National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-13
A FRESHET COMING At LAST.
THE ICE GORGE UNBRoKEN AND THE
RIVER RISING.
This Morning Expected to Develop All
the Danger There Is in the situation
The Commissioners Turn over the
Emergency Fund to the citizens.

The continued rain and high temperature
yesterday rendered freshet from the up
per Potomac apparently imminent At0
o'clock p. m. the signal office reported
rsein the river at Harper's Ferry OF eight
feet and nine inches since o o'clock the pre-
yious evening, the rise during the immediate
six hours having been tifty-two inches.
Notice was sent through the endangered
portions Of the city TO take every precaution
expectation Of the overflow.
The river between the Chain bridge and
the Aqucduct formed block Of ice, while
above the river was rapidly rising and the
ice was flowing, with no chance to pass be-
low the blockade.
The warning given by the signal Office to
the citizens had the effect to put people on
their guard. The business men along Penn.
sylvania avenue were to be seen busily get
ting their goods from the cellars. Messrs
Browning ~ Middleton, Barbour " Hamil-
ton, Kendall, Wheeler, and Richards had u
fun force Of clerks aud extra help on hand.
The signal office, comparing the Hood
statistics Of 1881 with the rise and condi-
| tion Of the water last night, issued a state
mCnt that the flood would reach this city
| atOut o'clock this morning. The Cessa-
| tion of the heavy rain that fell early last
night gave hope to the business men, but
| this hope was dashed away by the rain be-
| ginning again to fall heavily at midnight.
| Capt Littleicld, with the tugs +. ID.
| Hartley and Lewis, was for the greater
| part Of yesterday and last night engaged in
| forcing a channel through the gorge a half
| mile this side of Fort FOote Capt. Little
| field reported that in some parts the ice
| was piled up twenty feet high. The ice
cakes were from eight to twenty-four
| inches In thickness. The river commit
| 10 llRmI1 n phupnpl
at Fort Fuote, so as to afford an outlet at
that point The ice gorge at the Aque-
| duct was not found so much, as 1t was be-
lcvod that the rushing water would leap
over the barriers and in time sweep them
away. The main object was to keep clear
channel from the AquCduct as far down the
river as possible.
At II o'clock advice from the river front
was that the water, though high, was not
above the usual tide.
Commissioners Edmonds, Webb, and
Lydeckcr were informed last evening Of
the probable danger Of flood. They held
n meeting and at its close tclcphoncd Mr..
Iloratio Browning that they had put the
emergency fund at the disposal of the citi-
zcus' committee. They also told the com
mittCe to 90 ahead with their work OF
clearing the river and that they would lend
all the assistance that they could.
4 meeting Of the committee was imme-
diately held in Mr.. Brownlng's store and
Capt. Littlefeld was ordered to begin work
again to-day.
The river front at Georgetown seemed to
be a dangerous point for many hours last
night The busy aspect OF men handling
lumber, goods, and chattels along the water
front and in the stores fronting the river
told the fear that the impending flood occa-
stoned.
The former flood came about a. m. on
| ig npnbuhll tbutH
great rush of water will not reach here until
that hour TO day.
The following is the bulletin issued from
the signal Office at | o'clock this morning ::
"The reports received from stations along
the Potomac indicateprobable danger along
the river front, and every precaution should
be taken by parties interested. A report
received at o p. m. states that the river is
still rising between the Aqueduct bridge
and IIarper's Ferry, and that another gorge
has formed at Seneca, and that ice is still
running down the river rapidly. The gorge
at Seven Locks is not yet broken. The
ice between the AQueduct and the
Chain bridges remains firm. The
last report, received at o'clock from the
Aqueduct bridge, states that the ice com.
menccd moving at 1905 a. III. in a small
channel on this side Of the river, and at that
hour was still moving, but was not thought
that all the ice would pass away.
"Should the river above tile AqueduCt
bridge be freed from ice dnring this morn
ing, although there will be decided rise
in the river, a freshet will hardly follow,
but under the circumstances every precau-
tion should he taken.n
"a. M.-The following has just been re-
ceiyed from Chain bridge: "The river is at
a standstill at Seneca-twenty-two miles
from Washington, with all the ice gone
from that point 1t is gradually rising be-
nj IFtJ rba f,n
mains firm between Chain bridge and AQue.
duct, but is broken and moving from
Georgetown. From present appearances
II is not thought there is extreme danger