Tds from each other. On account of the ! conditions which subject the salt "meadf* back of these inlets to overflow twice y, the construction of the Boulevard and Connecting trestle bridges is unlike ordinary 5 and bridge building which County Boards ^Governors are usually called upon to fee All-Resort Boulevard may be said U* ’' ifi Atlantic cyurty, iu fact, ic Atlantic

City, where the Longport Boulevard lead* its magnificent course across Rialey's channel, the ‘ Rainbow” Island (so-called) and so to Soraere Point on the mainland of Atlantic county. This Boulevard, with its magnificent draw-bridges, cost about $500,000. It not only affords access from Atlantic City to Cape May county, but it is the southern gateway by which motorists pass into Atlantic City via the new road from May’s Landing to Somer’s Point And right here, it may be said that in the last three years Atlantic City has prepared for the mightiest volume of motor traffic ever poured into any resort on earth by the construction not only of the Longport Boulevard, but likewiae of the Absecon Boulevard, which is to be opened to travel this season. These two meadow boulevards, in addition to the Albany Avenue Boulevard, give Atlantic City three great travel arteries across its four miles of meadows to connect with the network of State highways on the mainland. The effect of this vast transportation system upon Atlantic City will be incalculable and it is to connect with it that Cape May county’s AU-Resort Boulevard is being built. . From Somers Point the privately built and privately owned toll road constructed by the Ocean City Automobile Bridge Company crosses the meadow islands and tidal thoroughfares of Great Egg Harbor Bay to Ocean City. That this highway—the most important entrance into Cape May county—should still be barred with a toll-gate is one of those anomolies of twontieth century progress that future generations will wonder at. Repeated efforts nwL to secure its purchase by the State of New Jersey have failed. The proposition of its purchase bF the counties of Atlantic and Cape May in conjunc- ' tion with the State has likewise proved unavailing. It was built as a toll road and a toll road it is-to this day, to the continued detriment of Cape May county’s prosperity and to the exclusion of thousands of prospective visitors. Last summer there were thousands of automobiles. motorcycles and other vehicles that passed over the Ocean City bridge in both directions. How many more there would have been had the toll system been abolished (as it should have been long agn) no one can tell, but it is not predicting too much to say that free access between Philadelphia and Atlantic City and Cape May county via the Ocean City bridge would result in the coming of thousands of motorists in place of the hundreds which the county receives today. FROM ABSECON LIGHT TO CAPE MAY LIGHT. Through Ocean City, following the route of Asb -y avenue, and thence to Corson’s Inlet (Sti.-ihmere) then via Landis avenue through Sea Isle City to Townsend’s Inlet, the completed course of the All-Resort Boulevard takes its way in an unbroked line. At Townsend's Inlet the bridges and boulevard are yet to be built which will connect Sea Isle City with Avalon. Turning sharply to the right at Third avenue, the‘Boulevard follows the route of the new highway, for which the contract was let a few days ago, to the Hill Dredging Company, of Atlantic City, for the sum of $23,000. At Twenty-first street contact is established with the improved section of Third avenue finished in 1917. This Seven-Mile Beach section (Third avenue) extending from Twenty-first street to Eightieth street (Stone Harbor) cost $35,000. From Eightieth street. Stone Harbor, to One Hundred and Eleventh street in the same resort, the county took over the existing fully improved borough street, om of the finest graveled streets in any resort in the county, from Eighty-third

street.

From One Hundred and Ele\enth street to One hundred and Eighteenth street the county built the southern extension of Third avenue during the year 1917 at a cost of $9,000, bringing the Boulevard up to the Life Saving Station St ad ave. and 11 itb street and Second avenue. This affords a much-needed road connection between the United States Government Luo Saving Station, heretofore isolated amid the picturesque sand dunes of the lower end of Seven-Mile Beach, and the built-up poru-r. of the borough of Stone Harbor, whose limits include the whole lower end of the island. The county has spent so far on the AvalonStone Harbor link of the All-Resort Boulevard the total sum of $75,000. ^ A short connecting roadway yet to be built will lead the Boulevard to the proposed bridge site at the mouth of Great Channel, the other end of which is to land at Nummy's Island. Here a pumped-in highway will carry the boulevard to the (Irasay Sound thoroughfare entrance. This will be spanned by another draw-bridge, the southern terminus of which will be about one mile from North Wildwood. This is near enough to the thriving Venice-like resort of Cape May county—Graasy Sound—to justify the extension of the next connecting boulevard to Grassy Sound itself, as well as, in the opposite direction, to North Wildwood. Through Five-Mile Beach, with its miles of beautiful paved streets, the Boulevard takes its way until the Cfeat is reached, where *t the southern end of Wildwood Great the Boulevard will be built aero* the Wildwood Great exten-

