Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-11
NO FRESEgET IN THE POTOMAC.
No Danger OF "A Flood at Present.
WHAT LIEUT.. POWELL SAYS.

WHAT LIEUT.. POWELL SAYS.
Lieut. Powell, OF the Signal service, said this
morning that there is no immediate danger OF
reshet in the river, and the present indications are
that the ice Will disappear without causing danger
10 any extent. A report from Iiarper's Ferry this
morning announces the height OF the river NJ that
point at a st2ndStil, with no rise over night and
the Ice sill unoroken. ''You see,' said Lieut. Pow
ell speaking upon this subject, "thrrc can be
no considerable freshet here unless there
is previous break up OF ice and heavy rise OF
water at Harpers Ferry. The ice is piled up Scv-
eral feet high in the vicinity OF the Long bridge but
IL Is not oTed and some clear water Is reported be-
tween the aqueduct and the Lon, bridge. The pres
ent rain VIII not In my opinion Increase the danger
or overflow. It does not amount 10 anything,
although 1t IS pretty general In extent. There
VIII be clearing weather tomorrow and colder, aud
IL may freeze everything up again. We are king
measures 10 be informed or any danger, but as
long as there Is no greater rise there is no great
Ganger.n
MAJOR HAMS, IN CHARGE OF TIE FLATS, ASTIcI-
PATEs NO TROUBLE.
Major HainS In charge OF the hats improvement,
said that he could see no reason FOR anticipating
any trouble. 81 have instructed my inspectors 10
report TO me any change which would cause an
overflow, but yet have received no report. be-
cause there is no rise III the river. 1 anxious 10
be Informed in advance OF an overflow. hot from
fear OF any damage 10 our work, but because want
TO make observations. in case Il should occur, OF
the extent and effect for my own Information. TO
be used fn the future. IL there should he Il gorge,
and consequent overflow. IL would not do anv
damage to the work on the hats. Ii might spread
out the material already placed on the flatS. and
might save the contractor some expense; IL might.
too. bang the dredges about a little. and might
cause Slight injury 10 the Jramway. The work OF
dredging already done In the channel would have a
tenoehcy 10 prevent an overflow. giving, as IL does.
stronger current Depth OF water and current i what
is wanted gorge at the bridge however. would not
result from obstruction by the causeway, as is gen.
orally supposed. What you don't see OF the bridge
would cause the trouble. here said the ma jny
pointing TO cros-Secticn of the bridge showing the
piers under the water ''the depth or water I'm the
no m 40
piers as neceSSaiy-iS very slight. caused 10y the
large amount OF stone material piled around the
bottom OF the piers to keep the piles stationary.
That has the effect OF not allowing sufficient dei IA
for the proper current to carry or the ice f there
was a proper depth OF water from the Virginia
shore 10 the southwestern extremity OF the cause-
way, ia my opinion, there could be no gorge"
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT.
All the shipping along the river below the Long
bridge has been so FAR as possible drawn into the
docks, be sheltered from the ice In case OF
a break.
..If there has been an ice gorge didn't know
anything about it,; said IIarb0rmaSter sutton. as
he stood under an umbrella with a STAR reporter
at the end or a wharf and CaZei over the Greary
steamed through here to break channel and that
roughened the ice some. as YOU see and [ suppose
the morning paper reporter saw that and thought
IL was an ice gorge"
..Do you expect freshet:" asked the reporter.
"That'S hard thing TO tell" said the harbor-
master.
"Do you think the ice viii do much damage when
1t breakS?'
"The ice is pretty heavy now, and it would be
likely 10 do some damage"
Some Of the wharf men expect that In case OF n
1reshet the Washington channel viii be protected
by the nling that has been done on the fats above
the Long bridge This VIII. IL Is thought. throw
the force Of the flood into the George town channel
on the Virginia side. one wharf owner told a STAR
reporter that he expected, II the rain continued
through the day, the ice, which is getting soft,
would go out tonight.
81 think there is fog rising" said an old river
skipper this afternoon, looking at a line OF mist
dc Sn the river. "That viii play the deuce with
the Ice"
<.fIow SO:" asked the reporter.
s'It rOtS it." said the skipper. 81 remember that
one night when went bed the Ice looked lust as
1t does now. In the morning the river was clear"
sit had moved out in the Night" said the re-
porter.
"No 1t hadn't ]. had .sunk-gone to the bottom.
It was rotted.'
At the mouth OF the Eastern branch Ice has been
washed under, and some fears are expressed or
gorge there.
Reports or warnings are received from the signal
office In times OF danger at the Long bridge and
JOhnson'S wharf, but no report has been received
since the 9Th 1nst when the river began TO rise al
Harper'S Ferry.