Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-18
VAST ENTERPRISE.
WONDERFUL WORK OF DEVELOP
MeNT At NEWPORT NEWS.
A Splendid Water supply to Cost Ono MILL
lion DoiIars-Extensivo Additions
to tho Grcat ship-Building
PInnt-Wild Demand for
Houses and Every
BMiider Il
Busy.

first things that strikes q visitor TO new
port News il the wild scramble for houses.
Hundreds Of dwellings have been erected
here within the past six months. but the
demand ia greater than ever. Families
are crowded together in narrow quar-
tors waiting for more houses 70 Do
built. A largo percentage OF the me-
chancs employed at the great Dry
dock md ship-building works haven't
brought their families here from
the North simply because they cannot nnd
houses to put them III. There are Jew
places in this country where mechanics
make as good wages "a they do here, and IL
is n noteworthy fact that they not only want wal
good houses, but they are ready anu VIII.
ing TO paw good rents. No new city .nat
! have visited can boast OF "a nice class
of tenement dwellings as Newport News.
The modern-shsped, stylish houses III the
neighborhood OF the dry dock remind one
very much of the ideal town OF fuiiinan'
near Chicago.
And mercantile houses seem to be in lust
as much demand e. dwellings. There Is
not only not vacant building mere. out
when a foundation IS begun the house 10
booked" ! find that as many as dozen
applicants have besieged q real estate
agent for single house within hall
hour after the foundation was staked on.
The situation Is indeed lively. Every
builder is busy. everybody * busting:
But really il would be strange il we did
not find it go for Just see what Newport
News has TO make il grow and to put
money IN peoples pockets.
AyAsr ENTERpEIsE.
The Drv-Dock and Ship-Bullding Com
pany has the beat equipped ship building
plant in the world. aud with perhaps one
exception the most extensive. Ins es-
| tablshment IL now working over 2,OOO men
and with the enlarged yard will require
| over 5000 men. having capacity FOR con-
structing at least ten vessels at once.
Two new ship-sheds are bong built, each
! 3DOx3U0 feet also. two shipways. each GU
| feet long. The huge vessels now IN
course of construction are attracting tho
| attention OF tho marine pubic and are
pronounced splendid Jobs. A large vessel
recently damaged by an accident Is here
UNDERGOING repairs that will cost $4,000
Tho company, 1t is said. had to turn away
contracts for ship-building. rs they have
! booked full up" Tor five years ahead. IL
is seen. then. that there can be no dull
times about the dock. This plant repre-
sents III outlay of S5OO0.OOO. but Dir.
Huntington says that no enterprise IN
which he has engaged will pay him so well.
THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO.
The Chesapeake and Ohio has an i'm
melse elevator here. some large piers
ltwO more are 10 be built, and twenty
two miles IF yard track. The traffic
handled here IS simply enormous aud the
company employ an army OF clerks and
lgbOrers.
Then in addition 10 the big enterprises
already noticed there are many small IN
dustrles that give employment TO wage
workers and bring money TO the town.
Very soon large knitting mill Will be IN
operation. and It il only o question OF o
short time when a gigantic steel-plant Will
be built.
MAGNIFICENT WATER SUPPLY.
One OF the finest water-worksin America
will supply Newport News with natures
liquid. The water IS TO he drawn from
Warwick river. seventeen miles from here.
This is q big undertaking, and the plant.
including the pipes. will cost l,0O0OJO.
But IT will pay III the end. The water
mans they are ls-inch mains-are being
distributed along the Chesapeake and
ONO, and some time next year the water
works will be IN operation.
Like every improvement that is made
here under the auspices IF the company
the water-works is TO be sufficient to &C
commodate o great city. not merely the
o,JNu pcppl" upW IriD VI buc ]v,VVO VI 'V,-
900 that will make up the population four
or five years from now. They will have
capacity Tor a city of $4,000 Inhabitants.
BEAUTRuL PROPERTY.
OF the various we'll located tracts of real
estate plated hereabouts the most at
tractlve Of all is that owned by the New
port News Company, Of which MIR. Blair,
Of Richmond, IS president. and Colonel
Butord is vice-president. In the direct
orv Of this company are several other
Richmond gentlemen. j am told. Mr.. j.
II. Montague /, one OF them. Colonel
BraIton, Of Newport News, is also di-
rector The lots OF this company are SELL
ing fast. and it is understood that in
few weeks the price-list will be advanced
10 TO % per cent. Tho land companies
here, notably this company of which l
speak III particular axe wise not to put
their lots two high. The prices OF the
Newport News Company might be con-
sidered cheap at double the listed
rates. for the property Is on the line
of fashionable development and lies
up Hampton Roads. Through the
main avenue of this Newport kows
Company's property Is being constructed
the electric line connecting Newport News
with Hampton and Old Point. The re-
hottest lot is only five squares from the
electric line, which, by the way, will be in
operation by February or March OF next
year.
A number of northern capitalists were
here this week. There is hardly day.
however, that the faces of new capitalists
are not seen at this place.