The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-02
CITY TO DEMAND
OPENING OF DOCK
Owners Delay Repairs, and Basin
Is Practically Useless to
Shipping.
APPEALS TO COMMISSION
City Attorneys Office Preparing
Petition Asking for lmrne-
diate Action.
APPEALS TO COMMISSION

Papers are being prepared by AS
sistant City Attorney George Wayne
Anderson asking the State Corporation
10 issue orders for the immediate re
opening of the Richmond docks. AL
though the commission has decided
that the dock is a public waterway,
and cannot be closed TO traffic. it has
been practically closed for nearly a
month, and the owners, the bondhold-
ers of the William Il. TrigS Shipbuild-
ing Company, give no promise when &c
will be reopened. The last steamer for
Petersburg passed out OF the dock on
the afternoon of July g. after which
IL was stated that the lock gates were
in need OF repairs. and that traffic
would be temporarily suspended Since
that time no repairs have been made
lTarbor Master John y. Curtis said last
night that he had not inquNed into
the matter since last week. but that
at that time no contract had been
awarded for the necessary repairs. the
erection of new lock gates. and he
estimated that the work when begun
would take at least a month.
No Work Yet Done.
About a week ago the property was
examined by Colonel c. p. Il. Burgwyn
on behalf of Messrs. Lloyd and Bemiss.
committee of the bondholders. The Old
Dominion Marine Railway Company at
Norfolk was the lowest bidder on sup
plying n new gate. fixing the time for
such work at two weeks from the
signing of the contract. though 1t was
believed that the work could not be
done within that time
Mr.. Bem!ss. the resident member of
the bondholders' committee. was out
OF the city last night and it could
not be learned whether any contract
for the work had been awarded Ger
tainly no work has been done since
the dock was closed to traffic on the
afternoon OF July
Colonel Anderson secured yesterday
a copy of the order of the Corporal lion
Commission declaring the dock a public
waterway, and is understood to be
preparing n petition, which will DO
filed in a few days. setting forth that
the owners are not carrying out the
order OF the commission.
The most serious sufferer from the
indefinite closing of the dock is the
steamer line to and from Petersburg,
which has maintained a daily service,
to the great advantage of the trade.
between the two cities. The long haul
from the wholesale centre 10 the dock
front on the river below Twenty ninth
Street has greatly recuced the volume
steamers has been irregular. one
steamer having been tied up for weeks
in the AppomattoN River AT Peters
burg.
Would Sell to City.
AT the City Hall the view is ex.
pressed that the closing of the dock
and the dilatory way in which re-
pairs are being projected, despite tho
definite order of the Corporation Com
mission that the dock must be main
tanned as perpetual waterway, IS
part of plan to work up interest in
the project for the acquisition of tho
dock by the city. y real estate agency
some months ago wrote to the City
Council that it was in position to
negotiate with the city for the sale
of the dock and the paper is pending
in the Finance Committee. The Com
mittee on Improvement of James River
has gone ahead with plans for erect
Ing wharves for ali manner of vessels
big and little or. the river front,
owned by the city. and until that
project is accomplished tire Council.
generally, takes little interest in the
expenditure OF = large sum OF money
for purchase of the dock, into VIII ch
only small boats can come, and which
the commission has decided must be
kept open and maintained whether tho
city buys it or not.
Committee Takes Action.
Without knowledge that the CITY
Attorneys Office was moving in the
matter. the Committee on Improvement
OF the James River last night, on mo-
t!on OF Henry w. Wood. president of
the Chamber OF Commerce, adopted a
resolution proposing that immediate
steps be taken to nave the owners OF
the dock put it in condition for use by
vessels Of ordinary dep-h