Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-07
'ABSORBS FERRY LINE
NORFOLK AND WASHINGTON COM
PANY TAKES CHARGE.
Meeting Of Directors Held at Office of
N. and w. Line Yesterday
Afternoon.

The board of directors of the Norfolk and
Washington Steamboat Company held an
other special meeting, In the office of the
company at the 7th street wharf, yesterday
afternoon, to consider the new ferry line
matters. Mr.. Levi Woodbury. presided,
and there were present Clarence F. Nor
ment, vice president; John Callahan, second
vice president and general manager; ODell
Smith. secretary and treasurer, and Direct
ors Frazier, Groves. Boyd and Pearson. Mr..
d. J. Callahan of Norfolk was the only
director absent.
The report of the legal representative Of
the company that there was no legal i'm
pediment to the purchase of the property
of the old Washington Steamboat Com
pany wanted by the Norfolk and Wash
fngton was received. and it was unanimous
ly determined to acquire the property. and
within the next day two the formal
transfer of the property from Mr.. w. B.
Hibbs will be made.
The question as to the operation of the
ferry was again discussed, and it was de-
termined to make 1t a part of the Norfolk
and Washington company, the officers of
that company to have control of it, under
the active management of Mr.. John Gala
han. The only change, as far can be
learned. will be the addition of two new
directors to the present board Of the Nor
folk and Washington company.
Manager Callahan will secure the services
of an architect and plans will be prepared
at once for the new slips and terminals at
each end and the work on them started.
Owing to the dilapidated condition of the
ferry slips, both here and at Alexandria, 1t
will be necessary to entirely rebuild both
terminals. This work will be pushed as
rapidly can be done, and by the time the
slips are ready, which will be in about six
weeks or two months Mr. Callahan states
he will have secured a double-end ferry
steamer for temporary service between this
city and Alexandria, while the two new
steel boats are being constructed. The
order for these boats will be placed at once,
and the work on them expedited. A
description of these boats was given in
The Star several days ago.
The New Ferry Houses.
The proposed new ferry houses will be or
namental buildings, constructed of steel
with Stag roofs, in order to have them fire
proof, and will be modern in all their fit
tings They will be so arranged that the
passenger entrance to the boats will be
entirely separated from the wagon way on
the steamers and, as has been stated, the
slip at the Washington end will lead di-
rectly out upon the street.
The new building Is to have two en-
trances-one leading to the ferry steamers
and the other to the pier proper, which
will be used for excursion business. These
terminals should be completed in less than
ninety days, and when completed will be
as fine as any ferry in the country. The
Norfolk and Washington company proposes
to give an up-to-date ferry service, with
new and fast steamers, and before the end
of the summer the line will be in full oper-
alton with it's two boats. Meanwhile, as
stated, it is proposed to give temporary
service with the one boat.
The hull of the old steamer Columbia,
which is lying on the Washington slip, will
not be utilized, but will be sold to the high
est bidder, and the old steamer George
Washington, lying at Alexandria, WILL it is
stated, be taken away by her owners, who
reside in New York city. The advent of
the ferry steamers on the river will be
welcomed by the business men here and
at Alexandria, and they will continue a
service that has been in existence for nearly
a century.