Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-27
PLANS FOR A FERRY
Service Between Washington
and Alexandria.
"a RLY RESUMPTION
NORFOLK AND WASHINGTON
STEAMER COMPANY IN CONTROL.
Prominent Official of the Company
Authority for the Statement-Im-
provement of Facilities.
EARLY RESUMPTION

pE lhe Norfolk and Washington
Steamboat Company for control of
the ferry line between Washington
and Alexandria, and the statement
IS made, on the authority of an Off
cial OF the Norfolk and Washington
line, that traffic will be resumed at
an early day. \ boat is to be Dliit
for the ferry which will be capa Die
OF making the trip between the two
cities in twenty minutes, and ar
rangements have been made for is
SUNG to passengers tickets hom
Alexandria with street car cou-
pons attached, emitting them to a
continuous ride over the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
lines to and from places of business
III Washington.
1T is more than probable that the Nor
folk and Washington Steamboat Companv
| viii, within the next few days. take con-
| troll of the ferry between Alexandria and
| Washington and viii give the residents
of the two cities a fine ferry service"
This is what prominent official of the
Norfolk and Washington Steamboat Com
pany said to Star reporter this morning
when asked about the rumor that the
Norfolk and Washington line was inter-
ested in the new ferry company.
Two years ago 1t was stated when the
ferry steamer Columbia Was burned and
there was no boat on the ferry route for
several months the Norfolk and Wash
ington Steamboat Company contemplated
securing control of the ferry At that
time the Pennsylvania Railway Company
was Interested in the electric railway be-
tween Washington. Alexandria and Mt.
Vernon, and this account the Norfolk
and Washington line deferred action in
the matter. 1t is now stated that the
Pennsylvania railway has disposed of all
its interest in the electric line. and there
is no impediment whatever to the steam
boat company taking control of the ferry
and it is expected that within the next
few days this will be an accomplished
fact. The new line will be run under the
direction of Manager John Callahan OF
the Norfolk and Washington company,
and the service will be up to the standard
he has maintained between this city and
Norfolk
The new owners of the ferry line will
resume the service soon possible, and
an effort is to be made at once to secure
II
fine ferryboats in New York which proved
to be to small for the service there, which
have been replaced by the larger boats re-
Gently built at Newport News One of
these steamers, IL is believed, can be Sc
cured for the temporary service here and
this steamer will. it is expected, be on the
route within a short time. possibly the next
two weeks. This boat will be kept in SER
vice until two modern ferry steamers can be
built.
The plans for the steamers have been
drawn and the contract for the work will
be placed at once. 1t is stated they can
be delivered ready for service within four
months from the time the contract for their
building is signed. The new boats will be
steel hulled vessels with a propeller at
each end connected on one shaft. so that
while one shoves the other pulls. They
will have heavy engine power and will be
able to run all the year, even through
heavy ice with the aid OF the channel
made by the n. & w. steamers. On the
main deck there will be room for sixteen
teams and there viii be a handsome sa-
loon on the upper deck for the accommo-
dation of passengers.
These boats will be able to make the run
between Washington and Alexandria I'm
twenty minutes and there will be no long
lay-over at either end, but the steamers will
touch and go. The service will be maintain
ed from early in the morning until late at
night, and the tickets sold for the round
trip will have street car coupons attached.
When the new boats put in service the
steamer that will be brought here from
New York to fill in the gap while they are
building will be kept as reserve boat for
use when the larger steamers are off the
route for cleaning of boiler and other work.
Slips to BE Rebuilt.
The ferry slips here and at Alexandria are
TO be rebuilt and will be fitted with modern
appliances for the rapid handling of teams
and passengers. The ferry house here is to
be replaced at once with a fine modern
structure, and the newer building at Alex
andria is to be enlarged and brought up to
date
The new owners of the Washington
Steamboat Company property here and at
Alexandra have taken possession or the
ferry wharves and have put watchmen on
them.
erty was purchased from the Hart estate IN
New York, was at the ferry wharf here and
at Alexandria day or two ago looking the
property over I'm order TO form an idea or
the work necessary TO put II in condltlon
for service.
Mr. John B. Padgett of Alexandria. who
for thirty years has been connected with
the ferry, and who for the past four years
was its general manager, will be in the en-
ploy of the new corporation, and it is said.
many of the employees of the old ferry line
win be taken in the employ of the new /.
concern when the boats arrive and the
service is started.
Transfer System Popular.
The statement that the tickets sold on
the new ferry would have two street car
coupons attached is pleasing the Alexan-
dria people greatly, and will remove the
great objection the Alexandrians had to
travelling on the ferry. The coupons will
be accepted it is understood, by the WASH
ington Railway and Electric.
The ferry service between Alexandria and
this city had been unsatisfactory for many
years before Ii was discontinued When
the old ferry steamer City of Washington
was withdrawn from the route. about ten
years ago, she was replaced by the old
steamer Pilot Boy, renamed the Belle
Haven, but she was slow. and being
sharp-end boat was untitled for the serv-
ice. When the electric railway was built
between Alexandria and Washington the
patronage of the ferry fell of rapidly, and
the New York people who owned the line
would do nothing to improve the service.
The finishing blow came when the steamer