Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-12-29
Are Building
Steel Fleet.
RAILROAD rs GET
TING READY TO CARRY TO
FOREIGN PORTS THE
COAL 1T TAKES
TO NORFOLK.

Norfolk. Va, nee. 2S.--The fleet
OF steamers which will carry TO New
England and later probably. to many
| foreign ports the coal which the
Tidewater Railroad brings 60 Norfolk
from the West Virginia fields. Is
under construction by the New Eng
land Coal and Coke Company. which
will own and operate them.
Three steamers will first be built
and IL Is anticipated by the builders
that ten or twelve more will be con
structed afterwards. The plans OF
the steel steamers. which were shown
this afternoon at the Office of Gcner-
al Manager OF tho Tidewarter, Ray
mond Dupuy, at Norfolk, show that
they are TO be OF special class and
of the most modern type.
! They are to be self-trimming col
liers OF monstrous size and carrying
capacity each, 1t Is anticipated will
be able to carry 10000 tons OF coal
on each voyage upon n draft not ex-
ceeding 22.6 feet. The ships will
be $50 feet long. 81 feet beam and
20 feet deep. That is their total
Ifreeboard-on the outside of rail will
be 20 feet.
Each Will have ten matches, with
average hatch opening 15 by 2S feet.
They are modelled after the type OF
steamers which carry iron ore on the
American lakes, with engine and fun
mel well aft and pilot house about
amidship. The idea OF the builders
Is that the steamers will not have to
trim the coal after it is poured into
them from the pier and thus great
expense will be saved
Under the system in operation at
Lamberts Point men go into the
ships when their cargo is about half
completed and level the coal with
shovels. This costs money. and as
labor is scarce and hard to obtain.
the builders OF the new stamers hope
to handle the coal without the assis-
iance of many men.
BIDDING ON PIERS.
Chief Engineer of the Tidewater.
III. Frenstrom, the general manager
said today, / am sending acquisitions
for bids upon the construction OF the
railroads pier, which is shortly TO be
constructed at Sewell's Point on this
harbor The construction Of only one
pier Is Immediately contemplated, but
this one is expected TO have capaci-
ty fully equal to those which the
Norfolk and Western Railway Com
pany now have at Lamberts Point.
The Norfolk and Western piers put
over each year about 100000 tons
OF coal and coke. The Tidcwater pier
will be fitted with such modern ap-
pllances as are used on the lakes to
handle iron ore. and therefore It will
have extraordinary capacity for load
ing ships. The cost OF the pier has
not yet been ascertained, but IL is
believed by those who have know
ledge Of that sort Of structure will
cost above $1,OOO,OOO It will be
ready for business by the time the
road is compl&ed
DREDGING 100000 YARDS.
Contractors have been asked TO bid
upon the removal Of about 100000
yards Of mud, which, II is proposed by
the Tidewater management, shall be-
dredged in the vicinity Of the spd
whore the new pier shall stand This
mud Is to be dumped into the low
lands back OF the jamestown Exuo-
sition site, from one 20 two miles
from the pier site In this way the
low lying land Of the Tidewator
Company will be filled and graded go
that II may be used as a railway yard.
which must be Of great extent.
The Tidewater will probably use
some Of this ground for construction
camps and perhaps some Of it may
be used by tho jamestown Exposi-
ton Company, the Tidewater having
rendered the Exposition Company the
free use Of fifty acres of land for use
during the exposition period as
military encampment.
IL IS expected that the dredging
VIII be commenced shortly amer the
bids for the work have come in and
the award made and the construc-
ton Of the pier will be commenced
as soon as the contract for It's con
struction shall have been awarded
and tho great amount OF steel redulr-
ed may bo secured All the work
should be we'll under way within
mon'h or two, according TO the pres
ent outlook
The Brotherhood Of Locomotive