No. 92
Up until 1910, accessibility to Stone Harbor was not only a major obstacle but an essential element for the future growth and development of the “New” resort. Here we see the Cape May Court House sea-level canal between Stone Harbor and Cape May Court House, making the latter town a seaport. This magnificent waterway, 2 5/8 miles long, over 10 feet deep and 100 feet wide, forms the missing link between two great state operations, “the inland waterways” and the “ocean highway” – note the pipe pouring sand into the roadway embankment. Both operations, viz: the dredging of the canal, and filling of the turnpike, trolley line and canal lots have been carried out simultaneously.
This first image reveals a suction type or better known as a hydraulic dredge in operation. If you look closely, you just might be able to see on the left-hand portion of the dredge a large pipe actually depositing sand and water.
Next is a close-up view taken near the emerging Stone Harbor resort showing another type of dredge not in operation. These important pieces of equipment, using a heavy-duty centrifugal pump, focused on actually moving or pumping dredge materials from an excavation site to a discharge site. In this case it was designed to build or fill the roadway and create a raised or elevated link known as the “Ocean Parkway” between the mainland, over the marshlands to Seven Mile Island and what would become an entryway at 96th Street. Dredging projects such as this were very labor-intensive and required highly-trained professionals. Such dredges as these illustrations show were very expensive and costly to operate. Parts, labor, fuel and on-going maintenance were what drove the costs associated with dredging. Dredges being unique invariably would experience break-downs and maintenance would usually have to occur on the water at the work site, so there had to be adequate support personnel and equipment available in order to meet deadlines. The Risley brothers spared no expense to make their vision or dream come true!