The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-14
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION.


Sir:-I have been instructed by the
state Board OF Harbor Commissioners
Tor the harbor of Norfolk and Ports
mouth To address You Il communication
III reference to the widening of our har-
Dor at the Hospital point ana at the
point up the Eastern Branch. known as
the old drawbridge abutment, on the
southern side OF said Eastern Branch.
ana Just opposQ,. the western limit of
the Norfolk and Western Railway
Cohpany's property on the north side
thereof
In thus communicating to you. il is
my duty tn attempt to show the ncces-
sites existing for such widening and the
advantages that will accrue tharcfrorn
not only to the port in Il commercial
sense, but to 1t as Il safe ana easy rem
devious for the heavy ships of oar
navy. now debarred from such safe and
easy rendezvous. not because OF lack OF
proper depth of water any mere than
from lack of width of waIoi. al sufficient
depth. l desire to say that while any
cnange in the natural condition If the
SHORES or waterway maintained by
the flow and cbb az the tidal wavn may
be lrau2ht with danger To the int ,,srltv
or the channel of such waterway, and.
therefore. is 10 he avoided wherever il is
possible TO so avoid it. yea there may
ARISE trade and navigation cX!ucn,ic.
which render 1t imperative that changes
| in these natural conditions of shores
unucr which deep water channel way
has been created D. made. even though
ny 50 doing the depth of this channel
WHY be somewhat cninnccrcl II is no
| llcFSd that such caiecmc.uS do ro,v CON
| iront this harEUr. 'rlIc Government has
heretofore bent its energies more Iyarti-
culaTly towards giving to the h9i,iDr an
uniform deep channel from l!up,ptnr
i'"';HS inward, along the main cnannc.
way Of the Elizabeth river to a nnfut
abreast the United States Navv-ynrl
on the southern branch, of nearly t,ynu-
ty-scvcn feet ~ nigh water and of .
W.ath OF say about 800 to 700 feet. and
uH The Eastern branch OF less depth and
thought. no doubt, the river would he
made sufficiently available TO meet ali
| demands which would in years 10 come
| be made upon 1t for ali purposes. Iut
the extraordinary increase in the com
mcrcial enterprises centcring in ana
around Norfolk ana Portsmouth has
been 50 great that this fine channel
way. so literally bestowed by the Gov
eminent 10 meet the supposed demands
proves to be insufficient, ana to-day we
ma our harDor both as to depth and
width. unable to safely, and in some in
stances, TO at all accommodate the de-
lnandS made upon it. | will cite as an
instance confirmatory of this, that some
of our heaviest cruisers and none of our
battleships of first order can come nm
w 'He government uOck-yard; second
Only in point of Importance to the New
York Navy-yard. if second to that. To-
Gated on the southern branch of this
harbor and near its most interior point
This emergency is. of course. one
which the Government. looking in ITS
WISDOM, TO the integrity and good con-
| duct of It's naval service will in proper
time. meet and properly dispose of by
making the harDor what ii must be in
point of deepness of channel way, and
also in Width of channel In former
times, not very far in the past, to decncn
| the water with only the present width
would have been sufficient Then all of
the commercial enterprises of this port
were located above the Hospital point:
comparatively few merchant Sims
steam or sail-entered our harbor. and
they were OF small size by comparison
/ with such craft as now frequent daily
inns port. and which are drawn here by
the demands of trade and commerce.
Now, also. for some five miles below
this hospital point, on north side of our
river are built extensive piers, terminal
| points OF railroad systems which enter
FOR thousands of miles into the interior.
and bring here hundreds OF thousands
of tons OF freight of every DESCRIPTION
| and that part of the harbor inside of
| 'hiS point has also been filed up almost
! solidly with just such extension piers for
| similar purposes. Our harbor during
| inc twenty-four hours of the day is
| iiiied with craft of sizes varying from
| the 5000 10 5000 ton steamship to the
Sloop OF only a few tons, embracing be-
| tween these extremes great number of
| barges carrying from 500 TO 900 tons on
freight moved by busy tug boats, all at