Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-12-10
NO INTERRUPTION OF =.
DREDGING IN THE ROADS
Thirty.fjve Foot Channels Leading to
Norfolk and Newport News viii
ae Completed in tst3-Provis'on
For Chesapeake Bay Operations To
Be Made Later. =.

Appropriations covering the tota!
amount Of money necessary Tor the
completion OF the 35-foot channels
from Hampton Roads 10 Newport
News and Norfolk are Contained IN
the riveiS and harbors bill which
was reported TO congress yesterday
NJ the committee on rivers and har'
nofs. The bill, which carries total
OF s2t44g4.891 in cash fer 1912 ap-
preparations and $9,514.S63 Tor con,
tracts authorized for years subsequent
to 1912, probably will come up in the
house today for passage.
Included in The measure is en- ap-
Precipitation of $425, 900 In cash for
the channels TO this port and Nor
folk and an additional s622,5OO Tor
the completion of the work contract
ed for in years subsequent to 1917
II IS generally believed here that the
items for the local harbor. improve
ments will go through both branches
of congress.
Work cn the new channels was
started several months ago and 0t-
isfactory progress has thus far been
made. Approximately 100000 already
has teen appropriated and appor'
tened for the improvements and the
additional $1;047. 800 carried by the
new rivers and harb0rs measure VIII
be aufficient 10 cover the cost of the
entire work.
II is estimated now that the pro
posed improvements both in the har-
Dor approaches and in Hampton
Roads and Chesapeake bay win be
comoleted in 1918. With the passage
of the appropriation OF $425 000 there
will be enough cash available 10
continue the work through 1912 until
the additional $622,500 becomes avail
able.
What improvements Mean.
With the completion OF the pro
posed improvements there will be a
continuous 35-foot main ship channel
from Cape Henry to Hampton Roads
OF Sewall's Point. There the main
channel will branch into "Y." the
north extension leading to this port
and the south extension leading to
Norfolk When the channels are COM
pleted the largest ships in the world
can enter this port without difficulty
and Newport News will then have
the greatest harbor on the eastern
coast OF North America.
The movement for the construction
of the channels in the lower Chesa.
peake bay. Hampton Roads and this
port was born in Baltimore N 1905
and was brought into being by DR.
Clarence Porter Jones, Secretary w
z. Uoitrell and other members of the
Chamber of Commerce. who were at
tending the Atlantic Deeper Water
ways Convention in that city. They
reported the matter to the Chamber
OF Commerce and the. fight for deeper
and better channels 1esan in earnest
The aid of Senator Martin and Con.
gresham w. A. Jones was secured
and that year bill was passed au.
thorizing the SURVEY for the channels
Last year congress made the first
Appropriations for the work
Philadelphia began its movement
for 3e-foN channel to the sea ten
years ago and the money for II is
just being acted upon by congress
Other ports larger than Newport
News have had TO fight year after
year TO get harbor improvements,
Newport News and Norfolk were a
little late in starting, but when they
started results came quickly.