Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-01

nal Office this morning "and we can therefore
make no predictions. l have been expecting" he
continued, to get news OF rise at Harrer's Ferry,
and am rather surprised that none has come The
MOnongahela, on the other side OF the mountains,
has had big rise. and the water al P1ttsburg Is
nine inches above the danger line. and don't see
side
"what do you hear from Harper's Ferry9" asked
STAR reporter.
mot a word" was the reply.
sand from Great Falls?"
"Nothing further than we stated yesterday: that
the ice was running above. We sent word that no
report should oe made unless something unusual
should occur. You see there will be no danger un-
less there is decided rise at Harpers Ferry. In
that case we will have TO look out here"
"What are the chances now OF such q rise at
HarperS Ferry?" asked the reporter.
see whv S o nAs m hem M sr place c del uT
weather is predicted for Tomorrow but If she ever
starts at HaTper's Ferry no temperature in the
world will stop her 1t is below freezing On the
other SIDE OF the mountains but the Monongahela
Is booming"
''f there is gorge, where will it be-" asked the
!. Between the Aquedurt and Long bridge, 1
think" was the reply. III the freshet should once
permanent gorge until this vicinity was reached
Capt. Greene was here this morning, and said that
the Commissioners intended taking some action to
clear the river somewhat In the vicinity OF the Long
bridge Now, I'll tell you just how the case stands,
in my Judgment ADDED Lieut. Powell, as the re-
porter rose TO take his leave. eff there Is no de-
cded rise 1T Harpers Ferry there is no danger but
If such rise does occur we may look for freshet
here In about forty-e.ght hours. As soon as any
pubic at once"
Along the River Front.
Whatever uneaSneSS was caused along the river
front by the unfaVorabe reports from the upper Po
tomac last night seemed to have disappeared this
morning The absence OF rain, the direction OF the
wind, and the fact that the channels were broken
open this morning made the wharimen confident
that there nd be freShet OF character to do
any damage. Three tugs We're set at work this
morning by order OF tie District commissioners.
under the direction OF NIrbor Master Sutton. These
Tugs piowed first through the ice OF the
Georgetown channel and tLen cut the lee
out OF the Washington channel for some
distance telow the Arsenal The broken ice was
running out very rapidly this afternoon. but was
gGrging between he Arsenal and GteSboro' points.
No special fear CT this gorge entertained except
that it might interfere with navigation. which Was
resumed to-day. 1t was thought that when the
tugs went to work upon this gorge IL would soon Oe
broken down and the Ice would f1oat out
NAVIGATION OPENED.
The steamer John w. Thompson went down the
river last night nearly to Indian Head to meet the
steamer E. c. Knight, from New YORK Very little
ice was found In the channel below Alexandria
From Alexandria open water can be seen as far as
the eye can reach The F. c. Knight came up the
river last night as far IS Alexandra and this morn
ing continued her course to her wharf In George
town. Steamboatinen were preparing To-day
to resume their regular trips The City
Of Alexandria was being loaded for trip to
the river landings tomorrow Preparations were
being made at the wharyes OF the Norfolk steamers
to resume their trips Monday. one steamboat
captain told STAR reporter that the boats could
make the trip to Norfolk without trouble to-day.
The Alexandria ferry boats are running, but run
drifting ice In the channel The tugboat captains
were the alert to-day, getting ready to go down
the river to bring up vessels that have been block
AIDED since the freeze at Quantlco and other points
FLOWING THROUGH THE ICE. Il
The tugboats e. d. Hartley, Mary Lewis and VIM
f Bell composed the harbOrmasters ice fleet to-day.
Above the Long bridge they encountered solid ice
five six inches thick. In the channels below the
bridge the Ice was very thin. except on the edge OF
the flats Crowds OF wharfmen and idle river nav1-
gators watched the operations OF the tugs from the
wharves and shipping. Opposite them, on the Ice
covered flats was an army OF crows. which was
now and then thrown into state OF great 1ndigna-
ton and excitement by the crushing OF the ice near
them, as one OF the tugs steamed up close to the
flats.
