The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-04-26

A historian being requested once upon
time to give a description of the various
species of snakes in the land of St Patrick
wrote pithily in reply "There are no snakes
in Irelandn So HERALD reporter, after
tramping along the dusty, dirty, and ankle
twisting cobblestone roadway of Water street
from the Long Bridge to Seventh street wharf,
if asked to describe the commerce OF wash
ington, would be inclined to reply, "Ihefe is
no commerce in Washington" And yet this
would be an exaggeration.
Not many years since, before the reclama-
the river flats was well advanced, the channel
on the Washington side gradually filled up
until it was comparatively mere thread In
width, and vessels drawing over twelve feet OF
water were almost sure to bump their noses in
the mud time and again before they could get
up to the wharves. For some years, owing to
the dredging operations on the flats improve
ment, n broad channel over three hundred
feet in width has been maintained in front OF
the wharves, and vessels drawing twenty feet
of water have no great difficulty in get
ting up and discharging their cargoes. 1t was
believed that the deepening of the Washing
ton channel would result in increased activity
by George Washington Parke Custis in his
Grafton at the laying of the cornerstone of
jackson City, at the other end of the Long
Bridge, sWhen the port shall be crowded
with the myriad sails of foreign vessels bring
ing and exchanging the products of other
climes," might be hoped for at least in the
future. 1t is only necessary to state in this
connection that the time aforesaid has not ar
rived by a jugful. The wharves, except at
the steamboat and ferry landings, bear an air OF
dilapidation, listlessness and general inactiv-
ity, which is almost pathetic to an old-timer
who can remember that in the late sixties and
early seventies they were the scene of almost
constant hustle and hustle.
Said Mr.. Wimsatt, of johnson & Wimsatt:
''Just now business along the river front is
very dull. The coal trade is almost stopped
although we receive small quantity by barges
This is mainly owing to the fact that the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company is interested
in the coal mines at Cumberland and else
where, and the freight on coal by rail has been
made so low that it has become more expensive
to bring it here in vessels. We are bringing
in a great many more shiploads OF lumber
than of coal, because it is much cheaper to
bring the lumber by vessel from Georgia and
the Carolinas, as the railroad freightage
thereon is virtually prohbitive.''
ssDo you think the trade on the front is de-
creasing?'
ssWell, perhaps not exactly that, but it GER
tainly has been at standstill for several
years. No! there are no freight and passenger
steamers now plying between Georgetown and
New York They were taken off several years
ago on account of lack of patronage. The
freight brought by water for District mer-
chants from New York. Philadelphia, and
Baltimore is first carried to Norfolk, thence
transhipped to this city by the Norfolk and
Washington lines. OF course, the tranship-
ment increases the freightage to the merchants
We have plenty of depth of water for large
vessels to get up here, and this port has all
facilities for an extensive commerce, but un-
fortunately there is no basis upon which to
make commerce. Not long ago vessel draw
ing twenty-one feet of water arrived at our
wharf on very high tide, but think twenty
feet is the limit. By the way, there is some
thing of interest down here. You ought to
90 across to the flats opposite and see the i'm
mense chutes that have been built by the
dredging company to take up the mud out of
the bottom of the river to raise the flats. They
"Pulsometer' and when it is set to work the
manner in which it sucks up the mud and
pours it into those chutes is a sight worth see
ing. am afraid | should be accused of tell
ing spring fishing story if | were to state
how many cubic yards of mud it raises and
deposits in an hour"
Said the clerk in charge of the Great Falls
Ice Company's office: "Yes, this new build
ing we have erected will easily store 10000
tons of ice, and no matter how hot the sum
mer may be we shall be able to keep the peo-
pie of Washington cool, and at the present
rates, too, unless some unforeseen event should
happen Oh that stone wharf was built adj
joining to indicate that the company is a
fixture of the National Capital for all time to
come. Seriously speaking, wooden whalVes
will always be threatened by ice gorges as long
as the causeway of the Long Bridge is per
mitted by the authorities to remain"
Said Mr.. Cumberland, the boat builder "At
this season of the year work is always slack
with us. During the winter all the river craft
are laid up and ueed OYerhauling. Then often
times we have more work than we can do.