Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-23
Beauties of the Potomac River.

oatn III OlnClniLtl enquirer.
Among the curiosities of modern times in
Washington city Is the appearance of the Poto-
mac river again IN the visible operations Of
life and movement. The Potomac river is
almost as large and wide as Chesapeake bay.
1t Is about the same distance from the mouth
of the Potomac to the city of Baltimore as from
the same point to the city of Washington, and I
think that the distance is just the same from
the mouth OF the Potomac to Norfolk as to
Washington and to Baltimore. The Potomac
river Immediately below Washington expands
to be a stream of two miles or more in width
and it widens where the different inIets and
creeks enter it to be several miles in extent.
and when you get two-thirds Of the wav
down toward the bay the Potomac is a beau
tlful inland sea of brackish water assembled
and swashed by the tides. 1t has much uobler
shores than the Chesapeake, the bluffs on either
side OF 1t being extremely high, in some cases
over 100 feet in height few years before
the Revolutionary war this river was like the
Hudson river Of New York, bordered by beau
THU country seats, descriptions of many of
which you can find in an old book by Mai.
Smith, an English tory. published In Dublin in
lIS4. The building of railroads and the decay
OF the tide water counties have for years past
made the Potomac almost a deserted river
Two steamers go down to Fortress Monroe
and Norfolk. One or two other steamers de-
scend 1t to the Patuxent which has several land
Baltimore. One or two local steamers to carry
vegetables and fruit leave Washington and
enter some of the creeks OF the Potomac
But since the Washington navy ward has
been half dismantled through the per-
severance and influence Of the private shin
yards of the country the Potomac has been
placid mirror, its smooth face affected only
by fishing boats and little smacks. In thc
mean time Baltimore has developed a great
zeal OF bay commerce. 1t has q very fine line
laau
week, and perhaps every night now from both
Norfolk and Baltimore. These steamers are
named the Virginia, the Caroline, the Georgia
and the Florida. People in Washington have
oeen wont to go over to Baltimore by rail
forty miles to take these superior steainnre
which are all built / think, at Wilmin,-ton
Del, and make the journey to Fortress Mon
roe. Baltimore also runs steamers tn many
other points OF the bay, and especially to the
eastern shore to the railroads which come ont
upon the necks OF that fruIty peninsula
The increase of Washington however has
revived the river Potomac. According TO the
census there live IN Washington $50 900 peonls
1t Is found that the Potomac is Just as cool for
evening excursions as Chesapeake bay. sum
mer resorts OF an excursion character haya
sprung up along the shores Of the Potomac and
some OF them are making good deal of money
A large steamer has been recently nut unon
this excursion business alone. and IL does as
Wen as many OF the steamers running out of
80 Oisy' i"o rye anu elegant steam
! ers are now being built at great expense 10
run direct from Washington to Fortress Mon
roe and Norfolk. The Potomac is therefor
coming forward IN the affairs Of the world and
1t Is to be remembered that the Potomac enters
into the continent much farther westward than
'ne city OF Baltimore. Washington is just as
much west OF Baltimore as il is south III the
longitude OF Baltimore is that Of Harrisburg
anu Elmira the longitude OF Washington and
Georgetown Is twenty miles further west.
new railroad up the Potomac on the line of
the dlsmantied canal would be likely to find
plenty OF business in the course of time for
coal. for passenger inlet to the picturesque
mountains near at hand and for connections
with the new railroads which are already pro-
ccted from the west to Washington