Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-13
MOVE THE SH|P-YARDS
Plan to Enlarge the Plant Of the
WR TTigg Company
| CONDEMN JUSTIS ISLAND.
A Huge Dry Dock Nay b Built Oh
The Locks.
TO EMPLOY FIVE HUNDRED MEN
The Largest Vessels May he Baiit
Tbere-A Great Dyke to lie Erccts
ed-The Q. & o. VIII Haul the
stone-Deepening of the Channel.

The resolution pending before the Conn
mon Council providing for the coniemna-
ton Of w. NJ. Justis Island for the pur-
poses OF the city would appear to be the
thin end of the wedge for a vast improve
ment In the harbor and the greater de-
yelopment OF the ship-building interests
OF Richmond.
The property which the city seeks to
acquire. either by purchase or condemns
ton. is situated between Twenty-third
street and the ship-locks. 1t lies directly
in the lire OF improvements which the
James River Improvement Committee mas
long been considering. This particular
piece of property is about twenty acres
in extent at low tide. 1t is huge sand
bank, which for twenty-seven years has
yielded its owner. Mr.. w. NJ. Justis.
large income. The supply OF sand - prac-
tically inexhaustible. For several months
the city has been trying To acquire tho
property to carry out plans prepared py
Colonel Cutshaw for the Improvement on
the harbor and the development OF hlch-
mond as ship-buiiding GENRE. Ihe
dredging OF the channel up to the sh'p-
locks to a depth of % feet; the dykng OK
the harbor and the erection OF a great
stone wall through the centre OF tho
island; the removal of the sand on inc
side Of the stream, and the filling In Ok
the remainder. are part and parcel OK
this plan. ,,,s
WHAT MIR. JUsTIs WANTS
Mr. Justis has been offered all the saho
dredged from the river-bed by the city IN
exchange for his property. The rock o"
which the negotiations split was the Term
OF years for which this privilege shoui"
he enioved. Mr.. Justs offered to give \
deed Ia his land il the city would under-
take IN give him all the sand dredgeu
| from the river for fifteen years.
Colonel Cutshaw, the City Engineer
and .-aptain John A. Curtis, the harDo'-
! master. who had conducted the heeoIa-
tons. thought the proposition a iair o.e,
ana IL was submitted TO the SOhiin"'Ss
an James-River improvements lhis DouIs
however decided that the acceptahce
AR .lustis's terms meant the granting oi
= ,oonopolv I'm sand. and adopted a reso-
union calling upon the Finance Commit
I
| chase or condemnation.
MAY MOVE THEIR PLANT.
II has been stated, on what appears 10
| be reliable authority, that II 'ne a ,r,',
nIa,s are carried out the W. X. lrlsS
| ronnanv will move the ship-yards from
tbcir present location. on the upper part
~ tho island between Eighteenth anu
twentieth street, TO the Justis properly.
| the present plant covers TWO acres ,lo
ra,,, Site would give the company ten
- II l. mart of the plan OF the 1rles
con,nonv 10 build a colossal dry-dock,
a. an The ship-locks, where the largest
| vessels might be built. and successfully
launched. The dock would De aIso
enough TO give work 10 800 men, ana ,he s
company would make every enoil 10 Nl.
successfully for the nuh1lhs VI - Ths
and battleships Of the hist-class' Inv
dry-dock will be 600 feet long
DEEPENING OF THE cHAhNEL
The United States Government has al
raadv given It's assurance that tho VOTE
| the CITY may do towards tne ueePVn'"s
| and clearing OF the channel VIII Dc he'p'u
| forward as much as possible
40, ,%r,,rsi Melville. who recently paid an
| oeciaI visit 10 the ship-yards, declared
| ~, tho government would be round
-, and willing 10 do this work no
smoke of Richmond as an ldeai ioSa'ioi'
~ shtn-building. and every one mas Deen
- encouraged by his report. Colopei
| rntsbay,s plan for dyking the harbor
al, create Il current that Will scour the
| channel and keep it clear. Inc Chesa-
,eake and Ohio Railway Company mas
| agreed TO haul the stone WAN which 20
an in behind the wall thar Is 20 pe Duis
| ,hro,,eh the middle Of the Island.