Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-31

7 have bcen completed and are now IN pc,
vice between New York ard New Orieal''
| The ra.serrer and freight steamships.
| co-u, ert Protaus. FOR the Crom"cn
| Inc have been launched AID Will soon
Rave on their maiden trips To New io1n.
geelg have lust been laid Tor the W.
new prc.fr NAH leylaihcns. oach Oh -.
~ tors Displacement aid each 10 80.
100000. These ships are the largest e'el
,..t......l To- ~ ius tnit StatrS US
much larEsr than the Aneri IN me :.
The ah.5ya-d has Just signed con,r''' p
wtth tho Morgan Line for four more laIse
freicht steamships similar In dimensions
10 FL sud. FL No-te, FL Rio and hi Siu'
which were turned out this year. Inv
total cost OF these ships VIII De }-'ioo'' :.
A 5000 tug for the Morgan ihne. LII
Amigo. was also built here this year.
The improvements at the shlpyard III
the year Rave been costly. work on 'ie
new 81 .c0c.cv0 dry dock IL more thah mn
completed. This Will he the largest ury
dock m the world. Two new steel SNIP
building cranes have been erected end a
lot OF new machinery has been Installed
The Chesapeake 4 Ohio railroad recent
Is started work on improvements at the
terminals which viii cost in the nelSh-
borhood Of g -go. eco. They include new
grain elevator with a working capacity Oh
10000 bushels of grain and merchandise
pier. q new ocean pier. the extension OF
one Of the coal piers and the addition OF
something like twelve miles or track 10
the yards. The Newport News yard now
has sixty-five miles Of track. and Is the
largest terminal yard for a single COM
many in the world. These improvements
will greatly Increase the facilities or the
Chess neaEe e. Ohio for handling the rap
idly growing trade of the port. new
passenger steamer for the line between
Newport News and Norfolk Will be buit
I'm 1869. II will run with the Louise on
regular schedule. giving a more conven-
lent schedule.
Notwithstanding the DISASTROUS effects
OF two Of the seyerest storms that ever
swept the Atlantic and OF The yellow fever
endemic at the National Soldiers Home.
the commerce Of Newport News this year.
was heavier than for the preceding
twelve months. The principal feature o.
the ports business was the remarkable
Increase in import values The consump-
ton entries were valued at Sl.95l.jIS AMI
the Immediate transportation entries az
si9I9 221. making q total for 1889 of $3.50.
100. The increase was S2,-G8.259 The total
value of exports was $3l 03s.17l. But for
the fact. that many of the articles when
were exported I'm larged quantities TINS
year. dropped in value since the total for
1888 was made up. the valuation for this
year. ii is believed, would have exceeded
sS5. C00.C0o Flour was the principal article
exported from the standpoint OF vaule.
the figures for the year being N,36e,15. re-
presenting 1,Sl57l3 barrels. Export values
Of gain dropped considerably. The guam
tity shipped abroad was larger than last
year The total quantity of cereals ex-
ported was 81 ,6jO,15l bushels.
Newport News ranks seventh In the list
Of Atlantic and gulf commercial cities
OF the United States
The total collections at the custom
house. representing import duties prin-
cipally. were $523 1913 The increase over
1898 was 17S,795S7
The coal shipments for the year
amounted to 1.721,5s1 tons. But for the I'M
favorable weather conditions mentioned.
the shipments Of black diamonds would
have been much greater.
The total receipts at the city post-office
for the fiscal year. 1889 were 1888. 62,9l.
This was an increase of S376D9.OS over the
preceding twelve months. The receipts
for the six months OF this year. ending
Septic mber 80. were s77.7S5O9. which show
that the business is still increasing at the
same phcnominal rate.
The municipal improvements started
some time ago are about completed. The
sewer system IL almost ready for Ger
vice, the two bridges over the Chesapeake
e Ohio in the heart OF the city are near
j. finished. a new jail was erected and in
a few weeks the city will mako arrange
monts to pave the principal thorough
fares. Bonds to the amount of about
$4,000 will soon be issued for public inn