The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-20
ON THE WATER BELT Line
Novel Method Of Seeing the
Jamestown Exposition.
STEAMERS WILL PLY HAMPTON ROADS
FROM PLEASANT DECKS THE
GREAT NAVAL PAGEANT
MAY BE VIEWED.
STEAMERS WILL PLY HAMPTON ROADS

to the old proverb, that necessity is
the mother of invention" is the newer
saying that "expositions are the orig
inators of novel IDEAS" The James,
town Ter Centennial Exposition to
be held on the shores and waters of
Hampton Roads, near Norfolk, in 1907,
will be no exception to this rule, as
already many attractive and valuable
schemes have been perfected, that will
serve to both amuse and accommodate
the thousands, take will take in this
celebration, which is to commemorate
the three hundredth anniversary of
the first permanent English speaking
colony in America.
Foremost among these attractions at
the jamestown exposition will be the
"Water-Belt Line" an organized COM
pany that will maintain a regular
schedule Of steamers around and
about the waters of Hampton Roads
and the adjoining tributaries that go
to make up the famous Underwater
Virginia" A belt line on land, with
steam or trolley cars, is familiar to
almost every city, but Water Belt
Line" operating steamers instead of
cars is indeed a novel system of trans
portation.
Owing to the fact that the James
town Exposition will be the first cele-
bration ever held in this country, on
deep water, there will be assembled
in Hampton Roads, next year, the
greatest naval pageant that the world
has ever seen. These assembled
navies of all the representative ma
tions, at anchor in the spacious har-
Dor in front Of the exposition grounds,
will include every type of fighting
craft, from the smallest and most OBJ
solete gunboat to the largest and
most formidable man. of-war, affording
splendid opportunity for the compar-
isOn of the naval strength Of the var
ious countries that are to participate
and to note the progress in naval con-
struction from it's earliest stages.
No section of the country is so hal
lowed by history making events as
that part of Virginia, on Hampton
Roads, whose shores are lined with
historic points of interest, where the
Jamesown exposition will be held in
1907. Foremost among these landmarks
is Old Point Comfort, so named by
the first settlers because of the safe
anchorage afforded by it's protected
shores, for their stOrm-tossed vessels.
Here is also located Fort Monroe, the
chief artillery station of the United
States government on the Atlantic
coast. With it's grim old walls and
winding moat, Fort Monroe is one Of
the most picturesque as well as for
midable military posts in the coun-
try. Yorktown, where CORVALLIS sur
rendered to the Continental army, is
only two hours ride by either boat
or train, from the exposition. Here
can be seen the monument erected by
the government in honor of the great
victory of the American forces. The
first custom house ever erected in
America is also located at Yorktown.
Within a stones throw of the expo
sition site, can be seen the remains
of the earthworks, thrown up by the
Confederate army in their defense
against the union troops in the bat
tie Of SeweeIs Point The scene of
the famous battle between the Monitor
and the Merrimac, is also close by,
the fight having taken place only a
few hundred yards out in Hampton
Roads, from the grounds of the EXPOSE
tiOn
These and many other points of
interest that line the shores of this
renowned harbor, together with the
varied water features of the EXPOSE
ton, including not only the naval dis
play, but motor boat carnivals, yacht
races and submarine contests, will
make it imperative for visitors to the
Ter Centennial, to make this trip
around the harbor, that has been laid
out by the water Belt Line" before
they can truthfully say that they have
seen everything in connection with
this attractive exposition.
The company is under the general
management of H. F.McGarvie a
we'll known cOncessionaire who has
made expositions a study. A unique
and valuable feature of his plan, is
that the tickets will be issued with
coupons admitting of stop-over privi-
leges at any or all of the points en-
route, allowing the passengers to take
any Of the following steamers to
complete the trip The round trip will
start from the company's own wharf
on the water front Of Norfolk and will
| touch such places as Portsmouth, New
port News, Old Point Comfort, the ex-
position grounds and back again to
Norfolk and will be conducted along
the very finest lines, especial atten-
ton being paid to women and children
and no liquors being sold aboard or
rowdyism permitted.
Besides the regular belt line trips,
the company will operate daily ex-
cursions to such places as jamestown
Island, the actual site of the first
permanent settlement, where nothing