The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-04
lllPORT TRADE
OF RICHMOND.
Not What it Might be With a Deeper
Channel.
THE ClTYs EXPORT TRADE.
Hivcr and Hnrbor Improvements
Nousd Make Of Richmond n Com
mcrcinl Power so For as Trad
in. Vessels arc Concerned.
The ClTY's EXPORT TRADE.

There is nothing that speaks so elo-
G11ently for the development of Richmond
and the Improvement of the James river
ns Richmond's lost foreign trade.
During the fiscal years OF 1S9S-la93.
there was one cargo of foreign freight
received IN bulk at this port. The bark
I1ancock came up the James to Richmond
with n cargo Of guano. consigned TO ;.
Nv. Travers. This cargo. and this cargo
only, represented the amount of COM
merce enjoyed by Richmond during that
period. The trade for the six months of
the present fiscal year fails to show the
receipt of 4 single foreign cargo received
at this port in bulk.
What a record this, for the port OF
Richmond, port which at one time was
one Of the greatest of The Republic. Her
mills supplied Brazil and many other
countries with -four, while her markets
were supplied with coffee and other pro-
ducts of American countries.
Richmond was. before the war. among
The greatest of the -four and coffee mar
7ets of the world. But then the bosom
of the James bore the hundreds and
hundreds Of good ships. deep laden They
piled between Richmond and foreign
ports. Her trade extended then far be-
Tond n few coast towns. NThe cargoes
that were brought to this city We're then
sels that threaded the tortuous windinss
Of the James We're the same ships that
traversed the seas and found market
for their cargoes in foreign climes
West Point was a SUPPORT of Rich
mond- Thousands of bales Of cotton were
shipped from that point in ante-bcllum
tires. Tobacco was shipped to Europe
in enormous quantities then. Richmond
was a port of mean Importance, but
that was the Richmond of nearly half 4
century ago.
SAILING SHIPS NO MORE.
But the day of sailing ships went by
and the steamer succeeded. Richmond
suffered because the Improvement oil the
methods of ocean transportation and
these great freight carriers was equallcd
only by the lack Of Improvement of the
noble James. Norfolk offered induce
snents that Richmond knew nothing OF
md with Norfolk was Newport News.
These cities offered advantages as a port
that Richmond could not do. Deep water
and the finest docking facilities will Ger
tainIy prove inducements. The wharves
at Richmond gradually fell away and
the Improvement of the james was far
from the proportions with the.,mprove
ment of the facilities for handling foreign
trad>
Yet Richmond can retrieve lost glory
and regain lost prestige. but there is only
one way and rat way Is IN river ih'
s,rovernent.
1.-THE James river Is capable of bearing
more freight on its bosom than all the
railways OF the United States COM
bincd'' said a well-known ship-broher of
this city Let the government give
Richmond what she asks Let us have
channel with water at - feet mean 10"
tide and Eichmond's berths Will hold
fast and snug the liners Of the Atlantic
and the wanderers and the tramps of
The seas River Improvement is what
I'VE need, what we want, and what we
deserve
1t may prove interesting to know just
how many vessels arrived and cleared
at the port OF Richmond during the
year from August 1888 10 August. 1897
The steamers, schooners and barSes are
listed by months and their, tonnage IS
estimated on the following average:
steamers average carrying-capacity (not
registered tonnase) 100: schooners and
bargcs, 800 each.
BUSINESS FOR a YEAR.