1908 - Virginian's Great Piers

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Roanoke Times - January 31, 1908

Virginian's Great Piers

   Chief Engineer H. Fernstrom, of the Virginian railway, states that the
steel which will form the superstructure of the great $2,000,000 pier which
the Virginian is constructing at Sewell's Point, Norfolk, is already in the
shops of the road, and it will not take very long to erect it after the
contractors who are putting in the foundations or substructure shall have
completed their part of the work.
   He said that from present indications the pier will be completed next
fall. Much of the piling is down, and considerable stone for use in the
concrete work now being done is on the ground. The chief engineer said that
he was down at the pier during the gale a couple of days ago, observing the
effect of wind and waves.
   He said that he was gratified to observe that even in the unusualty
severe blow the indications were that a vessel at the pier would not have
been much troubled. The great expert wanted to see what happened at the
pier in a blow in order to, through engineering devices, provide the safest
possible harbor for vessels coaling and protect them from damage or
inconvenience while in dock.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link