sion property where Turtle Gut Inlet has been filled in by Theo. McKean for the developers of this section of Fne-Mile Beach. Work on this road is already underway by the contractors, Cassedy & Homan, who have a $90,900 contract with the county for its completion. The fill is being made by 12-inch dredge formerly owned by the Rickerd« Dredging Company. Some of the fill is being made in 16 feet of water, which, however, is no more of an undertaking than that accomplished by Contractor McKean, who made a fill in a 16-foot channel protected by , revetment work across Turtle Gut Inlety-no small undertaking to those who are familiar with tidal conditions and the ways of the

nor’aaster.

This Two-Mile B<-ach Boulevard, as it is called (from the fact that it opens a route through the hitherto undeveloped sea island of Two-Mile Beach) is two and a half miles long and will terminate at Cold Spring Inlet As the Federal Government will not allow the entrance to this inlet to be bridged, the route of the proposed boulevard will follow a line across the salt meadows to Schellenger's Landing, at Cape May—southern terminus of the yet-to-be-buflt portion of the All-Resort Boulevard. * Through the shady streets of historic Cape May the Boulevard motoiist of the future will wend his way over a perfect road system to Cape May Point, where he can allow his engine to cool in the shadow of Cape May Light as he stands at the southern extremity of the State of New Jersey, with Delaware Bay on his right and the mighty expanse of the broad Atlantic on his left and in front of him the entrance to the Great Delta of the Delaware. THE CORSON’S INLET BRIDGE-

BOULEVARD. The first link in the All-Resort Boulevard to be built by Cape May county is that at Corson's Inlet, which connects Ocean City with Sea Isle City at Strathmere. This combination of boulevard and bridges begins at the southern end of Ocean City (Cedar Beach), at Fifty-fifth street. It consists of a boulevard or causeway filled or "pumped in” by hydraulic dredging to an elevation which puts the surface of the road itself well above the level of ..torm-tides. The “fill” is hdd in place by embankments of meadow sod, which make a durable and effective revetment. The driving surface of the road is of native gravel compacted and crowned in the centre, sloping toward the sides to insure good drainage. There are three trestle bridges on the line of the Corson's Inlet Boulevard at Weakflsh Thoroughfare, Middle Thoroughfare and Main Channel, which total three-fifths of a mile in length. Of these. Main Channel Bridge carries a draw writh an opening 50 feet in width. According to the original plans. Liis opening was to be fitted with a rolling-lift steel draw, but, owing to the impossibility of securing delivery of this draw in time to complete the bridge for use this season, the Board of Chosen Freeholders, at the suggestion of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, have announced their intention of amending the existing agreements with Champion & Powell, the contractors, of Ocean City, so as to enable the contractors to substitute a swinging timber draw-bridge for. the proposed steel draw. Mayor Champion says that the timber for this draw has been ordered and its delivery depends only on transportation conditions. The substitution of yellow pine for white cedar for decking purposes having been rendered necessary, was also provided for. This has been secured in Florida after considerable trouble and effort on the part of Manager Earl M. Waddington, of the Strathmere Lumber Company, who supplied the materials for the bridges to the contractors. Included in the material list were 1500 creosoted piling from 30 to 42 feet long and 300,000 feet of decking lumber. The contract for the bridges amounted to about $134,000. The cost was borne by the county out of the proceeds of a bond issue. The Sea Isle City end of the Corson's Into Boulevard begins at the bridge over the Thoroughfare at Willard road and then follows the course of Landis avenue through Strathmere to Sea Isle City proper. STRATHMERE'S OPPORTUNITY. It is probable that Strathmere. which Is the modernized Corson's inlet, famous us a fishing resort for 50 years, will be the first point in Cape May county at which a fair test will lw afforded of the value of the All-Resort Boule-

vard.

