Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-12

II is interesting to note at this time
the personnel of the Board OF Harbor
Commissioners that succeeded the Gro
ner board and it's attitude on General
Groner's princcly gift to the Norfolk
and Western Railroad Company.
This board that succeeded the Groncx
board was composed of Charles Reid
president; w. IL. Doyle. w. II. Peters.
w. Nj. Hope, Il. j. Nottingham, Henry
kim and Il. a. Dobie.
The Norfolk and Western pier mat
ter was brought up at its first meeting
held July 3, 1854. At it's next meeting
the following report was adopted by
the board:
The committee on Port Warden's
line. TO whom was referred the inquiry
whether the extensive line of wharves
now in course of construction at Lam
bert's Point by the Norfolk Terminal
Company. do, or do not. project too far
out In the channel way. beg leave to re-
port that upon Il personal examination
of the premises proposed to he thus oc-
cupied. wc arc Of The opinion that IL iroHid
hare been BETTER ia CrCrU uictr If the iiac
in The immediate riciniiy Of LamJcds Point
lighthouse had been established a conSidcrd-
Die Distance inside The present line as 0riyi-
ndHD recommended by The United States Ad-
piSorV Bourd; but inasmuch as the late
Board of l1arbor Commissioners legally
established the line which is now oc-
cupied by costly improvements. the
movement of which would involve a
heavy charge to the cities of Norfolk
and Portsmouth and Norfolk county
we recommend no further action at
present"
The above report was adopted by the
board.
From their words in adopting the re.
nd Ind a.
~ nOnid hare Jccn better, in crcry poinf of
Cicic. II The line in Hc immcdidic ricinify Of
LdmJcrfs Point had been established a con-
siderable distance inside The present Inc. as
originally recommended by the United States
Advisory Board
This is exactly the position of the
Virginlan-P Pilot. This paper asserts
and it is backed up in it's opinion by
many of the leading and most innuen-
tial citizens of the three cities, and
Norfolk county, that III nouId hare been
6cffcr in crcry point of ric,c, il he Inc in
the immediate ricinity Of LdmJcris Point
had been established Il considerable distance
inside The present Inc, as originally rceom-
mcndcd Jy The United States Advisory
Board"
1t will be noted that the board used
the words: I'VE recommend no further
action at present. This would appear
u imply tndt tnSN cOnSlucrcQ tt-tftfttr
possible that action looking TO the re-
moval of the Lambert's Point piers
would be necessary at future time
The board was quite right. Therefore,
why pile up = bigger bill of expense for
the people OF this section! Is the board
willing 10 still further enlarge the
mortgage burden that the people of this
section VIII eventually be compelled TO
pay?
POINT.
One claim being made by the advo-
Gates of the Norfolk and Western ap-
plication is that the building OF the adj
ditional pier will widen the channel
still further at this point, and that the
channel was widened several hundred
feet by the building of the existing
piers. From the argument 1t would
seem that LambertS Point is not now
and never was q danger to shipping
Yet there is now under indictment in
the United States Court one Captain
Robert Taylor, of the British steamer
Berwick, for anchorage off the coal
piers at Lambert's Point. the charge
having been brought against him by
Harbor Master Morgan upon the ad-
Vice of Harbor Commissioner Dobie
who, in an interview in the Virginian-
Pilot the day after the arrest of Cap
tain Taylor spoke earnestly of the en-
dangered lives and property occasion
ed by the anchorage of this one vessel
at or near the end of the Lamberts
Point piers, where the channel Col
Walter II. Taylor and Col. Lamb say
has been widened. Captain Robert
Taylor claims that he was not even an
chored in the channel, but Mr.. Dobie
thought his vessel at this point, where
the channel is claimed to be conSidera-
bly, wider than at other points, accord
Ing TO the present claims of the repre-
sentatives and agents of the Norfolk
and Western Railroad Company was
menace to life and property and did
not hesitate to take steps to have the
Captain indicted.