"That ere" said an old river man. removing his
pipe from his mouth and waving 1t toward one OF
the tugs, 'is the best money the Commissioners
ever spent. If there was a freshet now 1t would
wash the Ice right OUT
NO FEAR OF DANGER AT PRESENT.
The shippers and wharf owners along the Wash
ingtOn river front to-day were not at all uneasy
''I do not apprehend any danger at all" said Mr.
E. Kurtz Johnson "This northwest wind viii help
the Ice out OF the river" Mr.. Thos w. Riley said
81 do not think there VIII be any damage at 9ll by
q freShet. I have been here for many years, and
never knew damage tobe done along the river front
by freShet but three times. The merchants along
Louisiana avenue are apt to sufferer more from a
freshet than the owners OF property along the river"
present Indications there would be no fresnet or
character to do damage, and that appeared to be
the general opinion of themen along the river front
''You know how these things Gomez" said an Old
river man. "There must be good deal OF snowin
the mountains and good deal Of ice In the river
to CAUSE damage. The Snow swelling the river
washes the ice down and makes a gorge. Now
there isn't much snow and the ice Is going out
do not think there any danger at present unless
we have very heavy rain"
AT GEORGETOWN,
this afternoon, there was no Indication OF a rise,
and there was very little uneasiness among the
shippers and warehouse men, most OF whom nave
taken the precautlon TO store their valuable goods
out OF reach OF freshet. The ice was running out
OF the channel this afternoon, and the river ap-
peared In such good condition that 1t was thought
the ice reported to be running above Great Falls
would pass out without much trouble.
PETITIONS RECEIVED By THR COMMISSIONERS.
This morning the Commissioners received the
following petition:
To the Honorable Commissioners OF the District
Gentlemen: we, the undersigned, property
owners and business Of this city, respectfully
request you to take some steps to avert an overflow
Ing up Of the ice In the Potomac river"
This is signed by J. c. Ergood. Miller Yeager,
ssuerle Yaksy A6n S1nS GTlSS CO. Ns:,or j owens
r. NJ. Spillman, W. W. Palen Co., E. L. TOlson &
Loving. Hopfenmarer & Co, Howard Wrenn. p
B. Dunno, b. w. Magrath, J. Walker Sons, Tho:np-
son q Co., A; saunderson & Co, Wople & Co,
swane & Brufn, j. H. Crane, Splcer, Compton &
Co., Roth Geoghegan. W. L. Hoge, r A. Goldin,
j. S. Redman Tucker Bro, r. Gruepert, Strang
& Tucker, T. G. Clark & Co., 81. MichaellS. John FL.
Simms Co., Louis ROlhocher, Christopher
Horner, n. c. Gray, S. T. Jones, John Scott Roder
& Krogmann, WOrster Adams, Andrews Wade,
Charles j. Magill, John A. Davis Son, j.. r Kelly,
W. S. Anderson & Co., D. E. Colman & JarbOe,
Brown Sons, John NJ. Laughan, d. R. Whitmore, 7.
s. Donaldson Co.
The signers are mostly wholesale produce men
and grOceTS on Louisiana avenue, between 9Th and
10th streets, and on street, between the same
streets
Another petition is as follows:
"WAsHINGToN, January 81, 1884.
To the Commissioners:
Having in view the widespread damage and great
OF 1881 In the Potomac, your petitioners earnestly
urge upon YOU the necessity for such action your
part will modify, II not avert, similar disaster
The river is now rapidly rising, is the tempera-
tore OF the surrounding region, and Informed
that another ice gorge, with accompanying freshet
be done to wholly avert the threatened danger, 1t
is possible that immediate and prompt action with
whatever means YOU may adopt, may save many
thousands OF dollars worth OF property. We there
fore only ask that you do all that can be done in
this emergency, whether the effort be successful
or not"
This petition was signed by r. H. Taylor, John
woodward & LOthrOp, W. NJ. Shuster & Sons, B.
Robinson Co.. NJ. William, Jno A. Baker, ,Beavens
& shaw, Champlin Hilton. Barber s. Ross. l. H.
schneider Son, Simpson & Guy, Walter B. VIII