The Washington herald., 1909-04-04

NorLotk, Va, April S-Ihe opening OF
the Nirginian Railway pier at sewan
Point on Hampton Roads to-day was At
Ntended by an accident which wrecked the
dumping apparatus and temporarily de-
layed the test which Mr.. Rogers had come
10 the point to witness.
The party. including a score or more
Of capitalists and railroad men. had Just
ahghted from the special train which
carried the guests OF the company from
Norfolk 10 the terminal. when a heavily
loaded coal car escaped from the train
men on the gravity yard track leading TO
me pier The alarm was given in time
10 prevent any members Of the party be
ing run over by the car. but # collided
heaVily with a car already on the pier.
The force Of the collision wrecked the.
dumping gear at the bumper itself.
George B. Hopkins Of New York. came
near being injured. He escaped, how
ever, by jumping from a ladder.
The apparatus was later repaired. and
the Rogers party remained at the yard
until the test was finally concluded.
Rogers Dumps First Car.
When repairs had been finished Mr..
Rogers with his own hands operated the
lever which controls the dumping ma
cAinery and sent the first carload Of coal
into the hold Of the big steam collier
Everett. OF the Massachusetts Steamship
: Company. lying az the pier Never before
has the oil magnate taken part IN the
actual work of loading coal upon a vessel.
Ihe Everett is a part OF the feet OF the
Massachusetts Steamship Company which
VIII ply between this cOaling station and
New England ports. These vessels in
cluding the MelrOse and the Maiden.
which left Baltimore a few days ago for
q race up the coast. were originally built
by the management Of the Virginlan Rail-
way. and We're 20 form the coaI-carrying
fleet of this railroad. They were sold
when the road determined 10 abandon its
Idea Of shipping coal by water, as well
as rail.
Greatest Coal Pier on Continent.
Mr.. Rogers was delighted with his coal
terminal here. He has built the greatest
coal pier on the continent at Sewau
Point. II is 1O25 feet long from the an
pToach out 20 sea. and. including the
steel approach. is 1000 feet In length
There is no other structure in the coun
try like IT, and when he examined the
dumping apparatus to-day he expressed
great satisfaction in tho workings Of the
mechanical time-saveTs The VIrsfnfa1
can dump from this pier alone 1000 tons
oil coal day, and can dock three vessels
on each side OF the pier at a time.
Io-nights banquet closed the events
o. the opening celebration, so far as Nor
folk is concerned. This banquet was the
q fnfsr-r rfn
The speakers included Mark Twain. for
mer Attorney General James NJ Recly
Neville F. Stone. and others. President
William n. White. Of the Richmond
fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
acted as toastmaSteF.
Rogers Speaks at BANQUET.
In reply TO welcoming address by the
toastmaster. Mr.. Rogers said:
1t IS a great honor. and 7 shall not
deny a great pleasure to be volIr puast
on this occasion I am not gifted with
ne art Of oratory, and am forced TO sav
my thanks in plain and homely words.
yet they are none the less heartfelt 7
make no pretense that the building Of
the Virginian Railway was intended
wholly as public service and as a busi-
ness enterprise. 7 have faith that the re-
sources Of this Old Dominion State when
properly developed mean a great deal, not
for you who live here alone. but for the
whole country. And / have simply sought
TO bear what share / could in the develon-
ment Of these resources. You. gentlemen
Of Virginia. and I have a common inter
est. / shall endeavor 10 deal fairly with
You AID am sure you propose doing
the same by me- Again, I thank you
from the bottom Of my heart for the
honor you have conferred upon me"
viii Go over Road To-day.
. It was announced this morning that the
trip OF inspection which Mr.. Rogers and
his party will make viii begin to-mor-
row morning at Il O'Clock. The party will
20 to Victoria, in Lunenburg County. on
a special train. where it will stay over
night. From there it viii 90 to Roanoke
Monday, arriving at o'clock In the
afternoon. An automobile ride about
that city and a banquet at night viii be
the features Of the visit.
Mark Twain. who came here as a guest
Of Mr.. Rogers, decided to-day not 10 go
over the road on account OF the inclem-
ent weather. He viii leave tomorrow
for New York. Urban Broughton. a SON
iu-law Of Mr.. Rogers, joined the party
here to-day, and VIII go over the line
tomorrow.
The following day the party will leave
for Deepwater, W. Va, the western ter
minus Of the line. and will return to New
York over the Chesapeake and Ohio from