The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-05-29
THE MODERN COLOSSUS


The New York Tribune OF May .. 1877.
says:
Shipbuildlng has given great boom to
Newport News The shipbuilding plant.
when completed. will be the finest and
best-eQuipped in the United States. Three
battleships are now under construction
at Newport News. and three gunboats.
The drydock is taxed to its fullest ca
pacity TO complete the work which is
accumulating every month. and there Is
employment for over three thousand men
and boys. There is a regular line OF
steamers running between Newport
News. Liverpool and London. 10 carry
cut the grain and live stock from tire
West and the coal from the Virginiss
brought by the Chesapeake and Ohio
to its deep-water terminal. In 1879 New
port News was nothing more shan
James River plantation Today it IS a
prosperous town OF fifteen thousand nso,
pie, with millions of dollars invested. and
is steadily growing. Mr.. Hunting-on's
shrewd foresight in building this city BY
the sea is amply vindicated. The peop,e
of Newport News are keenly alive 10
the great possibilities of the future. and
are exerting themselves to attract new
industries. They feel that theirs is the
coming city OF the South.
There IS curious parallel to be noted
IN the history OF this old colonial lond-
ing on the James River and Astoria On
the Columbia. From the earliest settle
ment Of Virginia the prediction was
made that Newport News would one CAV
become large city. Every succeeding
generation Of virginians believed tina;
the dawn of Newport News's prosperity
would take place in the next. hut in
spite Of its great natural advantages.
year after year passed and Newport
News still languished. Baltimore was
founded at the head of Chesapeake Bay.
and in time became a great city. Nor
folk on the Elizabeth River also grew
into seaport of considerable import
ance. For more than two centuries the
ships entering between capes Charles
and Henry have sailed into the bay and
parted in two streams in Hampton Roads,
right opposite Newport News. one going
up the bay TO Baltimore and the other
up the Elizabeth to Norfolk. How like
the experience Of Astoria all this -:
Here we have the same remarkable O.
cation and natural advantages that al
tracted the attention of King Georges
subjects in old Virginia. Here have pre-
dictions Of coming greatness been rife
for upwards OF century. but the ships
of the world have been sailing 70 the
mouth OF the Columbia in sight Of A.. |
toria, and there dividing into two
streams, one going to Puget Sound and
the other to the Willamette. Huntington 1
became interested in Newport News. ana
the item We quote from so disinterested
an authority as the New York Tribune I
tells what ne has accomplished. TIE (
same master hand is now working on |
its prototype at the mouth of the C9lum-
bia, and it is not reasonable to ascribe .
his simultaneous movements on two o.
posite sides Of the continent to mere
chance - accidental coincidence. WITH
one foot planted on the key spot Of the
Atlantic coast and the other at its exact
pole on the far-away shores Of the Pa
cifc, who can estimate the effect which
this modern Colossus may soon be in a
position to exert on the commerce Of
the world.