Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-05
In VIRGINIA WATERS.
THE FLYING SQUADRON ASSEM-
BLING IN HAMPTON ROADS.
NAVAL NEWS OF IMPORTANCE.
Happenings I'm the City of Newport
News-Immcnse Quantities of Coal
Dry-DOck.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA, April 4-(Spe-
cial)-The first move within the flying
squadron was made at $50 o'clock this
morning, when the protected cruiser
Columbia weighed anchor and steamed
down to Old Point and anchored off the
Chamberlin Hotel not far from where
the Minneapolis lies.
II was expected that the flagship Brook
Ign would accompany the Columbia TO
Old Point, but subsequent orders held
the former, and she is still lying of
Thirty-fourth street.
The Brooklyn will go to sea either to-
night or tomorrow morning for the pur-
pose Of testing her turrets, which have
recently been repaired and strengthened
by expert mechanics from the ship-yard.
The principal apprehension entertained
by the officers with regard to the smooth
action of the turrets is in connection with
the new elevating gear, which replaced
the old unlmproved pattern.
When the Brooklyn weighs anchor she
will not stop at Old Point, but VIII go
straight to sea, where she can have full
room for action.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
There may be some significance attach
ed to Commodore, Schley's purpose OF
sending all three Of the cruisers TO points
nearer the Virginia capes. The Brook
lyn Minneapolis, and Columbia are tho
sp, lest ships Of the squadron. Yester-
day the crews on these ships, it is said,
were busy overhauling and examining the
torpedo-tubes and stock Of torpedoes.
This followed by the departure Of the
Columbia TO join the Minneapolis, and the
expected departure of the Brooklyn may
mean that there is reason to anticipate
early action OF more Importance than APP
pears on the face.
The lighthouse tender jasmine
brought over consignment for the Mas
sachusetts yesterday morning. 1t is be-
! lieved that her cargo consisted Of tor
pedoes.
IL is very evident that there is a fall
| ing off in the hotel patronage at Old
| Point, in spite OF the persistent denials
OF the managers. The number Of arrivals
| has been very small in the past week
and the departures correspondingly large.
| The Chamberlin and Hygeia no longer
| furnish the papers with lists Of their ar
| rivals.
WHAT AN OFFICER THINKS.
An officer from the flagship Brooklyn
! is responsible for the statement that the
scene of hostilities, in the event the
| United States and Spain go to war, will
/ be st. Thomas, owing to its close prox-
| unity to Porto Rico.
The United States. he said, would prob
ably try to land a large army on the L.
| land of Cuba, and if possible, would
drive the Spanish vessels from the har-
! Dor of Habana to sea, so that the United
| States navy could get a chance at them.
The war, he thought, would be OF five
of six months duration, and would result
| I'm complete victory for Uncle Sam.
The newly organized Atlantic Transpor-
| tation Company is now operating from
! this port, and as a result Newport News
will hereafter be credited with 2S0,00O
tons Of coal annually I'm excess Of the
regular output. The contract between the
| Atlantic Transportation Company and the
| Chesapeake and Ohio railway calls for
! 100000 tons of coal annually for five
| years At present the Chesapeake and
| Ohio dumps about 200 600 tons OF steam
] coal year. The new contract will swell
| the figures TO about 100000 tons, making
| Newport News easily the largest and
most important coaling station on the
Atlantic coast, or, in fact, anywhere in
| the world.
The American Transportation Company
| is organized under the laws of New Jer
sey. and has a capital stock Of 100000.
| The officers OF the company have pur-
| chased and are now having built one Of
| the largest barge fleets in the world. The
stockholders and directors are among the
most prominent and wealthiest financiers
| In the East.
PROMINENT MEN INTERESTED.
! General Edward p. Meany, the long-dis-
| lance telephone magnate, and ex-Gov-
ernor W. A. McCOrkle, of West Virginia,
are perhaps the most active Of the CAPT
talists interested IN the success Of the
new venture They hold the offices, re-
/ spectivey, Of president and vice-presdent
/ of the company.
The coal which the Chesapeake and
/ Ohio will dump here under the terms OF
| the contract comes from the New River
| and Kanawha mining districts in West
Virginia. New River coal is the most
desirable on the market. and the Chesa-
peake and Ohio has monopoly on its
| disposition, as on the Kanawha coal
II will not be necessary for the Chesa-
/ peake and Ohio to purchase any new
coal gOndolas 10 fill this order, as IL
now has an abundance Of cars and plenty
/ OF track space.
The Atlantic Transportation Company
| has now three steel steam tugs and
/ twenty-six large coal barges. 1t is under
/ stood that the concern will make an eff
| fort to obtain a monopoly on the coal
/ traffic between this and northern and
southern ports where fuel In handled In
/ large quantities.
| The first barge was loaded from the
/ Chesapeake and Ohio piers last Friday,
| April lst
| Mr.. Besse. the secretary Of the com
| pany. is now i'm the city looking after the
/ cOmpany's interests.
THE DRY-DOCK COMPANY.
/ Mayor Walter a. Post is now in full
/ charge of the Newport News Ship-Build-
/ ing and Dry-Dock Company as assistant
| TO President circuit and general manager.
| As predicted several days ago, Mr.. Matt.
! V. ID. Doughty has been appointed super
/ intendeut of hull construction and Mr..
! James RowbOttom superintendent OF the
/ machinery department Mr.. George e..
! Clark, who has Sled the position of SUI
! perintendent of construction for the past
| year. has not resigned yet. He has not
/ ma lie public his plans for the future.
! Mr.. r. j. Mcdonald resigned on Saturday
| as private secretary 10 Mr.. Sommers n.
/ Smith. the general superintendent, who
! was succeeded by Mr.. Post, and il is UNI
/ derstood that he will accompany Mr..
I Smith to Philadelphia when he goes TO
| assume control Of the Neaffie & Levy
! Ship Building and Engine Company. This
| vacancy will be filed at once.
| one Of the first orders issued by Mr..