Corson’s Inlet is barely 20 miles from Atlantic City via the Linuiiort-Somers Point Bridge and the Ocean City Automobile Bridge from Somers Point. It Ls reached over magnificent roads within sight and sound of the sea for nearly the entire distance. It is, therefore, easily accessible to the tens of thousands of motorists .who visit Atlantic City as well as the thousands who may choose to come directly from Philadelphia. New York, etc., attracted by the fame of the resort as a fisherman's Paradi-c A rndtor ride of an hour and the guest of one of Atlantic City's mfllion-dollar bench-front h os tellies, tired of the gaieties of the Wooden Way, can tend hit

party ot menus at the comlortable, homelike **11(1 ai»ogeuier pieasant ntue colei 01 Mine Most vjuo ttikucamp wr u oay s lisnuig or crab Ding ou ice piacia waters 01 main unanuei icorougn-

i»re.

mere would be no need of telephoning in aavauce lor luncneon, as Manager w lusamp uenevws 111 preparedness ana maintains a weustocaeu icirigeraior, wwie tne Lnannel yields us aounoancc 01 tang nan ana small, delicious ntue ncvKs lor me uuting, and poultry tnrives as wen on inc "Deacnes'’ as on tne lerule snortacres 01 tne adjacent mainlarm, wwen supply lixewise vegetables turee nours fresn Irom the

Held

now a motor fishing party under such circumstances is uxeiy to prove a success, and tne nost wno discovers tne Hotel W itucamp and has tne pleasure ol introducing nis menus to it and 01 entertaining them mere on a tisning trip is lixeiy to pat nimself on the back wnen ne gets oacK to nis $50-a-day suite at the Boardwalk palace up in Atlantic City, and to leel that as a pioneer of progress and pleasure he is a verituoie Golumnus. Which will not depreciate the value of real estate in Cape May county one iota, as you. gentle reader, will understand quite weiL When Contractor! E. Riley Mixuer completed the work on the Corson's Inlet Boulevara, last September, nej celebrated me event by a owner at me Vvhcleu whicn will long be lememoered by tnose lortunate enough to enjoy in me vanou^ courses were maae up almost entirely 01 goou tnings obtained witnw sight ol me noiei. And mey were cooked and served in a manner mat would have done credit to Hector's or Cnurchill’s. it will re'-m, mereiore, that it is!up to Strathmere to v...dicate the wisdom of the whole Ailrtesort uoulevard project. mere is no spot en route from Atlantic City -w hicn will meet me requirements of this traveltest quite so well, bomers Boint and Ocean City are each alluring m meir way, but as an attractor ol me care-free, easy-going type of money spenders one meets bownng over tne perfect motor roads of Long Island or lunching expensively at some of the many delightful inns convenient to New York—the typical affluent summer pleasure-seeker whom Atlantic City loves to entertain—Strathmere will bold the palm when me Coraon’s Inlet Boulevard is tlnished. , Hence the urgent importance of pushing tne work on this link in the All-Resort Boulevard to the utmost. There is not a day or an hour to be lost. If me Boulevard is to be opened by the kourtn ol July, everv effort must be to assemole the needed materials and get them in place at tne very earliest moment, interest and oiiiging lund cnarges are running against the road and bridge bond issues constantly, and the only way to offset mem is by getting the new avenue of communication in use speedily. This is obvious to every taxpayer. If Starthmere makes a hit with motor enthusiasts this summer, as it surely will, if given a chance, the building of the Ail-Resort Boulevard will be justified. ELECTRIC SERVICE AND THE ALLRESORT BOULEVARD. Tbt building of the AU-Resort Boulevard is certain to be followed, or preceded by the electrification ol the existing steam sendee of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Ocean City to Stone Harbor and its extension to Five Mile Beach. This would afford a through interurban trolley sendee from Atlantic City to Wildwood. A further extension from Wildwood Crest along Two Mile Beach would bring such a trolley line within reach of Cape May available by crossing to ScbeUenger’a Landing. Every resort in Cape May county would derive enormous benefits from such a connection with Atlantic City and Philadelphia (via'Pleasant ville.) Travel would increase not only on account of the attractiveness of such a trolley trip itself, but because of the immense advantage a frequent and "elkstic’’ electric*service would afford the seashore communities of the lower Jersey coast. It has been little more than a decade since the Shore Fast Line was built from Atlantic City to Ocean ( ity, yet the benefits which both resort* have derived from this electric railroad are great. The slogan of from "Boardwalk to Boardwalk" has lured tens of thousands of summer pleasure seekers to make the trip via picti.. i-sque Somers Point from one of these communities to the other. • How much greater would be the charm of a forty-mile troUey tour from Atlantic City to Cape May. and vice-versa, wdth a stop-over privilege at intermediate re^ sorts off the way. Such a trip would rival in fame the » onderful electric service afforded by the Southern Pacific lUilroad on its high-speed inter-urban electric lines radiating from Los Angeles. Cal. In the East the famous Gorge trip from Niagara Falls down the Niagara River to IjiI..- Ontario and return would la- its only competitor. The scenic vantages of this inter-resort trolley tour would attract crowds <;f summer sight-seers who would be delighted by the novelty c.f tlie frequent into erowings and the beauty of the (Continued on pmo 4)