The Evening critic., 1884-01-22
HOW BUSINESS SUFFERS
Because There IL no Ice.BOat or
Other Means to Keep the Channel
Clear In Winter.

Clear In Winter.
81 favor the demand for an ice.boat," said
Mr.. william P. WEIGH, General Freight Agent
OF the Potomac Steamboat Company, this
morning TO n CRITIC reporter, ''not 80 much
for the sake OF the steamboat companies as
for the sake OF tho citizens. To them this
stoppage OF navigation is a great inconve-
nience. The steamboat companies could AFFORD
TO lay up few weeks every winter and spend
the time In making repairs, but the business
men OF the District are the ones who are most
put out by the delay In freights. Take the
Leary's last trip, for instance we had Ave
hundred barrels OF fish for dealers here
which were delayed eight days by our failure
had to telegraph on for another supply whom
they found we could not arrive and the flsh
coming by rail from Baltimore cost them one
third more than II We had brought IT,
Just then the 1ingling OF the telephone
called him. After he had attended TO IL he
said:
snow, there is another instance of the In
convenience that is suffered. The Star wants
paper; we bring It TO them; but now they VIII
timore, and Will be pa hours longer In getting
it. You can see that II they depended on us
for paper, as they can when navigation Is
open, they would have to stop printing their
After referring to other inconvenience he
turned 10 the subject of the ico-boat:
"With the beginning or very cold weather
the surface OF the Potomac Is coated with Ice
down about thirty miles. II allowed TO be un.
disturbed THIS VIII nurdon 80 tnat our DOttS
can mako no Roadway against 1t, for although
they are strongly built they are not adapted
for cutting Ice. Now, when this weather be
gins, II there could be q boat at hand to run
down to the limit OF this stretch OF leo In the
morning and return at night every day, n
channel could be kept open with the disturb
ance OF the water In addition, ca fused by the
Norfolk boats, the New York and Philadelphia
steamers, and the various oyster-boats. A
boat is needed to cut the ice and there Is no
boat here now suited for that. understand
that tho captain OF the tug Mary Lewis, who,
with an iron prov, cut channel for the oyster
pungieB last week, says no wouldn't do tho
thing again for several hundred dollars"
SHOW does this city fare as compared with
other cities ?"
"of course, we do not have the trade In win
ter that Baltimore does, but We certainly have
enough TO warrant the use OF an i;e-bont. In
Baltimore there are two. In summer the city
uses Its boat for free excursions for the poor.
The other one belongs TO the merchants, be-
lieve."
''what do you think would DO the expense OF
building boat that would keep the river
WWeIl, should think $4,000 or $4,000
would be sufficient. Nothing very elaborate
is needed, only something that is adopted to
the purpose"
at has been suggested that the torpedo-boat
Alarm, now at the navy yard, could be made
suitable boat"
"oh, there are plenty OF boats, good iron
boats, that could be used, which arc doing
nothing now but rotting In idleness."
First Officer Ross, OF tho steamer CorcOran,
thought THE CRITICS suggestion OF an Ice
boat an excellent one.
marked. 'other cities having communication
with the coast and coast steamers have them.
IL would pay for itself IN q abort time. Phlla-
delphia couldn't get along without hers.