Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-29
STRAIGHT ENED OUT
What the Atlantic Transports
ton Company is Doing.
JIGGER BUSINESS NEXT YEAR
New Steamer and Barges Being Huiit.Lakc
Craft to Largely Replace That Des-
troyed by the Great storm.
Capt. Lane in Charge.
The Atlantic Transportation

The Atlantic Transportation Com
pany is getting its big coal fleet
Strengthened out again after the dis
astrous tangle caused by the recent
great storm. The company's losses were
very heavy. as is known, and would
have staggered less solid concern.
The only effect in this case was to
cause the fastening of the work Of get
ting the lake fleet over into Atlantic
waters: the placing of orders for sew
.eral new barges at Bath, Maine: and
the inauguration of the work Of building
line new steamer on the lakes. One
or the barges has already been launch
ed. and others will follow rapidly.
The lake barges will take the place of
the vessels that We're lost, and meet
the demands of the largely increasing
trade.
In this connection. it may be stated
that the Company expects to do a con-
siderably larger business next year
than it did this year, though the latter
was unprecedented. Another such set
back as that caused by the storm re-
ferred to is not expected soon: will
probably not occur again in a score
OF years.
During that storm twenty-five of the
Atlantic Transportation Company's
men lost their lives. These included the
entire crews OF the e. 1. Tenney. the
Delaware. the Virginia. and two from
the Nichols. her Captain and mate. or
this number. only two bodies were ever
recovered, those of the last two named.
The others found their graves at the
bottom of the sea.
There are now in this llarbor coaling
nine of the company's vessels one
of which is the steamer City of Everett.
The others are bargcs They are the
(Sifv nf ,frao mi
Leader, George Moon, Alabama, West
Virginia Woodside, and Raritan.
Captain j. w. Lane who was former
~ in charge of this office, has resumed
his old place, and may be kept perma-
nently here. Since he left here, Captain
Lane has been in charge of the Boston
office. and during the storm and after
interchangeable in his efforts iii behalf of
the shipwrecked sailor. The captain is
an old sailor himself, and never loses
an opportunity to do a favor for those
who go down in ships. He not only min
istered to the living In distress. but he
was constantly on the bench, Identify
ing bodies washed up by the waves,
and seeing that they got Christian
burialS. He describes graphically the
scenes in the company's Boston offices
about that time. when the wives, child
rem, and friends Of the sailors besieged
them for information about their loved
ones.
king OF the captain and mate of
fichols. drowned off Nantucket,
In Lane said the report that he
ad attempted to swim ashore in
-t,.S ence to remaining on the vessel
rroneous. The two men were up
cabin, and were washed over
r. ~ The other three managed to hold
lie cabin. and when the, next big
wave drove the barge up on the rock. |
they had enough presence Of mind to
stay there. A second later. the Nichols
was swept back into the sea again, and
was broken to pieces.
The Boston Courier OF recent date, |
contains the following, which will be
read with interest here:
The Atlantic Transportation Com
Tany, whose main offices are located at
No. l Broadway, New York, is without
4 doubt the largest concern in the
world engaged In the transportation Of
coal.
This most enterprisng and reliable
company first began operations a few
Years ago on a comparatively limited
scale, but by honorable dealings. cou-
iled with keen foresight. they have
built UP an exceedingly large business,
SO much so that today they own and
charter about fifty vessels of various
kinds. including a large number Of
steamers. They have also recently
chartered about thirty-fve vessels
from the lakes, which are now on
enelr way 10 the Atidnlc. Line COM
pany makes a speciality of transport
ing coal from Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Newport News.
"On the first of last August they APP
pointed Captain ] W. Lane as mana
ger Of their Boston office, located at 60
State street. Captain Lane was for
merly manager of their office at New
port News He is we'll and favorably
known and is thoroughly conversant
with every part of a vessel, as the say
ing is from the keel up, SO that in
case a vessel reeds repairing he knows
exactly what should be done. He has
followed the sea for a number of years
and has acted as captain on some Of
the largest coasting vessels on the At
lantic."
FURTHER VARIFICATION.
Further verifcation has been received
of the report of the loss OF the great
lakes barge San Diego, off Shelburne, N.
S., on the night of Dec. 10. The first au
thentic information was brought by the
schooner Robin Hood. which arrived t
Gloucester, Mass, with Capt. John Ma
son and the crew Of the lost vessel.
The San Diego was one of the vessels
chartered by the Atlantic Transports
ton Company Of Newport News. and
was en- route to New York to enter the
service of that company. She left Port
Hawkesbury November rs, in tow Of the
steamer Aragon, and parted her hawscr
in the great storm of the 9th ut. She
reached La Have under her own sail.
bu; leaking badly and the Aragon found
her there While repairing
Another start was made on December
II, but three days later. when off Shell
burne, N. s.. at midnight the steamer
and her tow struck northwest gale.
The barge rolled terriilcly. the water
constantly covering her and the waves
finally carried away her mast. breaking