THE PORTS OF VIRGINIA

[Music] so when the early colonists arrived in the new world in 1607 they sought for their landing spot a natural protective harbor and a ready water access to the lands of the interior midway along the atlantic coast they found what they were seeking a harbor surpassed by none in the world they sailed in and founded the first permanent english settlement in america at jamestown in the land they called virginia a hearty lot these settlers had soon built a thriving colony with its capital at williamsburg here the governing fathers took stock of the remarkable trade advantages of their new land with its connecting waterways and as early as 1708 they authorized development of the ports of virginia with little exception these ports exist today alexandria far up the potomac river richmond and hopewell on the james and the great natural harbor area of hampton roads today four port cities have grown and prospered around this famous water gateway to inland america newport news norfolk portsmouth and south norfolk four separate cities yet all team together to form one port hampton roads unsurpassed anywhere else in the world [Music] ice free the year round the port of hampton roads offers nearly 300 busy warms piers and docks along its 50 miles of waterfront vast warehouses and transit sheds spread over more than 200 acres [Music] and countless modern loading and unloading facilities tailor-made for handling all types of export import and coastal cargos quickly and efficiently these today's modern chipper requires and these he gets when he uses the port of hampton roads familiar landmarks greet him as he sights the broad virginia shore this cross on cape henry that marks the first landing spot of the jamestown colonists the ancient lighthouse that for two centuries guided ships to haven and the pilot ship the most welcome sight of all for today's shipper knows that hampton roads like other major world ports operates an excellent pilot system to bring her visitors safely through her channels and rivers into their births [Music] so [Music] under command of a pilot who is experienced in every navigational detail of the port it's full speed ahead [Music] the vessel travels past the familiar lighthouse and old point comfort where the early colonists collected port duties and provided pilot services once past the chamberlain hotel the vessel enters the vast harbor where more than a thousand ships from every seafaring nation in the world can find anchorage or birthing space at one time when the vessel finally approaches one of hampton roads piers it's quickly eased into place by a helpful tug [Music] with the long sea voyage over arrangements are made for unloading and loading [Music] the cargos of every type that move through hampton roads every day pass through spacious piers equipped to handle any and every product whether land-bound or c-bound [Music] deep water right up to the piers and shipside warehouses makes them readily accessible for loading unloading and storage of general cargos four ocean-going vessels at one time can be accommodated by many peers including one of the largest single deck merchandise piers on the atlantic seaboard modern sprinkler-equipped storage areas like this and the latest mechanized facilities for moving heavy loads mean a safe quick movement of cargo through the port and keep insurance rates down at hampton roads or whatever the cargo cotton or tobacco peanuts or chemicals heavy machinery or grain whether bulk or wrapped extra length or heavy lift the port of hampton roads is equipped to handle it with safety and ease time almost seems to slip back to colonial days as these hogsheads of tobacco are hoisted aboard found for some distant land for fragrant golden tobacco was colonial virginia's first export crop and today the state still ranks among the nation's top tobacco producers so complete of hampton roads tobacco inspection and handling facilities become that more than three-fourths of all tobacco exported from the united states and nearly two-thirds of all imported tobacco is rooted through the port while waiting for transfer to outgoing ships the tobacco is stored in giant warehouses that stretch for miles back from the hampton roads dock area other facilities make this port especially desirable for shippers large fields of oil storage tanks provided by nine major oil companies with new tanks being added every year [Music] floating ship refueling stations that speed up turn around time a grain elevator with a marine leg on the edge of deep water that wastes no time in keeping the waiting ships filled with american grain modern cold storage plants right on the waterfront protect those cargos requiring refrigeration fumigating plants are located close to the piers and warehouses and the most up-to-date coal terminal facilities in the world are kept busy handling exports from america's important coal fields railroad cars filled to the brim with coal arrived daily from virginia west virginia and kentucky ready for shipment to fire sides and factories all over the world two hundred thousand tons of coal can be loaded efficiently from car to ship every day both from high level piers and from low level peers electrically operated these low-level piers can handle 40 120-ton railroad cars every hour automatically an empty returns for a new load as a full car heads for the giant elevator [Music] here it is picked up raised high in the air and tilted emptying its black contents into the waiting ship this kind of efficient economical coordinated peer-to-ship movement at hampton roads has brought many industrial plants to the area and is bringing more and more every year for here industry can find every transportation and storage facility it needs administered with the traditional virginia desire to be of service and here too they find foreign banking services a favorable tax structure and freight rates competitive with those of the other north atlantic ports vitally important to the users of any port are the service and repair facilities it can provide and hampton roads boasts two of the largest shipyards in the world here at the norfolk and portsmouth shipyards a vessel can find the right prescription and cure for any of its hills be it large or small the span of ship repairing experience is evident at this portsmouth yard where this old stone dry dock in continuous use since andrew jackson's day stands side by side with this ultra modern ship building area [Music] across the harbor at newport news stands one of the largest private shipyards in the world here ships of every type and shape have first felt the sea beneath their keels ships that have joined the merchant fleets of nearly every seafaring nation in the world [Applause] ships that have taken part in countless naval engagements to preserve the freedom of the seas for peaceful use ships that help the peoples of the world know each other better by bringing them together ships like the ss united states the largest passenger vessel ever built in america [Music] in addition to being one of the largest ship building yards in the world the newport news shipyard is one of the few first-rate ship repair stations with equipment of every type to handle every job [Music] but today's shipper requires even more than complete port facilities he demands ready access from the port to his market areas there too hampton roads stands ready to serve him its location on the central atlantic coast makes it especially accessible to the heart of america both for dispersing imports and for funneling in [Music] exports ten line hall railroads furnish fast dependable transportation to and from the large producing and consuming central areas at rates lower or no more than rates of most other major east coast ports [Music] a port beltline railroad ties together the services of the major trunk lines and together with these lines serves all sections of the improved waterfront dependable highway transportation in and out of hampton roads is provided by numerous truck lines another important link between the port and the inland market areas and three airlines offer regularly scheduled passenger and cargo service to and from the area [Music] virginia's river ports bring the sea even closer to many large american markets alexandria site of mount vernon the historic home of george washington is just down the potomac river from washington dc [Music] import bulk and general cargo bound for the nation's capital arrives through the port of alexandria here a large open pier a wide channel and modern warehouses welcome visits from ocean-going vessels carrying products of all types frequent callers are ships supplying washington's daily newspapers with nearly their entire supply of newsprint because of its location alexandria is served by one of the most complete transportation systems in the world south of alexandria midway up the james river from hampton roads is the port of hopewell its skyline marked by the silhouette of a huge chemical plant a familiar site in the important chemical producing state of virginia a deep channel maintained by the united states government in the james river makes hopewell's dock area accessible to vessels of all sizes [Music] products arriving here are quickly moved from ship to dock and on to their destination over an excellent rail and highway system farther up the james river is the port of richmond the present-day capital of the state of virginia here two terminals are equipped with modern dwarves piers and warehouses served by an excellent transportation system rail highway and air [Music] today more than 300 steamship coal and tanker and general cargo lines serve the ports of virginia more than 8 000 sailings each year to nearly 300 world ports for here in virginia shippers have found facilities tailor-made for handling their products no matter what they are but more than that they have found an attitude of service a sincere desire to provide whatever is required to make a shipper's operation efficient and economical this dedication to service is responsible for the growth of the ports of virginia in the past and with this same dedication they look to the [Music] [Applause] [Music] future you