The Washington herald., 1909-05-09
RAILROAD CREATES
CITY BY The SEA
C. & o. Lays Foundation OF
Newport News.
SHIP YARD ADDS IMPETUS
Stages Described by which Virginia
City Comes to Be an Important
Shipping Port - It's Developments,
Though Great, Is Only In the Be
ginning of It's Industries.


Newport News, Va. Nay SIN IS5
Coils P Huntington, when he visited the
site now known as Newport News, enter
tained the idea Of founding 2 great city
and formulated plans which. in 1881. re-
suited in the completion of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railway, piers being
erected in that year and passenger service
established between Newport News and
Richmond Previous 70 this the site Of
this city was the scene OF activity such
as was necessary 10 the production Of
good crops Huntington interests have
now absorbed. at normal figures, these
farm lands
In leSS when ground was procured for
the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
dock Company's plant, the eyes Of the
world were turned 10 Newport News in
view OF the fact that such an enterprise
with Hunungton's spirit would develop
INTO an industry employing a large num-
Der of men. which necessilated the build
ing Of q city 10 accommodate the en-
ployes.
New DrydOck Opens
n April 1883. Drydock No. ! was opened
FOR business. thereby offering the largest
aid most commodious basin in the United
States. with accommodations for two
large passenger steamers In January.
1924. The shipya-d received the hrst gov
erHment contract, the building Of the
gunboats Nashville, Wilmington and
Helena. which were the means Of en-
abli.lg the shipbuiIding company 10 be-
come an active and successful competitor
in the construction Of large naval ships
IN 1859 they completed The largest dry
dock IN the world. witch viii be appre-
cisted when IL is known that IL can a.
ccTm0Gste Two OF The largest battle ships
al one time. Not only IN the building Of
battle ships does Newport News lead but
il Goes the largest repair business IN the
l-aitei States Tie snipyard employees. on
TIE average, 100 men, with weekly
payroll CT SSaoe0
Became n City In 1925.
On January y. 1SsS. the act Of incor-
poration became effective and Newport
News became city with population OF
9000- IN 1890 the census showed an in
crease of 10.2S5. and It IS nov. conce5ed by
al authorities on the subject that the
population IS $1,000. not including the
suburban population which constitutes
2 large part OF the ciJy'S workers. busi-
ness and professional men, excluded il
the census.
a few years after this date. the repre-
sentative business men OF Newport News
organized themselves into q Business
Mems Association, which after a few
years reOrganiZed into the chamber Of
commerce After remaining inactive for
nearly a year, II employed a trained and
experienced secretary in an effort 10 in
prove the commercial conditions
The result OF a few weeks work seems
70 indicate that within the course Of six
or nine months time Z viii show an in-
crease IN industry and population. When
considered from a commercial and indus
trial standpoint, Newport News offers the
finest and best natural resources and con-
ditiOns 10 be found in any city in the
United States
In its facilities Hampton Roads and the
James River offer the best harbor and
waterway IN the United States. with deep
water sufficient for any sized ship ever
built With protection for the ships il
can readily be seen that the exports and
Imports carried on from this port are
enormous
Has Nine Railroads.
As TO the land facilities Newport News
has direct connection with nine railroads
TO the North, East, South and West.
With the exception Of about six weeks
OF the year the climate permits outdoor
work These six weeks are divided into
few days at tine, so that at gU other
tines labOreTs can work in the open air
at least ten fun hours a day Snow sell
dom remains on the ground for more than
tTerty-four hours at e time. and a state
mont which can be verified. IS thst roses
Cere n bloom in the open on Christmas
day for the past three years.
Washington. Baltimore. New York and
Boston. are conceded 70 be our markets
both By rail and wafer and with the
efforts we are making 10 become more
closely allied with the South, We are
STEADILY increasing our prestige and New
port News VIII he one of the lareesr
shipping centers in the South. Labor IS
very cheap, and for this and other rea-
sons the government has decided thar
Newport News is the logical point for
government distribution.
In tAe G1aTtermaSter generals report
Tor lstS u shows that including salaries.
commissions, naintenances OF officers
quarters. wages Of laborers. rental OF
Offices. Wharves. warehouse and Incl
deltals. they handled $500 tons Of freIebt
at the low cost Of s13.Is436
Veneer Industry Starts.
Within the past four weeks the WI
iiamson's Veneer Company established
plant in this city. This industry vii
draw the raw material from the South
shipping the finished article 10 the Nortb
and ii need only he said that Newn,-+
News was selected after q careful invest
CATION by experts and il was found - 10
the central location as well as the Ios;os1
point for manufacturing in this lire.
Newport News is on the verge Of s,,sL
ing a hundred thousand dollars vo-.b -
paving. which VIII show that II * an an
jerprising city. making the CITY -,o-a
beautiful and attractive,
The day is near at hand when Newno-.
News VIII come into its own. ara ss !,
should be, the gateway for all forsis-,
commerce along the Atlantic coeSt. !,
viii also be the home Of capital ar5 n
oustrE- FRANK r CARTY.
Sec-rtary. Chzmber ot Couu4-rre